Step 4: Ask the Interview Questions Ask Questions to Solicit Basic Factual Information. The key questions to ask during a field interview are, first, about safety and, then, about “who, what, where, when, and why.” Ask Relevant Questions. Be thoughtful about people’s time and ask only questions relevant to the witness you are speaking to. For example, ask a resident who was evicted from their community about how their home was bulldozed without warning or about the compensation they did or did not receive for their home. Save questions about why the community was evicted and who is responsible for a community organizer, an insider, or the person implementing the evictions. Ask Open-Ended Questions. Generally, your questions should be open-ended, as this will solicit a narrative response from the interviewee. These are called TED questions because they begin with prompts like: • Tell me about … • Explain to me … • Describe to me … Ask Follow-up Questions. Also follow up by asking them how they know the answer they are giving is correct. For example, if you ask, “What time did the car bomb explode?”, it’s good to follow up with questions such as “How did you know what time it was?” — not because you don’t believe the interviewee, but because we all have difficulty remembering details correctly during stressful and scary situations. Follow-up questions help clarify what the person is saying and enhance their credibility. Acknowledge cultural and language barriers. The gender, race, nationality, religious group, political party, or socio-economic class of the interviewer — and interpreter if you have one — can impact the quality of the answers provided. If you are working in a team, consider cultural norms and practices and be thoughtful about who conducts the interview and how the questions are asked. Examples: • Time is defined differently in different places, so you may not be able to ask, “How many years ago did the incident take place?” Instead you may have to ask, “How many rice harvests have passed since the incident took place?” • Family is defined differently too. Instead of asking, “How many family members do you have?” you may have to ask, “How many people eat from your pot every evening?” Avoid hearsay. As the interviewer, it’s your job to ensure the interviewee understands how to provide accurate information. Work with witnesses to help them distinguish between what they know to be true and what they have merely heard from others. In other words, help them distinguish first-hand from second-hand knowledge. If the interviewee did not see or hear something themselves, they can still share the information by stating, “I did not see/hear this myself, but I was told by ____________________ that __________________ happened.” Protect your credibility and theirs. Any on-camera interview you capture may find its way into the public realm, either intentionally or not. If there is any suspicion that you have tried to put words into someone’s mouth or pressured them to say something, it will call the testimony into question and can permanently taint your own credibility. Therefore, you should avoid leading questions in favor of open-ended ones. Examples: • Leading question: How much over the speed limit was the red car going when it smashed into the gray car? • Open-ended question: How fast was each car going when the accident happened? 155 VIDEO AS EVIDENCE: FILMING PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWS V 1.0 FILMING Ask Neutral Questions. Depending on the situation, you may want to begin the interview with neutral questions to build trust and help the interviewee feel comfortable.