Ms Kamini Mathai shares insights with class of aspiring journalists
Journalism class on November 25 turned out to be an interesting guest session, as Ms Kamini Mathai, Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, Chennai, and an alumna of the Department of English, WCC, addressed the class and gave an in-depth talk about the art and skill of conducting interviews, especially for personality profiles in journalism. Ms Mathai delved into journalistic etiquette and ethics, while sharing pragmatic tips for the entire process of interviewing: research, code of conduct, consent, attribution, profiling and editing.
As teenagers with limited attention span online, the girls loved the Powerpoint presentation that Ms Mathai had put together. The pithy phrases through which the ideas were conveyed, were met with a collective sigh of relief as it was a break from the heavy stuff that students are normally exposed to during webinars.
Ms Mathai was specific about timeliness and punctuality, stating that it is vital for the smooth conduct of an interview. She shared from her own experience as a newbie, when she wasn’t the most punctual, which prompted her to stress on the importance of little gestures that would make a mighty difference in the way journalists are respected. Politeness was another factor that the girls were asked to take into consideration as it is crucial for the interviewee to be put at ease. Basic etiquette that is usually taken for granted, like carrying necessary stationery, requesting for permission before recording and stopping the interview if the interviewee feels uncomfortable, were other important pointers. Jotting down notes during an interview is beneficial, as it prevents the interviewer from zoning off, and later on, this would be the saving grace if technology fails resulting in inviting the wrath of the editor!
“Research, research, research”, was the first pointer on the PPT, stressing the importance of doing one’s homework prior to any interview. This would avoid awkward pauses indicating the interviewer’s lack of background knowledge. Repetitive and clichéd questions should be removed from the interviewer’s list. Clarifying basic details like the right way to spell one’s name or use of quotes, should be done during every interview. These are the essential components of a reporter’s work ethos.
Journalists attributing ‘anonymous’ to their information sources, do it mainly out of laziness, stated Ms Mathai, who has authored the biography “A R Rahman - The Musical Storm”. She shared her experiences writing this book, especially how she made it lively and interesting using fresh insights and a well-rounded approach. She urged the students to embark on such journeys with a broad perspective and asked them to cover single stories with multiple perspectives. She advocated the importance of penning the reporter’s impressions and the interview’s highlights from memory soon after the interview is completed, as recalling these would help the journalist identify the most impactful points.
Ms Mathai’s session was very fruitful and left the students aspiring to reach the same heights that she had in the course of a fulfilling career as journalist and biographer. Ms Mathai was delighted when the course teacher Ms Anna Mathew mentioned that her biography has been displayed in a special section of the college library.
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