200 Questions to Ask a Journalist

Whether you’re a budding journalist, a curious reader, or someone fascinated by the ever-changing world of media, knowing the right questions to ask can bridge the gap between surface-level news and the depths of insightful reporting.

In an Interview

1. What inspired you to become a journalist?
2. Can you talk about a story you covered that had a big impact?
3. What’s the most challenging story you’ve ever worked on?
4. How do you handle reporting on sensitive or controversial topics?
5. What’s the most interesting interview you’ve conducted and why?
6. How do you fact-check your stories?
7. What steps do you take to ensure your reporting is unbiased?
8. How has technology changed the way you work?
9. What’s the role of journalism in a democratic society?
10. How do you see the future of print journalism?
11. How do you prioritize multiple stories when everything seems urgent?
12. Have you ever been threatened or put in danger because of your work?
13. How important is investigative journalism in today’s world?
14. What’s your take on citizen journalism?
15. Have you ever faced a moral conflict while covering a story?
16. What advice would you give to young people who want to pursue journalism?
17. Can you name a journalist that you look up to and tell us why?
18. How do you measure the success of a story?
19. What are your thoughts on how the public perceives journalists today?
20. If you could change one thing about the journalism industry, what would it be?

About Their Job

1. What time does your workday usually start and end?
2. Can you describe the first thing you do when you get to work?
3. How do you usually pitch a story idea to your editor?
4. Do you work more in the field or at your desk?
5. What’s your go-to tool for taking notes during interviews?
6. How do you keep track of all your deadlines?
7. What’s the quickest you’ve ever had to produce a story?
8. How many stories do you typically work on at the same time?
9. How do you balance accuracy with speed, especially when news is breaking?
10. Can you walk us through how you prepare for a big interview?
11. What part of your job do you find the most challenging?
12. How do you handle it when a source pulls out or refuses to comment?
13. How often do you collaborate with photographers or videographers?
14. What’s the editing process like for one of your pieces?
15. How much freedom do you have in choosing the stories you cover?
16. How closely do you follow your beat or area of expertise?
17. How much time do you spend reading other publications?
18. What’s your approach to writing an attention-grabbing lead?
19. How do you keep your writing fresh and avoid repeating yourself?
20. What’s the most satisfying moment you experience in a typical work week?

About Their Career Journey

1. What inspired you to become a journalist?
2. How did you get your first break in the industry?
3. Can you tell me about your very first reporting assignment?
4. Have you always worked in the same field of journalism (like politics, sports, etc.), or have you switched?
5. What’s one story you’ve covered that you’ll never forget?
6. What was the biggest hurdle you faced early in your career?
7. Have you had any mentors who helped you along the way? What did you learn from them?
8. What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
9. Did you always know you wanted to go into journalism, or did you consider other careers?
10. How do you continue learning and improving in your profession?
11. How have you adapted to the changes in technology and social media in journalism?
12. Have you ever worked in a different kind of media (like radio, TV, print, etc.)? How was that experience?
13. What’s the most challenging assignment you’ve ever taken on?
14. Have you ever turned down a story or assignment? Why?
15. What skills do you think are most important for someone entering journalism today?
16. How do you handle the highs and lows that come with the job?
17. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in journalism?
18. How important is networking in your field, and how do you go about it?
19. Did you go to journalism school? Do you think it’s necessary?
20. Have you had opportunities to work internationally? What was that like?

About the News Gathering Process

1. What are your go-to methods for finding story ideas?
2. How do you decide which story is worth pursuing?
3. Can you walk me through your day-to-day research routine?
4. What’s your process for verifying the facts and figures in your stories?
5. How do you go about finding credible sources?
6. Do you ever use anonymous sources, and if so, why?
7. How do you prepare for an interview with a source?
8. What’s the hardest part about gathering information for a story?
9. Have you ever faced barriers or obstacles while trying to get information? What were they?
10. Do you use any specialized software or tools in your research?
11. How much time do you typically spend on the research phase of a story?
12. How do you approach sensitive or controversial topics when gathering news?
13. Can you share a story about a time your initial angle on a story changed drastically as you gathered more information?
14. How do you handle conflicting accounts or data while researching?
15. How important are first-hand accounts or eyewitnesses in your reporting?
16. What do you think about using data journalism in news gathering?
17. How do you ensure you’re getting a balanced view when collecting information?
18. How often do you collaborate with other journalists or departments in the news-gathering process?
19. How do you handle deadlines when gathering news isn’t going as planned?
20. How do you ensure your personal biases don’t affect your news gathering?

