Reader Interview Questions
30 questions
Question 1: Walk me through how you edit a rough draft to make it clearer and easier to read.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to see that you have a repeatable editing process and respect the writer's voice. Describe your passes in order, from the big picture down to the sentences, and say how you check the result.
Sample answer: "I read the whole draft once without changing anything, so I understand what the writer is trying to say. Then I look at structure: is the main point near the top, and does each section follow from the last? On a recent feature, the key finding was buried in the eighth paragraph, so I moved it up and cut a long background section. Next I tighten paragraphs and sentences, cutting repetition and swapping jargon for plain words. Last, I reread it start to finish and send the writer a short note explaining the bigger changes so they can push back if I changed their meaning."
Pitfalls to avoid: describing only typo fixes, which is proofreading rather than editing; rewriting everything in your own style; and skipping how you confirm the writer's meaning survived.
What interviewers listen forStrong answers move from structure to paragraphs to sentences and keep the writer's voice; rewriting everything in their own style is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse a real draft. Say what you fix first, such as the structure or the lead, then the sentence-level cuts, and how you check that the writer's meaning stayed intact.
Question 2: How do you verify dates and time references in a story that combines recent events with background material?
What interviewers listen forExpect checks of event dates against sources and time references against the planned publication date. Treating a source's publication date as the event date is a red flag.
Candidate tipWalk through checking event dates, publication dates, and phrases such as 'last year' against reference sources. Explain how you keep the timeline accurate for the story's publication date.
Question 3: How do you decide whether an unusual sentence construction needs a grammar correction or reflects the writer's voice?
What interviewers listen forListen for checking grammar and intended meaning before editing, with room for the writer's voice. Changing a sound construction solely because it differs from personal taste is a warning sign.
Candidate tipDescribe checking the sentence's meaning, grammar references, and the publication's style guide before changing it. Explain how you preserve the writer's voice when the construction is sound.
Question 4: Describe how you walked an author through major changes you wanted in their manuscript.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to know whether you can ask for big changes while keeping the author's trust. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: the manuscript and its main problem, what you needed from the author, how you explained and discussed the changes, and how the final version turned out.
Sample answer: "An author sent a nonfiction manuscript where the first three chapters repeated the same background. I needed them to cut and combine those chapters without losing their argument. I wrote an editorial letter that started with what worked, then explained the problem with two specific examples and a suggested new outline. We talked it through on a call. The author disagreed with cutting one case study, so we kept it but shortened it. The revised opening was much tighter, and the author later said the call made the changes easier to accept."
Pitfalls to avoid: listing the changes without explaining how you talked to the author; presenting yourself as always right; and skipping the outcome.
What interviewers listen forListen for how they explained the reason for each change and left room for the author's view; handing down edits with no explanation is a red flag.
Candidate tipPick a real manuscript. Name the main problem, how you framed the changes, how the author responded, and what the final version looked like.
Question 5: Tell me how your careful checking helped resolve an error in copy or proofs shortly before publication.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants evidence of careful checking under time pressure and a sensible response when you find a problem. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: what was about to publish, what you noticed, what you did, and what happened next.
Sample answer: "We were sending a quarterly newsletter to print the next morning, and I was doing a final read of the proofs. A chart caption said sales rose, but the chart itself showed a drop. I checked the source spreadsheet, confirmed the chart was right and the caption was wrong, and called the writer and the designer that evening. We corrected the caption, and I reread the whole page before approving it. Afterward I added a step to our checklist: compare every caption with its chart or photo."
Pitfalls to avoid: choosing a trivial typo with no stakes; quietly fixing something that others needed to know about; and leaving out what you changed so it would not happen again.
What interviewers listen forA strong example names the copy or proof error, the source used to verify it, the candidate's actions and the result. Publishing despite a confirmed error is a red flag.
Candidate tipName the error, how you spotted it, who you told, and how it was fixed in time. If it led to a new checklist or step, mention that too.
Question 6: Describe methods you have found useful to develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.
Question 7: How do you distinguish the publication's opinion from reported facts when writing an editorial?
What interviewers listen forA sound answer separates the editorial's stance from factual claims and supports those claims with evidence. Calling an unsupported factual claim an opinion does not excuse it.
Candidate tipExplain how you state the editorial's position while attributing factual claims and keeping them accurate. Use a brief example of wording that helps readers tell opinion from fact.
Question 8: Describe a time you compared sources to decide whether a fact or statistic was reliable enough to publish.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn how you compare evidence and make a sound decision about a claim before publication.
Build your answer using Situation, Task, Action, Result. Identify one claim in the copy and your responsibility for checking it. Name the sources you compared and explain the checks you personally made, such as tracing a figure to its original report or checking its date and scope. Finish with your decision, the effect on the copy, and what you learned.
