Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 MASTERING EVERY INTERVIEW IS THE INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEW: A CONSTANT FIGHT FOR CONTROL Unmasking the Truth During the Covid Pandemic With Julian Sher www.juliansher.com twitter: @juliansher email: [email protected] 1 2 The challenge of every interview: In sports, you are lucky if you control the ball Who is in control of the ball? 50% of the game… In interviews you need to be in control 100% of the time This class will teach you how to aim for 100% AND HOW DO YOU SCORE IN SPORTS? 3 4 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 1 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 THE GOAL TODAY IS TO GET YOU TO RADICALLY CHANGE How do you prepare for THE WAY YOU LOOK AT INTERVIEWS BY LOOKING AT the tough interview? THE ABCS OF GOOD INTERVIEWS: • A: THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVIEWS • B: THE FIVE RULES OF GOOD INTERVIEWS (AND HOW TO BREAK THEM) • C: WHAT TO DO TO WHEN YOU GET INTO TROUBLE 5 6 We focus on research, facts… but too often we ignore strategy BEFORE YOU RUSH OFF TO YOUR INTERVIEW: You have to figure out what kind of interview you are doing 7 8 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 2 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 A:/ What type of Interview are you doing? Imagine you are covering this story: Covid “Unprotected Nurses treating ACCOUNTABILITY patients die in hospital” EMOTION INFORMATION 9 10 Some interviews are mainly emotion, Some interviews are mainly information with some information [for example, experts] [usually your main character, the victim, the protagonist] 90% INFORMATION. 10% EMOTION 70% EMOTION. 20% INFORMATION 10% ACCOUNTABILITY 11 12 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 3 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 Interviews with THE BEST INTERVIEW HAVE ALL THREE, the powerful are IN THIS ORDER: almost all accountability ACCOUNTABILITY TRUMP ON LACK OF TESTS? How guilty do you feel because you refused to supply masks and other protection? EMOTION What did the deaths of the nurses you PUTIN ON DOCTORS DYING? knew so well mean to you? INFORMATION When did you first learn about the Covid outbreak at your hospital? 80% ACCOUNTABILITY. 10% EMOTION 10% INFORMATION XI ON SECRECY? 13 14 Gayle King follows the three steps with R. Kelly: Watch as Gayle King of CBS follows the three steps Information, Emotion, Accountability…. with accused sexual molester R. Kelly: • INFORMATION: WHY ARE YOU SITTING DOWN WITH US TODAY? • EMOTION: WHAT ARE THE LIES THAT DISTURB YOU THE MOST? • ACCOUNTABILITY: -HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING THAT YOU REGRET, HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING WRONG? -ARE YOU SAYING EVERYBODY WAS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH? -WHY WOULD ALL THESE WOMEN TELL THESE STORIES ABOUT YOU? Watch full interview: http://tinyurl.com/yxunxczu 15 16 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 4 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 SO BEFORE YOU RUSH OFF TO YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW, DECIDE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR QUESTIONS WILL FALL INTO EACH CATGEORY: ACCOUNTABILITY B.The Basic EMOTION Rules for Good INFORMATION Interviews 17 18 1. ASK OPEN-ENDED NOT CLOSED QUESTIONS: • ALWAYS ASK THE 5 Ws: WHO? WHAT? WHERE? You get the answers you deserve WHY? WHEN? • Don’t blame the interviewee • AVOID YES/NO ANSWERS • Ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer So how can we ask smarter questions? 19 20 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 5 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 2. DON'T GIVE PEOPLE WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BOY WHO NEARLY DIED FROM E COLI ANSWERS EVERY YES OR NO QUESTION WITH… A YES OR NO EASY ESCAPE ROUTES: • ASK ONE QUESTION ONLY • DON’T GIVE THEM EASY CHOICES • WATCH FOR THE UNNEEDED ADJECTIVE • OR PHRASE OR THE UNNEEDED FACT 21 22 Not keeping your eye on the ball… • QUESTION: IS THERE EVER A POINT AT WHICH YOU DON’T THINK YOU CAN COME BACK? AND WHAT’S YOUR MINDSET? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT QUESTION? IT IS NOT A QUESTION – IT’S TWO QUESTIONS!!! Watch bad sports interviews: http://tinyurl.com/y9wh75ah AND WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK HE WILL ANSWER? 23 24 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 6 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 A basketball team was losing the game badly until the last minute… Your interview subject We want to know how the players felt -- and how they managed to win victory at the last minute? will always go for the easiest shot • QUESTION: IS THERE EVER A POINT AT WHICH YOU DON’T THINK YOU CAN COME BACK? AND WHAT’S YOUR MINDSET? • PLAYER: NO. • QUESTION: SO TELL ME ABOUT THAT – • PLAYER: THANK YOU THIS IS THE ANSWER WE WANT – WHAT WERE YOU YOU THINKING WHEN THE GAME LOOKED HOPELESS?? BUT HE GOES FOR THE EASY ANSWER – DID YOU Watch the interview: http://tinyurl.com/y9wh75ah EVER THINK YOU WOULD LOSE? 25 26 When a question mark comes out of 3. BASIC IS BEAUTIFUL - KEEP IT your mouth… CLEAN AND SIMPLE AVOID LOADED OR CONTROVERSIAL WORDS… • STOP TALKING!!!! 