News Reporter Interview Questions
30 questions
Question 1: How do you check whether background information from earlier coverage of a long-running news story is still current?
What interviewers listen forExpect checks of dates, original records, and developments since the earlier story. Repeating an outdated claim just because the newsroom published it before is a red flag.
Candidate tipWalk through your checks of earlier coverage against newer records and reporting. Explain how you distinguish historical facts from details that may have changed.
Question 2: Give an example of how you cut a reported story to meet an editor's length limit without losing its main point.
What interviewers listen forA strong example identifies what they cut and what facts or context they protected. Removing a key qualification just to meet the limit is a red flag.
Candidate tipState the length problem and the story's main point. Explain your own cuts, how you checked that the shorter version was still accurate, and the editor's response.
Question 3: Describe a time poor sound disrupted an interview you were recording for a story.
What interviewers listen forThe answer should show what the reporter noticed, their own steps to recover usable sound, and the outcome. Submitting an inaudible interview without warning the editor is a red flag.
Candidate tipSet up the recording problem briefly. Focus on the steps you took during or after the interview, what audio could be used, and what you changed for later recordings.
Question 4: Walk me through a news story you reported from start to finish, including how you gave readers or viewers the background behind the event.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to see how you report a story from the first lead to the final version, and whether you give the audience enough context to understand it. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: where the story came from, what you had to find out, how you reported and wrote it, and what ran. Spend a sentence or two on how you chose the background, since that is the part the question names. Sample answer: "A reader tipped us that a neighborhood pool would stay closed all summer. I called the parks department, pulled the repair contract from the city's website and talked to two parents and the lifeguard supervisor. The background mattered because the pool had been patched twice before, so I added two paragraphs on that history and the budget vote behind it. The published version included the repair history, the department's explanation and the families' concerns. I kept confirmed facts separate from questions the records did not answer." Pitfalls to avoid: telling the story with no reporting steps; claiming results you cannot back up; skipping how you decided what background readers needed.
What interviewers listen forListen for a clear path from assignment or tip to published story, and for how they chose which background to include. Vague answers with no real story are a red flag.
Candidate tipChoose a story you are proud of. Cover how it started, how you reported it, how you explained the context in a few lines, and what ran in the end.
Question 5: Walk me through how you gathered the information for a recent story, from your first interview to what you confirmed by being there or checking records.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to understand how you choose effective information-gathering methods for a real story. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: identify the story, describe your reporting responsibility, explain the sources and checks you used, and finish with what you established.
For example: "For a story on a bus route change, I began with the transit agency's explanation and requested the route notice and ridership records. I rode the route to understand the stops and spoke with riders about their experiences. When someone described the effect on a nearby clinic, I checked the route map and confirmed the clinic's location and hours. I separated what the records established from the personal experiences people shared."
Explain why each method fit the facts you needed. A routine fact may be established by one reliable primary source, while a disputed claim needs further checking. Avoid treating a press release as proof of every claim, adding sources just to increase the count, or leaving uncertainty out of the finished story.
What interviewers listen forListen for sources suited to the story and checks on important claims. Publishing a disputed claim as fact without checking it is a red flag; a routine fact may be established by one reliable primary source.
Candidate tipPick one real story. Name the people you talked to, the records or data you checked, and anything you saw yourself, and say which source mattered most.
Question 6: Walk me through a time you tried to arrange an interview with someone who did not want to talk to the press.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn how you handle the challenge of seeking an interview from someone reluctant to speak to the press.
Build your answer using Situation, Task, Action, Result. Briefly explain the story, why this person's perspective mattered, and the obstacle to arranging an interview. Spend most of the answer on your own outreach and how you addressed their concern without making misleading promises. Give the outcome, even if they declined, and explain what you learned.
For example: "I was reporting on a store closing, and the owner worried I would blame them for the closure. I explained the story's focus and the subjects I hoped to discuss. I offered a short phone interview and gave them time to consider it. They agreed to speak the next day. I learned that explaining my purpose clearly helped more than repeating the same interview request."
Avoid implying that persistence always earns an interview, hiding your role as a reporter, or claiming success without explaining your own actions.
What interviewers listen forListen for honest outreach, respect for the person's choice, and a clear outcome. Misleading someone to secure an interview is a red flag; ask what the attempt taught them.
Candidate tipUse one real interview attempt. Explain the person's hesitation, your outreach, and whether they agreed to talk. End with what you learned about approaching a reluctant source.
Question 7: What would you do if a regular news source demanded favorable coverage to keep giving you access? If you've faced this, describe your response.
What interviewers listen forThey should refuse to trade favorable coverage for access and involve the editor in handling the source relationship. Promising to slant the story to keep the source is a wrong move.
Candidate tipExplain how you would respond to the source's demand, protect independent reporting, and discuss the access risk with your editor. Use your own case if you have one.
Question 8: What would you do if a serious allegation were ready for a news story but the person accused had not responded to your interview requests?
What interviewers listen forListen for a fair chance to respond, a clear account of what is verified, and discussion with the editor about timing. Presenting an allegation as proven fact is a red flag.
Candidate tipStart with the checks and attempts to get a response you would review. Explain how those facts would shape a decision with your editor about publishing the allegation.
Question 9: Tell me about a promising news tip you decided not to pursue after checking it.
What interviewers listen forLook for the reporter's checks and a reason tied to evidence or news value. Dismissing a tip solely because the source lacked status is a red flag; ask what they learned.
Candidate tipChoose a real lead that initially seemed worth reporting. Explain what you checked, what changed your assessment, and the result of deciding to stop.
Question 10: Give an example of how you found a local news angle in a national development.
