After you have set up your interview, decide what you want to ask the person you will interview. Prepare focused questions that he or she is in a unique position to answer, rather than general questions you could easily address through your own research.

In Chapter 5, we discussed fixed-response and open-ended questions. Frame each question based on the information you need. If you want the interviewee to elaborate or provide examples, use open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no response. For example, you might ask a journalist “How does the growth of online media affect your profession?” You also might plan to ask the interviewee a candid question that you think he or she would prefer to avoid. If you do, be sure to phrase the question professionally. Coming across as needlessly confrontational will put your interviewee on the defensive and may cause him or her to clam up.