27 28 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 7 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 OBAMA IS OBAMA SEIZES ON ONE WORD: QUESTIONNED ABOUT HOSTAGES IN IRAN: QUESTION: As you well know, there are four Americans in Iran - three held on trumped up charges according to your administration, one, whereabouts unknown. Can you tell the country, sir, why you are content, with all of the fanfare around this [nuclear] deal to leave the conscience of this nation, the strength of this nation, unaccounted for, in relation to these four Americans? 29 30 OBAMA SEIZES ON 4. THE WORST QUESTION IS NOT ONE WORD TO ESCAPE: ASKING ONE • AVOID MAKING STATEMENTS, OPINIONS • DO NOT GET INTO A DEBATE – YOU WILL QUESTION: As you well know, there are four Americans in Iran - three held on trumped up ALWAYS LOSE charges according to your administration, one, whereabouts unknown. Can you tell the country, sir, why you are content, with all of the fanfare around this [nuclear] deal to leave the conscience of this nation, the strength of this nation, unaccounted for, in relation to these four Americans? WHY WILL JOURNALISTS WILL ALWAYS LOSE? (EVEN IF YOU ARE SMARTER…) WATCH VIDEO: http://tinyurl.com/ybl47zx4 31 32 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 8 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 BECAUSE IT’S AN UNFAIR FIGHT. DEBATES CAN BE FUN TO WATCH BUT WE DON’T LEARN ANYTHING THEY CAN LIE, DEFLECT AND MAKE STUFF UP. YOU CAN’T WATCH VIDEO: http://tinyurl.com/mvuklfn 33 34 A debate means they turn the tables and start asking YOU the questions. Watch what happens Morgan Freeman vs Mike Wallace: when Morgan Freeman takes on Mike Wallace over Black History Month: MORGAN FREEMAN’S ANSWERS ARE ALL QUESTIONS: Ø You going to relegate my history to a month? Ø Which one is yours? Ø Which month is white history month? Ø Which month is Jewish history month? WATCH FULL VIDEO: http://tinyurl.com/ztfk4u3 Ø Do you want one? 35 36 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 9 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 5. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN Anderson Cooper listens to every word • GRAB THEIR WORDS, from the Mayor of Las Vegas - and is MAKE THEM YOURS AND ready to jump and push back THROW THEM BACK • AND LISTEN NOT JUST TO THE WORDS, BUT TO THE MEANING – WHAT ARE THEY REALLY SAYING? WATCH FULL INTERVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/ya5qpfnl 37 38 Anderson Cooper vs Mayor of Las Vegas He listens to what her words MEAN and also what she SAYS: Ø ShE nEvEr says “I havE no plan” but Cooper exposes that is the meaning of her words Ø ShE doEs say Las Vegas could bE a “control group” and Cooper jumps on that Ø ShE nevEr says she herself would not go to thE casinos but Cooper makes it clear that’s the result of her words WATCH FULL INTERVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/ya5qpfnl 39 40 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 10 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 C:/WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET INTO RECAP: Five Basic Rules of Interviews TROUBLE • 1. ASK OPEN-ENDED NOT Because face it - you are going to lose CLOSED QUESTIONS more than you will win… • 2. DON'T GIVE PEOPLE ANY EASY ESCAPE ROUTES • 3. BASIC IS BEAUTIFUL - KEEP IT CLEAN AND SIMPLE • 4. THE WORST QUESTION IS NOT ASKING ONE • 5. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN 41 42 WHAT TO DO : TROUBLE TIP #1: WHEN THE INTERVIEW TURNS Fight Back - Don’t be afraid to stand up INTO AN ARGUMENT for yourself Be Firm – By Cutting it off, By taking an Aggressive Approach or by using Humour 43 44 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 11 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself: IN LEBANON: Rima Karaki vs. Sheikh Hani Al-Siba’i Weijia Jiang of CBS News challenges Trump on a racist insult… WATCH VIDEO: http://tinyurl.com/yd56qf8o WATCH FULL INTERVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/ya5qpfnl 45 46 TIP#2: DON’T LOSE FOCUS But you need to fight smart: • PAULA REID OF CBS KEEPS PUSHING TRUMP ABOUT WHY HE DID NOTHING IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY TIP #2:Don’t lose focus WATCH FULL INTERVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/y7lxnxqj 47 48 For more, see www.juliansher.com/training 12 Investigative Interviews (Covid) - Julian Sher 2020-05-18 2020 DON’T LOSE FOCUS • PAULA REID OF CBS KEEPS PUSHING TRUMP ABOUT Fight Smart: WHY HE DID NOTHING IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY TIP #3: KEEP ASKING THE SAME QUESTION • WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE TIME THAT BOUGHT? • BUT WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE TIME THAT YOU BOUGHT –THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.