NEWS INTERVIEW
200 candidates
132 passed

The March 2009 NCE news interview was a story about a suspected arson attack which destroyed specialist boating equipment used by disabled and terminally ill children.

Candidates were asked to write the story for the next day's edition of the Thawnton Times newspaper. The brief provided background information from the Thawnton police website and also from the website of the charity Young People Afloat. It was YPA's centre in the Spear Valley Countryside Park that was attacked.

Candidates were asked to interview YPA's manager Jack/Jenny Plaice, who was able to talk about the fire and his/her reaction to the effect it would have on the disabled and terminally ill children who would not be able to use the centre for at least six months. The aim, as always, was to get enough information to write a vigorous and well-balanced story.

The core angle was the suspicious fire at a water sports centre that would affect hundreds of disabled and terminally ill children being able to enjoy the activities. The best stories included both of these key angles in the intro and used language that drew a vivid picture in the minds of the readers. Many candidates took this approach, however, there were penalties for those who did not make clear in the first few paragraphs who was affected or that the fire was suspicious.

Some candidates focused the structure of their stories on the detail of the attack while others focused on the fact the attack appeared to be targeted at the specialist equipment. Many candidates focused on the human interest element that meant some terminally ill children would not be alive to enjoy the centre's facilities again as it would take six months to replace the equipment.

All three of these approaches were perfectly valid but it was important that each line was supported by an appropriate story structure and quotes. There are never any buried angles in the NCE news interview exam, but examiners do expect a high level of detail, an accurate note of some of the emotive quotes available, and an organised, accessible, tightly-written story.

There were many good examples of this standard which has resulted in an encouraging pass rate. Those who did not pass should take note of the skills needed by a reporter in a multi-media newsroom. Publishers quite rightly have a focus on changing technology but core journalistic skills must not be forgotten.

It does not matter what platform is being used to tell a story, the basics must still be there. Reporters must take more than a superficial interest in a story. In today's crowded market where there are so many news outlets, it is important to get the best story, the story that will make your publication stand out and be the first that readers will trust.

The exam is, of course, all about the art of interviewing – a key skill needed by any journalist using any platform. Although the interview itself is not assessed – the questioning and note-taking – a good technique where the reporter takes an interest in their interviewee's story and empathises with the situation, invariably results in better copy. A reporter must therefore be able to cover all the angles and get the emotive quotes that make great stories even better.

Markers were, as ever, looking for at least three strong quotes – particularly an evocative key quote used early in the story to support the angle taken. Inappropriate or ineffective use of quotes – no matter how well selected – went unrewarded.

However, candidates who used quotes to add pace and rhythm to their stories received extra marks. A good shorthand note is required to be an effective interviewer but candidates are reminded that minor variations in quotes were not penalised.

Any candidate hoping to do well in the NCE news interview exam should follow these simple guidelines: take more than a superficial interest in the interviewee and write a straightforward article with a strong intro using dynamic verbs and adjectives, a key quote early in the story followed by an organised, logical approach which includes a mix of accurate quotes and reported speech.