About Dealing with Sources

1. How do you initially approach a new source?
2. What’s your protocol for confirming a source’s identity?
3. How do you ensure a source’s safety, especially in sensitive or risky stories?
4. What role does intuition play in deciding whether to trust a source?
5. Have you ever had to deal with a whistle-blower? What special precautions did you take?
6. How do you tackle language barriers or cultural differences when dealing with international sources?
7. Do you record your interviews with sources? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever had a source ask for money, favors, or special treatment?
9. How do you cope with a source who provides incorrect information, whether intentionally or not?
10. What’s your strategy for juggling multiple sources for a single story?
11. Do you think it’s ever acceptable to deceive a source for the greater good?
12. What guidelines do you follow for maintaining source confidentiality in digital communications?
13. How do you navigate the ethical considerations of using leaked or hacked information from a source?
14. How do you manage the expectations a source may have about how they will be portrayed?
15. Do you provide sources with an idea of when the story will be published?
16. How do you handle the situation if a source wants to retract their statements after an interview?
17. Have you ever faced repercussions for refusing to reveal a source?
18. What criteria do you use to weigh the credibility of a source against another when they provide conflicting information?
19. Do you ever use ‘background‘ or ‘deep background‘ as conditions for speaking with a source? What do these terms mean to you?
20. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about dealing with sources throughout your career?

About Fake News and Misinformation

1. How do you define “fake news” in your own words?
2. What do you think is the main driver behind the spread of fake news?
3. Have you ever been accused of spreading fake news? How did you handle it?
4. What steps do you take to verify the information before publishing a story?
5. How does your news outlet handle corrections if something false is published?
6. Do you think social media platforms are doing enough to combat fake news?
7. How do you think misinformation affects public trust in journalism?
8. Have you covered stories that debunk fake news or misinformation?
9. How should regular folks check the credibility of news they find online?
10. Do you think fake news has gotten worse with the rise of the internet?
11. What’s the role of journalism schools in teaching how to combat fake news?
12. Are there any fact-checking tools or resources you swear by?
13. Do you think some genres of journalism are more susceptible to fake news than others?
14. What’s the most common form of misinformation you encounter in your field?
15. How do you navigate reporting on false information without amplifying it?
16. Do you believe that tougher laws should be enacted against the spread of fake news?
17. How can readers help journalists in the fight against misinformation?
18. What are the most common signs that a news story might be fake?
19. How do you feel about “deepfakes” and their potential impact on news?
20. What’s the best way for journalists to regain public trust in a “post-truth” era?

About Their Most Memorable Stories

1. What makes a particular story stand out as memorable for you?
2. Can you share the most emotional story you’ve ever covered?
3. Have you ever had a story change your personal beliefs or attitudes?
4. What’s the most impactful story you’ve worked on in terms of creating change?
5. Have you ever had a story take a completely unexpected turn?
6. What was the longest you’ve ever spent researching and writing a single story?
7. Is there a story you felt scared or nervous to publish? Why?
8. What’s the most rewarding feedback you’ve received on a story?
9. Can you recall a story that had a surprising impact on your audience?
10. What’s the most controversial story you’ve covered?
11. Have you ever had a story picked up or cited by larger or international outlets?
12. What’s the most difficult ethical decision you’ve had to make on a story?
13. Did you ever form an unexpected friendship or relationship through a story?
14. Have you ever received threats or backlash for a story? How did you handle it?
15. Can you share a story where you had to go above and beyond to verify information?
16. What’s a story that you felt was overlooked or underappreciated?
17. Have you ever covered a story that became a major news event unexpectedly?
18. What’s the most heartwarming story you’ve ever written?
19. What’s the most challenging interview you’ve conducted for a story?
20. Can you share a story where you felt your reporting made a direct, positive impact?

