How to Interview Someone for an Article: 16+ Top Tips

If writing an article is the meal, the interview is the grocery run, the chopping, and the seasoning. In other words: it’s where the flavor comes from. A weak interview gives you bland quotes and vague facts. A strong interview gives you specifics, tension, voice, and those golden lines readers actually remember.

The good news? Great interviewing is a skill, not a magical personality trait. You do not need to be the world’s most charismatic extrovert. You need preparation, listening, structure, and a little calm persistence. (And yes, a backup recorder. Technology loves drama.)

This guide walks you through a practical, journalist-friendly process for interviewing someone for an articlewhether you’re writing a profile, feature, reported explainer, Q&A, or news piece. You’ll get more than 16 tips, real-world examples, and a longer experience-based section at the end so you can avoid the classic mistakes that make reporters whisper, “I should’ve asked that.”

Why Interviewing Matters More Than People Think

A lot of beginners think interviewing is just “asking questions.” Not quite. It’s a reporting method. You’re collecting facts, context, quotes, emotion, chronology, contradictions, and credibility signals all at once.

When you interview well, your article becomes:

• More accurate (you verify names, titles, timelines, and claims)
• More human (you capture voice, motivation, and detail)
• More trustworthy (you clarify ground rules and represent sources fairly)
• More useful (you get concrete examples instead of generic opinions)

Interviewing is also where ethics show up in real life: consent, transparency, fairness, sensitivity, attribution, and what you choose to publish. That’s why top reporters treat interviews as both a craft and a responsibility.

How to Interview Someone for an Article: 18 Top Tips

1) Know the purpose of the article before you ask for the interview

Before you contact anyone, answer this question: What am I trying to learn? If you can’t answer that, your interview will wander like a shopping cart with one broken wheel.

Write a one-sentence reporting goal, such as:

• “I need a founder’s story with lessons for first-time business owners.”
• “I need an expert to explain what this policy change means for families.”
• “I need a firsthand account of what happened and what changed afterward.”

Your goal determines your source list, your question style, and what details matter.

2) Research the person and topic like you respect everyone’s time

Nothing kills an interview faster than asking questions you could have answered with a quick search. Read previous coverage, the source’s website, bios, social profiles, public documents, and anything they’ve published.

For an expert source, read enough to understand the basics of their field so you can ask meaningful follow-ups. For a public official or executive, know their role, authority, and likely talking points. Preparation helps you hear what’s missingnot just what’s being said.

3) Build a question map, not a script

Yes, write questions. No, do not cling to them like a teleprompter.

The best setup is a question map:

• Warm-up questions (easy, factual, rapport-building)
• Core questions (the must-have answers)
• Proof questions (examples, dates, names, numbers)
• Follow-up prompts (“What happened next?” “Can you give an example?”)
• Closing questions (what you missed, who else to talk to)

This keeps the conversation natural while protecting your reporting goals.

4) Start with open-ended questions, then tighten the lens

Open-ended questions invite stories. Narrow questions confirm facts. You need bothbut in the right order.

Try this sequence:

1. Open: “Walk me through what happened that day.”
2. Clarify: “What time did that start?”
3. Deepen: “What were you thinking at that moment?”
4. Verify: “Can you confirm the spelling of the doctor’s name?”

If you start too narrowly, people clam up. If you stay too broad, you’ll leave with poetry and no facts.

5) Set ground rules early: on the record, off the record, on background

Do this before the real interview starts. Do not leave it fuzzy.

Ask clearly:

• Is this interview on the record?
• If any part is on background, what does that mean for attribution?
• If something is off the record, can we define that before it’s said?

Ground rules are not decoration. They prevent disputes later and protect both you and the source. Also, don’t let a source retroactively label something “off the record” after saying it in a clearly on-the-record interview.

6) Be transparent about who you are and what the interview is for

State that you’re a journalist (or writer) and explain what you’re reporting. This sounds obvious, but it’s a foundational trust move. People are often unfamiliar with media processes, and confusion leads to conflict.

You can be transparent without promising the story angle. A simple line works:

“I’m reporting a piece about how local restaurants are dealing with rising food costs, and I’d like to include your perspective.”

7) Don’t promise quote approval or story control

This is one of the most important interview tips for article writing. Some sources (or PR teams) may ask to review quotes before publication. In standard journalism practice, that’s usually a no.

You can offer fairness without surrendering editorial control. For example:

• You may share broad topics in advance
• You may confirm technical details after the interview
• You may follow up to verify a complex fact

But the source does not get to rewrite on-the-record answers after the fact just because they now prefer a shinier sentence.