For example: "A draft cited a statistic from a summary article. I found the original report and compared it with the summary and the draft. The report covered a narrower group than the copy suggested. I checked the report's definitions and showed the writer the mismatch. We revised the sentence to name the group the figure actually described. That check taught me to compare the wording around a number as carefully as the number itself."
Avoid treating repeated claims as independent evidence, calling a source trustworthy without explaining your checks, or leaving out the publication decision.
What interviewers listen forA useful example traces their source checks to the final copy and a lesson for future checks. Treating several sites that repeat one unsupported statistic as proof is a red flag.
Candidate tipChoose one fact or statistic you checked before publication. Name the sources, explain your own checks and final decision, and close with the result and what you learned.
Question 9: Name a time when you planned the contents of publications according to the publication's style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.
Question 10: Walk me through how you kept a publication on schedule and on budget through layout, design, and printing.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to see that you can manage production from start to finish, not just the words. Walk through one project in order: the schedule you set, the handoffs, how you tracked cost, and a problem you solved.
Sample answer: "For a yearly report, I worked back from the printer's date to set deadlines for final copy, layout, two proof rounds, and approval. I shared the schedule with the designer and the department heads supplying content, and checked progress each week. Halfway through, the photos for one section arrived late and the page count grew, which would have raised the printing cost. I worked with the designer to tighten that section and cut two pages, and I moved the late photos into the second proof round. We approved final proofs on the scheduled day and stayed within the printing quote."
Pitfalls to avoid: talking only about editing the text; skipping how you tracked cost; and blaming the designer or printer for every delay.
What interviewers listen forStrong answers name a schedule with milestones, who they worked with in production, and how they handled a late page or a cost overrun; vague answers suggest little hands-on work.
Candidate tipUse one issue, book, or report. Cover the schedule you set, the handoffs to design and print, and one problem you solved to hit the date or budget.
Question 11: How do you prioritize your work when several pieces at different stages of editing are due at the same time?
What interviewers listen forLook for a clear way to rank work by deadline and impact, and for telling people early when something will slip; working late as the only plan is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe a real busy week. Explain how you ranked the pieces, what lists or tools you used, and how you told writers or managers what would come first.
Question 12: How do you keep a team of reporters and editors on track when several stories are due on the same deadline?
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to know how you plan, assign, and follow up so the work arrives on time and in good shape. Explain your approach, then back it up with a real example of a crowded deadline.
Sample answer: "I start by listing every story due, its length, and how much editing it is likely to need, then match each one to the reporter and editor best placed to handle it. I set earlier check-in times, such as a draft by mid-afternoon, so problems show up while there is still time to fix them. On one election night, a results story depended on late counts, so I had a short version ready and assigned a second editor to help. When a feature came in thin, I moved it to the next day rather than holding up the rest. Everything else closed on time."
Pitfalls to avoid: describing only your own editing instead of how you led the team; ignoring what happens when a story slips; and giving a plan with no example.
What interviewers listen forListen for clear reporter and editor assignments, progress checks and adjustments when stories slip. Leaving work unassigned or failing to monitor it before the deadline is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe a real news cycle or issue. Explain how you split the work, how you checked progress, and what you did when one story ran late.
Question 13: Tell me how you handled a writer who strongly disagreed with your edits.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn how you handle disagreement with a writer while keeping the discussion focused on the piece.
Use Situation, Task, Action, Result to organize one real example. Briefly identify the disputed edit and your responsibility for the copy. Spend most of the answer on how you heard the writer's concerns, explained your reasoning, and worked toward a decision. End with the outcome and something you learned about discussing edits.
For example: "A writer objected when I moved an anecdote out of the opening. I asked what they wanted readers to take from it and learned that it set the tone they wanted. I explained where the sequence had confused me. We tried a shorter version that kept the voice and made the timing clear. The writer agreed to that revision. I learned to explain the reader's problem before proposing a fix."
Avoid blaming the writer, describing only what the team did, or claiming success without explaining how the disagreement ended.
What interviewers listen forListen for their own actions, the outcome, and what they learned from the disagreement. Dismissing the writer's concerns without discussing the edits is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse one real disagreement with a writer. Explain your reasons for the edits, how you responded to their concerns, and the result, including what you would carry into the next disagreement.
Question 14: Describe a time you had to fit a story, photos, and illustrations into less print space than planned.
What interviewers listen forA strong example shows their own space choices, preserves the story's meaning and legibility, and gives an outcome and lesson. Cutting essential context merely to fill the page is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse one real layout squeeze. Explain your own choices about text length, image size, and placement, then give the result and a lesson for planning the next page.
Question 15: What would you do if required corrections were still missing from a typeset proof just before the print deadline?