About Ethics and Fairness

1. How would you define journalistic ethics?
2. What’s your personal code of ethics when it comes to reporting?
3. Can you share an example where you had to make a tough ethical choice?
4. How do you navigate the fine line between public interest and invasion of privacy?
5. What are the ethical considerations when dealing with vulnerable sources or subjects?
6. Have you ever refused to cover a story on ethical grounds?
7. How do you handle conflicts of interest in your reporting?
8. What are your thoughts on accepting gifts or favors from sources?
9. How do you maintain fairness when covering highly divisive issues?
10. Do you think journalists should always be impartial? Why or why not?
11. How does your newsroom handle ethical dilemmas?
12. What’s your take on sensationalism in the media?
13. How do you go about correcting mistakes or inaccuracies in your reporting?
14. What ethical challenges have you noticed with the rise of digital journalism?
15. How do you manage transparency with your audience?
16. What steps do you take to ensure diverse perspectives in your reporting?
17. How do you handle the ethics of reporting on rumors or leaks?
18. How important is it to separate opinion and editorial content from news reporting?
19. Have you ever been in a situation where legal and ethical considerations were at odds?
20. What’s one piece of advice about ethics and fairness you would give to a young journalist?

About the Role of Media in Society

1. What do you think is the most important function of the media in a democracy?
2. How do you see the role of media evolving in the next decade?
3. Do you think media outlets have a social responsibility beyond reporting the news?
4. How does media coverage influence public opinion, in your view?
5. Do you believe the media plays a part in shaping cultural norms?
6. What are your thoughts on media bias? Is it unavoidable?
7. How does media coverage affect political elections?
8. What role does the media play in times of crisis or disaster?
9. Do you think the media gives a voice to the voiceless? How?
10. Can you talk about a time when media attention significantly helped a social cause?
11. What’s your take on the media’s role in educating the public?
12. Do you think the media should entertain, inform, or both?
13. How important is diversity in media, both in topics and who is reporting them?
14. Do you think the media does enough to scrutinize people in power?
15. What’s your opinion on how the media portrays minorities and marginalized communities?
16. How does the media contribute to the spread or debunking of stereotypes?
17. What role do ethics play in modern journalism?
18. What are the biggest challenges facing the media today?
19. Do you think people are becoming more or less trusting of the media?
20. What’s the one thing you wish people understood better about the role of media in society?

About the Future of Journalism

1. How do you see the role of journalism changing in the next 10 years?
2. What impact do you think artificial intelligence will have on journalism?
3. How are newsrooms adapting to the digital age?
4. Do you think print media will survive? Why or why not?
5. What skills do you think upcoming journalists should focus on?
6. How is social media changing the way journalists find and report stories?
7. What are your thoughts on citizen journalism?
8. Do you think news outlets can still be unbiased in today’s polarized world?
9. What’s your take on the growing trend of podcasts and their role in journalism?
10. How can journalism adapt to better serve younger audiences?
11. What impact has the rise of “fake news” had on public trust, and how can journalism rebuild it?
12. Do you think independent journalism can survive in the age of corporate-owned media houses?
13. How do you see data journalism evolving?
14. Are paywalls a sustainable model for online journalism?
15. What role do you think community-focused journalism will play in the future?
16. How can journalism better represent diverse voices and communities?
17. How is technology like drones or VR affecting storytelling in journalism?
18. What’s the future of investigative journalism in an era of shrinking newsroom budgets?
19. Do you think traditional journalism ethics are still relevant in today’s changing landscape?
20. How can journalists better engage with their audiences in the future?

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts

By engaging in this dialogue, we not only broaden our understanding of journalism but also contribute to the broader conversation on transparency, ethics, and the role of media in democracy. It’s a small step for us but a giant leap towards fostering a more informed and critical society.