8) Choose the setting carefully (and make it quiet)

Where you interview someone affects what you get. A workplace or home often yields better details because the environment jogs memory and gives you scene material. A noisy café gives you latte foam and unusable audio.

If in person, look for:

• Minimal background noise
• Comfort and privacy appropriate to the topic
• Visible context (photos, tools, documents, surroundings)

If remote, test audio and internet before you start. “Can you hear me now?” should not be your lead quote.

9) Ask permission to recordand still take notes

Always ask before recording. In the U.S., recording laws vary by state, and consent requirements can differ depending on the situation. Also, separate from the law, asking permission is a basic trust practice.

Even when recording, take notes. Why?

• Recorders fail
• Files corrupt
• You’ll want timestamps for key moments
• You’ll spot follow-ups while listening

Write down exact spellings, numbers, and standout quotes. Your future self (and deadline) will thank you.

10) Build rapport without becoming a buddy

Be kind. Be human. Say thank you. But remember your job is to report, not to audition for “Most Likely to Be Invited to the Barbecue.”

Good rapport looks like:

• Polite tone
• Clear explanations
• Respectful follow-ups
• Attentive listening

Bad rapport looks like:

• Agreeing with everything to keep them comfortable
• Avoiding hard questions
• Promising favorable coverage

You can be warm and still ask tough, fair questions.

11) Practice “investigative listening” and don’t fear silence

Many interviewers talk too much because silence feels awkward. Silence is not your enemy. Silence is often where the good stuff lives.

When a source answers, don’t immediately jump to the next question. Pause. Let them continue. People often add the most revealing detail after they think they’re done.

Also listen for:

• Vague claims (“everyone knew”)
• Soft hedges (“sort of,” “basically”)
• Timeline gaps (“later,” “eventually”)
• Emotion spikes (anger, hesitation, relief)

Those are follow-up opportunities, not decoration.

12) Ask follow-up questions that get specifics

Generic answers produce generic articles. Your follow-up job is to turn broad statements into evidence and scenes.

Use these prompts often:

• “What do you mean by that?”
• “Can you give me an example?”
• “What happened next?”
• “Who was there?”
• “What did you say exactly?”
• “How did you know that?”

If a question is dodged, ask again another way. Persistence is part of the craft.

13) Verify names, titles, dates, and quotes in real time

Do not wait until you’re drafting to realize you’re unsure whether it was “Katherine” or “Catherine.” Verification during the interview saves time and prevents embarrassing corrections.

Near the end, run a quick fact-check round:

• Full name and preferred title
• Organization/company spelling
• Date of event
• Relevant numbers/statistics
• Pronunciation (especially for names you may quote in audio/video versions later)

14) For sensitive topics, use a trauma-informed approach

If you’re interviewing someone about trauma, loss, violence, or crisis, your interview style must change. The goal is not to “get the quote at all costs.” The goal is to report truthfully while minimizing unnecessary harm.

Trauma-informed interviewing basics include:

• Explain your purpose and process clearly
• Offer reasonable control (location, breaks, support person)
• Avoid forcing graphic detail
• Ask permission before difficult questions
• Don’t leave them emotionally strandedclose gently

A strong question can still be humane. “What do you want people to understand about your experience?” often yields more depth than repeatedly asking someone to relive the hardest moment.

15) Be fair to difficult or unresponsive subjects

Fairness is not the same thing as softness. If someone is central to your story, give them a real opportunity to respondespecially when criticism or allegations are involved.

That means:

• Contact them through direct, reliable channels
• Give a reasonable deadline based on complexity
• State what you’re asking about
• Keep records of your attempts

If they don’t respond, document that accurately in the article. No guesswork. No drama. Just transparent reporting.

16) Be careful with anonymous sources

Anonymous sourcing should be the exception, not the default. If a source requests anonymity, ask why. Is there a real risk of harm, retaliation, or professional consequences? Is the information important enough that it can’t be obtained another way?

If you grant anonymity, be transparent with readers about why (without exposing the person). For example:

“The employee requested anonymity because they fear losing their job.”

Also, verify anonymous-source claims with documents or additional sources whenever possible.

17) End every interview with a smart closing sequence

Too many interviews end with, “Cool, thanks.” Don’t waste the last two minutes. Use a closing checklist:

1. “Is there anything important I didn’t ask?”
2. “Who else should I talk to?”
3. “Do you have documents/photos I should review?”
4. “What’s the best way to follow up if I need clarification?”

This is where surprise leads, better sources, and missing context often appear.

18) After the interview, verify, transcribe, and edit ethically

The interview is not finished when you hang up. Post-interview work is where your article becomes accurate, readable, and fair.