What interviewers listen forThe first move should be to withhold approval and alert the production contact about the missing corrections. Approving the proof on a promise that someone will fix it later is a red flag.
Candidate tipStart with the missing corrections and the proof's approval status. Explain who in production you would contact and how you would check the corrected proof before releasing it.
Question 16: Describe how you write a headline for a story so it is accurate and still makes people want to read it.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to see that you can balance accuracy with reader appeal, a daily part of editing. Explain your steps, then give an example of a headline you wrote and why it worked.
Sample answer: "I start by writing down, in one sentence, what is new in the story and why a reader would care. Then I draft several headlines, using concrete words and an active verb. I check each one against the story: does every claim in it appear in the text, and would the people quoted see it as fair? For a story about a school district changing its bus routes, my first draft focused on cost savings, but the story was mostly about longer rides for some students. I rewrote it as 'New school bus routes mean longer rides for some students.' I checked that the story supported 'some students' and confirmed the wording with the reporter."
Pitfalls to avoid: describing headlines that overpromise to get clicks; skipping the check against the facts; and giving only general rules without an example.
What interviewers listen forListen for checking the headline against the story's facts and thinking about the reader; headlines that overpromise or mislead are a red flag.
Candidate tipUse a headline you wrote. Explain what the story was about, the options you tried, and why the final one was both accurate and appealing.
Question 17: What is the most challenging part of writing text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters? Share an example.
Question 18: Tell me how you assign topics, events and stories to individual writers or reporters for coverage.
Question 19: What is the challenging part of conferring with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories?
Question 20: Share an example of how you answered a reader's question about an editorial decision in your publication.
What interviewers listen forListen for a specific reader question, an accurate explanation of the editorial choice, and a clear outcome. Dismissing the reader without addressing the question is a red flag; ask what they learned.
Candidate tipChoose one reader inquiry about an editorial choice. Describe what you checked before replying, what you personally explained, and the reader's response or another clear outcome.
Question 21: Tell me about a time you had to tell a writer that their piece would be cut or heavily reworked.
What interviewers listen forStrong answers give the news early and directly, explain why, and offer a next step; burying the message or blaming others is a red flag.
Candidate tipPick a real case. Explain why the piece was cut or changed, how and when you told the writer, and how you kept the working relationship.
Question 22: Please share what system you use when selecting local, state, national, and international news items received from wire services, based on assessment of items' significance and interest value?
Question 23: How do you stay up to date with new or improved techniques to monitor news-gathering operations to ensure utilization of all news sources, such as press releases, telephone contacts, radio, television, wire services, and other reporters? Share an example.
Question 24: How often do you meet with artists, typesetters, layout personnel, marketing directors, and production managers to discuss projects and resolve problems?
Question 25: Name a time when you made manuscript acceptance or revision recommendations to the publisher. Share an example.
Question 26: Walk me through how you interview and hire writers and reporters or negotiate contracts, royalties, and payments for authors or freelancers.
Question 27: What factors do you consider when you direct the policies and departments of newspapers, magazines and other publishing establishments? Share an experience.
Question 28: Provide an example when your ethics were tested.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to know whether you do the right thing when it is inconvenient, and how you handle pressure to cut corners.
Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Describe the pressure or temptation without naming people, explain the choice you made and why, and how you handled the conversation. Keep the focus on your actions, not on judging others.
Sample answer: "Near the end of a quarter, a coworker asked me to record a sale as complete even though the customer hadn't signed yet, so our numbers would look better. I told them I wasn't comfortable doing that and suggested we tell our manager the deal would close the following week. My manager agreed it should wait. The customer signed early in the new quarter, and our records stayed accurate."
Pitfalls: Don't say your ethics have never been tested. Avoid stories that make you sound self-righteous or that share confidential details. Don't pick an example where you went along with the wrong choice and stop there.
Question 29: Share an example of when you went above and beyond the "call of duty".
What interviewers listen forLook for answers that show the candidate is dependable.
Candidate tipThe employer wants to know that you are dependable.
Question 30: Provide an experience that demonstrates your ability to manage time effectively. What were the challenges and results?
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to know how you plan your time and handle competing demands, and whether you meet deadlines.
Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Name the specific challenges, such as overlapping deadlines or interruptions. Describe the steps you took to plan and protect your time, and what you did when something came up. End with the results the question asks for.
Sample answer: "During one busy week, I had a report due Thursday, two new team members to train, and my usual daily tasks. I mapped out the week on Monday, scheduled training for the mornings when things were quieter, and blocked two afternoons for the report. When an urgent request came in Wednesday, I asked a colleague to cover one training session. The report went in a day early, and both new team members finished their training on schedule."
Pitfalls: Don't just list time-management tools. Avoid a story where you met the deadline only by working through the night. Don't skip the challenges.