Chapter 5 in our course textbook covers interviewing techniques, beginning with a few key takeaways from long-time journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Barbra Walsh on interviewing. Echoing what we started to touch on in class, Walsh talks about how important it is not to dissuade the person you are interviewing by beginning with the most hard-hitting controversial question and instead making them feel heard and given a chance to provide their side of the story and then nearing the end to bring in those crucial questions. I also thought it was helpful to highlight the reality of how fast those interview moments can change and potentially kill a story and all the work you’ve done. Being active and observant seems like such a crucial skill in addition to the actual preparation and writing. Another essential element that this chapter on interviewing methods laid out was the importance of being a great listener – so often, we are consumed with whether or not we have the right question or if we will get enough information that we aren’t as present as we should be in the conversation at hand. Lastly, I found the section on follow-up questions to connect nicely with the important theme of being nonjudgemental, listening, and still maintaining control over the conversation, as you do have to produce something at the end of it all.