What interviewers listen forListen for a specific effect on the local audience and reporting that tested it. Assuming a national trend applies locally without checking is a red flag.
Candidate tipName the national development, the local connection you investigated, and the evidence that made it worth covering. End with the story that resulted.
Question 11: Share an example of a time you disagreed with an editor about the angle of a news story.
What interviewers listen forA strong answer shows a discussion grounded in the reporting, the reporter's own contribution, and the outcome. Hiding facts to win the argument is a red flag.
Candidate tipExplain the competing angles and the evidence you brought to the discussion. Describe the decision, your role in carrying it out, and what you learned.
Question 12: Share an example of a time you explained a complex finding on your beat without overstating what it proved.
What interviewers listen forA strong example identifies the finding's limits and the reporter's choices in explaining it. Turning a limited result into a sweeping claim is a red flag; ask what they learned.
Candidate tipChoose one finding from a field you covered. Describe your checks with knowledgeable sources, the wording you used, and how the finished story reflected the limits of the evidence.
Question 13: How do you decide whether to use a direct quote when your interview notes are incomplete?
What interviewers listen forExpect a check against a recording or confirmation with the source, with paraphrasing only when the meaning is clear. Inventing missing words inside quotation marks is a red flag.
Candidate tipWalk through the checks you make before using the quote. Explain your options when you can confirm the meaning but cannot recover the exact words.
Question 14: What checks do you make before linking a person named in a public record to someone in your news story?
What interviewers listen forExpect identifying details beyond a matching name and attention to the record's date and status. A shared name alone is not enough to identify someone.
Candidate tipExplain how you confirm that the record concerns the right person. Name the identifying details you compare and what you do if the match remains uncertain.
Question 15: Walk me through a time you adapted the same news story for a short broadcast update and a longer written report.
What interviewers listen forThe example should show deliberate changes in emphasis, length, and structure while preserving the facts. Cutting away a qualification that changes the meaning is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse one story you prepared for both formats. Describe what each audience needed, the choices you made for each version, and how the versions worked.
Question 16: What would you check before describing a rise in a reported statistic as a trend in a news broadcast?
What interviewers listen forExpect attention to the time period, comparable definitions, and the size or limits of the change. Calling one isolated increase a lasting trend is a red flag.
Candidate tipName the comparisons you need before using the word trend. Explain how changes in the way the statistic is collected could affect your interpretation.
Question 17: What would you do if an unknown source offered confidential documents for a story but would not explain where they came from?
What interviewers listen forThe reporter should assess the source, check the documents independently, and involve the editor before using them. Treating possession of a document as proof it is genuine is a red flag.
Candidate tipExplain how you would assess the offer before relying on the documents. Name ways to check their origin and contents without promising the source publication.
Question 18: How do you bring a news story into line with a newsroom's editorial style without changing a source's meaning?
What interviewers listen forListen for use of the style guide, care with quotations, and a check of meaning after edits. Rewriting a direct quote to make the source sound more polished is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe your editing sequence and the parts you check against the style guide. Explain how you handle wording that cannot be changed safely without checking the source material.
Question 19: What details do you settle with a source before booking an interview for a deadline story?
What interviewers listen forA useful answer covers the interview's purpose, timing, format, and any recording arrangements. Promising a source control over the finished story to secure a booking is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe the information you exchange so the source knows what the interview involves and you can meet the filing deadline. Include how you confirm the arrangements.
Question 20: What is the most challenging part of establishing and maintaining relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information?
Question 21: What have you found to be the best way to research and analyze background information related to stories in order to be able to provide complete and accurate information?
Question 22: Walk me through how you would research and report on specialized fields such as medicine, science and technology, politics, foreign affairs, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.
Question 23: Share an example when you effectively checked reference materials, such as books, news files, or public records, to obtain relevant facts.
Question 24: What would you do if you arrived to cover breaking news and emergency crews were clearing people from the area?
What interviewers listen forSafety and following the crews' directions come first, followed by reporting from a safe location. Entering a restricted area for a closer view is a red flag.
Candidate tipSay what you would do on arrival and how you would continue gathering confirmed information from a safe place. Keep access to the scene separate from getting the story.
Question 25: Name a time when you investigated breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.
Question 26: What would you consider before including graphic eyewitness video in a news report?
What interviewers listen forExpect verification, news value, potential harm, and less graphic ways to show the facts. Choosing a clip mainly for shock value is a red flag.
Candidate tipExplain how you would weigh what the video proves against the harm of showing it. Include checks of its origin and whether another image could serve the story.
Question 27: Describe a time you had to photograph or film a news event without getting in the way of the people involved.
What interviewers listen forListen for choices about position and timing that preserved the event as it happened. Asking people to reenact an event and presenting it as candid news footage is a red flag.
Candidate tipChoose one event and explain the access limits. Focus on your position, the images you captured, and how your choices affected the coverage without disrupting the event.
Question 28: How do you prepare news photos or video for publication while preserving an accurate record of the original material?
What interviewers listen forA competent answer covers keeping originals, suitable file settings, and edits that preserve meaning. Altering an image to make the event look different is a red flag.
Candidate tipWalk through how you keep the original files and prepare a usable copy for the story. Explain the checks you make on image quality, captions, and edits before sending it.
Question 29: Share an example when you took pictures and video and processed them for inclusion in a story.
Question 30: Share an example of a news script you rewrote because it sounded unclear when read aloud.
What interviewers listen forListen for a specific passage, the reporter's changes, and how the revised script sounded. Reading faster to squeeze in confusing copy does not solve the problem.
Candidate tipDescribe what made the original script hard to follow, how you changed the wording or structure, and how you checked the revised version aloud.