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I was recently interviewed about something painful in my life. I learned more about how not to be an interviewer than anything I& #39;ve read/practiced. This is a devastating time for so many, and people don& #39;t owe us their stories. Some insights on how to be respectful & empowering:
I don& #39;t believe the person who interviewed me had ill-intentions; they just weren& #39;t educated.
When you& #39;re interviewing someone who has experienced trauma, ask two questions before you begin:
1. Are you in a safe place? (applies to phone interviews)
When you& #39;re interviewing someone who has experienced trauma, ask two questions before you begin:
1. Are you in a safe place? (applies to phone interviews)
2. If we talk about something that triggers you, is there someone you can call/talk to?
General tips:
3. DO NOT go into the interview with a list of scripted questions, as if the person is a data point. Let them lead.
4. Don& #39;t insist when they don& #39;t respond coherently to a ?
General tips:
3. DO NOT go into the interview with a list of scripted questions, as if the person is a data point. Let them lead.
4. Don& #39;t insist when they don& #39;t respond coherently to a ?
5. NEVER interrupt. Not even to clarify. Listen, wait for a pause, then ask follow-up questions. "Hey, is it ok if I ask you more about TK?"
6. Check-in: "Are you doing ok? Do you need a break?" This is esp. important in phone interviews, as it& #39;s harder to pick up on social cues
6. Check-in: "Are you doing ok? Do you need a break?" This is esp. important in phone interviews, as it& #39;s harder to pick up on social cues
7. If, once you& #39;ve shared the purpose of the interview & gone through informed consent, someone decides they want to speak with you on background/anonymously, respect that. Never pressure or act disappointed.
8. Don& #39;t say "I understand," and refer back to yourself or an experience you had, as if you& #39;re trying to relate. DO NOT DO THIS.
9. Maybe the person decides the interview is too much and they want to end it abruptly (I did this), check-in with them after & see if they& #39;re ok.
9. Maybe the person decides the interview is too much and they want to end it abruptly (I did this), check-in with them after & see if they& #39;re ok.
I do my best to practice trauma-informed interviewing when I speak with people who& #39;ve suffered/experienced pain in their lives, and often it can feel abstract. Colleagues have commented that I take too long to go through informed consent and I& #39;m too soft. Now I know why I do it.
It took days to get over this feeling that I& #39;d been stripped of my power. If you& #39;re looking for more resources, @itsjina website is a wealth of knowledge. She& #39;s led the path as has @stillsarita on how to be a thoughtful, ethical reporter while producing beautiful, impactful work.
@DartCenter is also a treasure trove of information. @LaurenMarkham_ shared that she does an exercise with students who interview each other about a challenge in their lives, read back quotes, etc. Each of us should have this experience.
We must empower others to share their stories or we don& #39;t deserve them. Fin.
Since I have you here, I& #39;m looking into the possibility of doing a training on trauma-aware journalism skills. I don& #39;t have details at the moment, but if this is something you might be interested in, please inbox me your e-mail address and I& #39;ll pass along info when I have it. 
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