Best practices:

• Label and save recordings immediately
• Back up files
• Transcribe key sections (or full transcript for deep features/Q&As)
• Check quotes against the recording
• Trim filler words without changing meaning
• Add context around quotes so readers aren’t misled

If you edit for clarity, keep the meaning intact. Your job is to make quotes readable, not to improve someone’s opinions into your own.

A Quick Interview Workflow You Can Actually Use

Before the interview

• Define your reporting goal
• Research the source and topic
• Prepare question map + fact-check list
• Set logistics and tech backup
• Clarify interview purpose in your outreach

During the interview

• Set ground rules (on/off/background)
• Ask permission to record
• Start broad, then go specific
• Listen hard, follow up, verify facts
• Close with “What did I miss?”

After the interview

• Save and back up audio/notes
• Transcribe key quotes
• Fact-check names, dates, and claims
• Follow up only for clarification, not quote approval
• Write with context and fairness

Common Interview Mistakes That Hurt Articles

• Asking two questions at once: The source answers the easy half and skips the important half.
• Talking more than the source: Congratulations, you interviewed yourself.
• Skipping fact verification: Tiny errors damage trust fast.
• Sending your full question list to a PR team: You may get polished talking points instead of honest answers.
• Failing to define ground rules: “I thought that was off the record” is a bad post-interview surprise.
• Leading the witness: “So you agree this policy is a disaster, right?” is not a neutral question.
• Forgetting the human details: Good articles need scene, texture, and voicenot just facts.

Experience-Based Lessons From the Field (Extended 500+ Words)

Here’s the part people usually learn the hard way: even a well-prepared interview can go sideways. The most useful interviewing “experience” is not a perfect conversationit’s learning how to recover when things get messy.

Experience pattern #1: The source gives polished, empty answers. This happens all the time with executives, public officials, and anyone media-trained. They’re not lying, exactly. They’re just speaking in sturdy, quote-resistant paragraphs. When this happens, stop asking “What do you think?” and start asking for moments. Ask: “What happened in the meeting when that decision was made?” or “Can you give one example from last week?” People can hide inside opinions. They struggle to hide inside specifics.

Experience pattern #2: The source is nervous and under-talks. You ask a thoughtful question and get: “Yeah… it was hard.” Don’t panic and fill the space with a monologue. Slow down. Reframe. Offer a simple entry point: “What do you remember first?” or “What was your routine before all this started?” Some people need a runway before they can tell the main story. A few easy, concrete questions can unlock much better material than one giant “Tell me everything” question.

Experience pattern #3: You realize mid-interview that your angle is wrong. This is not failure. This is reporting. Maybe you expected a business success story, but the real story is a labor shortage. Maybe you thought the article was about a product, but it’s actually about a family conflict. Good interviewers notice the pivot and follow it. The key is to keep your original checklist in view while giving yourself permission to chase the stronger story. Some of the best articles come from interviews that politely ignored the original plan.

Experience pattern #4: The emotional moment arrives. In longer interviewsespecially profiles or trauma-related piecesthere may be a moment when the source gets upset, angry, or quiet. This is where your ethics and your craft meet. You don’t need to become a therapist, but you do need to be a decent human. Acknowledge the moment. Offer a pause. Confirm whether they want to continue. And if they continue, ask grounded, respectful questions. Pressing harder just because you sensed “strong quote energy” is how trust breaks and stories get worse.

Experience pattern #5: You think you got the quote, but you didn’t get the context. New writers often collect flashy lines and then struggle while drafting because they forgot to ask the scaffolding questions: When was this? Who else was there? What happened before that? What changed after? A quote without context is like a movie trailer without a movie. It may sound dramatic, but readers can’t understand it. Experienced interviewers constantly gather context in parallel, even while chasing emotion.

Experience pattern #6: The follow-up email saves the story. Some writers are afraid to follow up because they think it means they “missed something.” Of course you missed something. You’re human, not a surveillance drone. Strong reporters follow up for clarification, dates, document copies, and spellings. The trick is to be disciplined: follow up for verification, not for permission. That one distinction protects your accuracy and your independence.

Over time, interviewing gets less intimidatingnot because people become easier, but because you build a system. You learn how to prepare, how to listen, how to recover, and how to leave with what you need. And once that happens, your articles stop sounding like summaries and start sounding like stories.

Conclusion

If you want to interview someone for an article like a pro, focus on three things: preparation, listening, and verification. Prepare enough to ask smart questions. Listen long enough to hear what matters. Verify enough to earn trust.

Everything elserapport, quote quality, narrative detail, and authoritygets much easier when those three are solid. Interviewing is a skill you sharpen one conversation at a time, and every strong article you write will prove it.