Becky Schlikerman writes:
As a journalist you want to write the news, not create the news. However, while in Iowa for the caucus I was interviewed by Channel 4, the local CBS affiliate for the Quad Cities.
I spent most of my day with State Senator David Hartsuch (R-Bettendorf), a Mike Huckabee supporter in Scott County. This county did not have a large Huckabee presence, so Hartsuch was an important person to connect with while covering the Huckabee campaign.
I was not the only journalist with this idea. A reporter from Channel 4 called in the afternoon and asked to interview Hartsuch about the Huckabee campaign in the area.
I tagged along and the reporter was interested in interviewing me about this journalism class, Covering the Iowa Caucuses.
As a reporter, I do a lot of interviews and critique sources' answers. I'm sure that's what this reporter did to me. She wanted to know about the class, my experience, and what I was learning.
I was nervous and uncomfortable with a camera in my face and a microphone with a CBS logo emblazoned on it. When the reporter asked me about my experience that day, two major Huckabee supporters were standing in the room, paying attention to my every word. The interview was uncomfortable for me, and the attention from the Huckabee campaign intensified the pressure.
When it came to my answers about the campaign and what I'd learned, I tried to be very neutral and not offensive or opinionated, because I did not want to influence my sources' opinion of me. I wanted to maintain an objective position with them. Hartsuch noticed and told me my answers were "diplomatic," which was exactly what I was attempting.
This experience shed some light on what my sources may face when I interview them, and gave me a different perspective on the situation. Being on the other side of the table was a learning experience that taught me to be more sensitive when interviewing sources. After all, there may be factors I don't take into consideration when conducting the interview.
Becky Schlikerman is an undergraduate journalism major from Miami, Florida.
