When a journalist is out there taking notes, he or she had better make sure they know how to do so properly. Newsgathering is much more than sitting back and asking a few lame questions and waiting for the subject to answer. That is just bad journalism.
Good journalists know that there is more to it. Along with building rapport and staying professional, there are specific methods that should be taken each time. Knowing the basics of note-taking will help any journalist improve their reporting.
Note-Taking Basics
This is where it all starts.
All journalists know how important this part is to the creation of their story. Gathering names, places, and especially quotes from subjects will make or break the story they are writing. It can get difficult at times. However, the process, if structured correctly, can make gathering news easy.
The Notepad
This is the basic necessity for any journalist. The notepad shouldn’t be massive, such as the notebooks a college student might use in a biology class. A medium-sized one is perfect. Even a small pocket-sized notepad can do the trick just fine.
The notepad should be the kind that flips vertically over from the top of the spiral—not one that flips horizontally. The vertical version makes it easy to continue the note-taking without any interruptions because you can write on both sides immediately. Just flip it over and keep writing.
The Pen
Use a pen. NOT a pencil.
A pencil is often too light on the page. The lead wears down and you will eventually have to sharpen it again. The tips might break off. And you may become obsessed with erasing things instead of continuing to write.
The pen needn’t be any fancy, nor should it have an eraser. Just pick a decent pen by a credible maker. And always have a backup pen just in case.
Pen to Paper
Using shorthand takes practice. You must know what to abbreviate immediately after the subject speaks.
It is unrealistic to think that you can write down every word the subject says. Skip words like a, an, and the.
Also, having a decent knowledge of what the conversation could be about before the actual interview is helpful. If you are already familiar with some of the keywords the subject may use, it will make it easier for you to abbreviate them as they speak. This will free your writing up.
When the interview is over and you have free time to review your notes, I suggest you do so carefully. Go back and rewrite the abbreviations into actual words. Try to do this process immediately after the interview so the information is still fresh in your mind. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will become to recall every detail.
Get the Facts Right
As you gather news, don’t be afraid to interrupt to check the spelling of the name or address. Getting names and places correct is one of the most important parts of the story. If you get the name wrong, it could cause Hell for that person and it could damage your reputation as a credible journalist.
For other unclear issues during the interview, make quick notes around words by using circles or writing short notes and question marks.
Quotations
Another important part of news gathering is jotting down a subject’s quotes. This is difficult because people talk fast. You are expected to keep up. Asking them to repeat what they said might seem fine, but it slows down the newsgathering process. It is up to you to write quickly and correctly.
For interviews with two or more subjects, use line breaks. Misquoting someone is never good.
And somehow mark a quote different on the page so you know it is a quote and not separate information. Use actual quotation marks or a star or underline. Whatever way works for you, do it.
More Note-Taking Tips
Nobody expects a novice journalist to get the note-taking process right the very first time. The more you do it, the more you will get better. And you will develop your own method of taking notes.
- As a subject is speaking, try not to look at the paper. Try looking at the ground, at the wall, the sky, anywhere but the notepad. Allow your note-taking skills to take over and focus on the words the subject is saying. Turning the notepad horizontal helps sometimes because it provides a wider space to write.
- Learn to small talk as you are taking notes. Interject a joke or something irrelevant so the subject doesn’t realize you are completing the quote he or she just said. Don’t allow silence. Using this method is better than telling the subject to stop while you finish the quote or have them repeat what they just said.
The Different Forms of Taking Notes
Some forms of taking notes are easier than others. I will begin the most difficult first.
Typing while on the Phone
Without a doubt, this is my least favorite. Some journalists have no problem with this method, but I am not a fan. Getting exact quotes from a subject this way is very difficult.
During an interview with a subject, you the journalist are asking questions and while both of your hands are typing away. And the phone is cradled with the nook of your shoulder and neck. You will feel some shoulder pain from this method. I suggest you switch shoulders every few minutes.
As you are typing, if you see an error on your screen, I advise you to ignore it and keep typing. In fact, if you can shut off spellcheck for that moment that would be ideal.
Taking notes while typing is not impossible. However, there are better ways to do an interview. Sometimes a reporter must take notes this way. Oh, well. You had better hope your computer doesn’t crash while typing.
*If doing a phone interview, I suggest using a pen to take notes. It frees up your hand to use on the phone. That way it won’t give you any shoulder pain. Or you can just put the person on speakerphone and take notes that way. You can check out my post I wrote about phone interviews.*
Using an Audio Recorder
This is great for taking notes while the subject is near you. Of course, ask them first if they mind if they are recorded. Sometimes the audio recorder makes them feel anxious. It is best not to make the subject feel nervous. They are likely already nervous because you are the press.
Using a recorder is the best way to get a 100% pure interview. Every question asked by you and every answer said by the subject is recorded. It is easy to go back and transcribe the audio later on. You will have all of the subject’s answers right there. And you don’t have to transcribe every single word. Just listen to the answers that you want and write them into your story. Some interviews go on for a very long time. Think of the transcription time that will take.
When I use a recorder (my smartphone) in an interview, I also take notes at the same time. I only write something down that I think I will use later. It frees my time up to ask good questions and make the subject feel at ease.
The Trusty Notebook Again
A news reporter’s old friend. Taking notes on a notebook will never go away. All you need is a pen and pad and you have the world at your fingertips. Plus you don’t have to transcribe anything later like with audio.
However, taking notes this way is an acquired method. It isn’t easy. People talk fast. Quotes, like with typing, may come out incomplete. And some of the words are likely to appear illegible when you reread them. Shorthand and abbreviations are your friends when using a notebook.
Well, there you have it. The universal tutorial of taking notes. How do you take notes? Do you use a recorder or are you old school and only bring a pen and pad?
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