@SXSWi Interview: Nancy Baym Does Q & A About Q & A

Sure, I've logged countless hours of Fresh Air-listening time, and yeah, I think I've heard every episode This American Life has to offer … but despite this intensive training and study, I somehow still have not mastered the art of the interview. Actually, let's just say it's really hard, no wait, excruciatingly painful to listen to myself asking people questions on tape. The, um, number of, like, pauses … and stuff … is really, uh, like, totally a lot. You know?

Enter Nancy Baym, Associate Professor in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. She studies the social dimensions of communication technology, and she writes a popular blog, Online Fandom. Ms. Baym is an expert interviewer, and I asked her if she would critique my interview with her as a preview of her panel on Monday.

I spoke with Ms. Baym about her research, her new book, her take on social media, her thoughts on the past and future of the music industry… and so on… none of which had anything to do with the matter at hand. So when it was time to get meta, I told her to be brutally honest with me.

So let me have it...

Well, at the beginning of the interview, you did tell me you had a lot of questions on a lot of different subjects, so I knew what to expect, which is good, but I think you need to focus a bit more. You skipped around a lot. An outline is usually really helpful.

How could I have been better prepared?

Your preparation and the ways you shape your questions should all point to the goal of the interview. You should always have that goal in mind. You want to get the subject to talk about what he or she knows, and then you need to be silent. Explain what you want, and then get out of the way. You're doing a good job of that.

Thanks...?

I do think we had a good conversation. You did a good job of establishing rapport, and that's important. But it wasn't focused as an interview.

Do you have any advice on the types of questions that elicit great responses?

Keep your questions brief, not bundled. And make them focused. Have a clear point. It's important that I know why you're asking me a question. If you want to get more abstract, structure the interview so you're asking the easy questions first. Then you can work up to the more difficult ones.

Do you have any advice on how to assemble the information after the interview?

You should always have a clear reason for talking to the subject, and you should always keep that clear reason in mind. Know who your audience is, and think about what format will work best for them.

So what's going to happen in the panel?

I'm going to lead the discussion. A lot depends on who shows up. Different people have different stories and need different kinds of help. I'll cover some basic strategies that are true regardless of the reason you're conducting an interview. I'll be there to facilitate the conversation, and I'll have a cheat sheet to hand out. It'll also be a great networking opportunity, too.