A former regional journalist has written the third edition of a guide to interviewing for journalism students and trainees.

Emma Lee-Potter’s book Interviewing for Journalists discusses every stage of interviewing, from researching and fixing interviews to structuring questions, body language, getting vivid quotes and handling challenging interviews.

Emma trained with Mirror Group Newspapers in the South West, working for weekly papers and studying shorthand and law alongside Alastair Campbell.

She later worked as a staff news reporter and feature writer for the Evening Standard, Sunday Express and Today and was a columnist for the Oxford Mail and Birmingham Evening Mail.

Now a freelance writer and editor, Emma has written for many publications, including The Guardian, The Times, New Statesman, Daily Mail, The Week and The Independent.

The book features interviews with journalists including Camilla Long of the Sunday Times, Heidi Blake of BuzzFeed UK, Brian Viner of the Daily Mail and freelance writers Cole Moreton, Sheron Boyle and Stephanie Rafanelli.

There is also a chapter on ethical and legal issues written by Professor Tim Crook of Goldsmiths, University of London.

Said Emma: “This is the sort of book I would have loved to read when I started out as a journalist. I hope students and trainees at the start of their careers find it useful.”

Interviewing for Journalists is published by Routledge, priced £21.99.