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I can't tell you how many times I've been interviewing someone, and they launch into a story that makes me clench my jaw. I keep thinking to myself: "Do they know I'm here?"
What I've found is that so many people want to unburden themselves, as you say. The back up on that is they cry "taken out of context" if they don't like what they see later. I guess that's the out clause in their minds. I have tapes and transcripts on the stuff I do, so I'm good with it. Moreover, in a round up piece where a name doesn't matter, I won't let someone just hang himself. I've flat out asked, "Do you really want to say that?"
The people who are all guarded are generally those I'm speaking with about silly stuff. That's the part that really stuns me. These people don't have big secrets, and the stuff is a giant, "who cares," yet they hem and haw. As you said, an axe murderer will come out with..."Well, it was a Friday night...not much on TV. I had to do something."
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 21, 2005 at 4:36 AM
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On interviewing...an observation.
People tend to want to be "understood" (i.e. put their side of the story out). I don't see this often posited as a human need, but it seems to ben pretty universal.
Even if your subject doesn't care if you know, there's someone, somewhere they want to impress. (Failing that, they might want to vent to spite you or to threaten people. Next, best, but check everything twice).
This works for/on almost everyone from axe murderers to girl scouts; only those with much more up their sleeve, or mental illnesses of certain types, don't respond productively to this.
posted by
majroj
on May 20, 2005 at 7:22 PM
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