So my first assignment as a EC journalist was to write an article regarding our fitness center. The story angle was to explain to the reader how the budget cuts were going to affect the fitness center's availability.
My main source? Dr. Thomas Storer, Director of the Excercise laboratory (which includes the fitness center). First interview of the semester, no big deal, right? ... RIGHT?!
I'm pretty confident in myself to be professional when need be, and added with a couple of fail-proof verbal sashays can usually put me on any random strangers good side long enough for me to get what I need.
So at the interview, I sit down a pull out my phone and tell him I'm going to record the interview. He declines.
Uh oh.
Time out. (Kinda lika a Zach Morris time out in Saved by the Bell) (Did he just say no? Can he say no? Obviously. He just did. But why? I like how the window in the office looks out to the track. Girls. Dammit Ray, focus! He said he didn't want to be recorded! Hmm, lets see if this'll change his mind.)
"I can assure you Dr. Storer that whatever we talk about will only be reviewed by myself and possibly my editor. That's it. I PROMISE", I said.
Dr. Storer puts his hand up, with his palm faced towards me as if he were a crossing guard telling me to stop and reponds with,"I'd rather not."
Dude. Bro. Compadre. It's my first real interview. Give me a break. So you're telling me imma have to handwrite everything? I can't do that. Not possible, even on a good day!
"Uh, okay sir", I replied.
And so the interview went..I did the best I can. Can I do anything else? I only got a couple of paper-worthy direct quotes, but luckly, they were strong enough to hold without dissection.
So why did he decline? He didn't say that I was out there to cause some ruckus between he and the Dean and what not, but it was apparent that he didn't trust me enough to quote something that could be more emotionally-based rather than factual. And I understand completley. He doesn't have time to worry about some story written in the paper that could potentially do harm to him. It would be better for him to not do it at all.
Whatever. Its all good. As a journalist, If there's one thing I need to not focus on this semester is the girls running on the track while I cover the track and field beat.
But even more important is the realization that people don't have give a hoot about you if they don't want to. I am on my interviewe's schedule and needs, not the other way around. I should be thankful to get five minutes of face-time with anyone.
I also need to not rely on the recorder to be there. That means developing the ability to consume 15-20 minutes of information, keeping it in your head until after the interview is finished, and then regurgitate the information back onto a piece of paper five minutes later.
If I remember correctly from my other school experiences, not being able to use a recorder is a lot like crashing for a test that I didn't study for. It's a good thing I'm an expert in the field. =D
