Vous avez mené une interview, et maintenant ?

Organizing the content is important, but I think it should start even before the interview. Study the content that will be covered, find out about the interviewee, come up with figures and important topics to discuss. Creating a script of questions for the interview also helps to guide the subjects that will be covered, but of course, not just limiting yourself to them, but exploring demands or issues that arise during the conversation. This prior organization helps guide the construction of the material and, later, the editing of the content. Using a tape recorder (with the source's permission) and taking notes also help in this process.

The next steps are to fact-check, transcribe, and compose an engaging story. After that, edit, gather input, and finalize for publishing to make sure the final product is accurate, impactful, and clear.

Transcribing interviews is a constant recommendation in the "Journalism Manuals", but in the day-to-day running of print and television newsrooms, let's face it: it's practically impossible to do this when the deadline is looming. That's why it's important to have a good memory to highlight the opening and closing lines of important speeches, or another tip is to try to indicate the cutting points of the interview with the video editor, on the editing island, highlighting the most important passages to be used in the material. Although transcription is important, and I can testify that it's a very important part of delivering a more refined piece of work, professionals don't always manage to do it because of the daily demands.

Este era un paso que representaba un gran dolor de cabeza y tiempo invertido. Felizmente la IA ha venido a salvarnos! Existen muchas herramientas, he probado varias pero me quedo con Cockatoo. Como todo, la IA ayuda pero no reemplaza, así que una vez realizada la transcripción por inteligencia artificial, te recomiendo que le des una mirada a lo transcrito escuchando el audio. Si bien la carga más pesada del trabajo la soluciona la IA, ello no nos exime de revisar a conciencia lo transcrito. Aprovecha ese momento para tomar nota de los puntos más importantes.

Journalists are storytellers, and these stories can be about people, events or important facts. Knowing how to structure interviews, images, data and other elements is what will make this story engaging, regardless of the platform or medium through which it is being told. The same event can be told in many different ways, but the truth is only one. So how do we tell this truth in a captivating way? This is our daily challenge. Textual symmetry can be an alternative for consolidating the beginning, middle and end of a story. Starting with a character, making an introduction, and after developing the theme, closing with the same character, could be a tip!

However attentive, friendly or engaging they may be, the people they interview can and should have their statements checked. When it comes to controversial issues in the political or corporate spheres, it's common to witness emphatic statements from articulate interviewees with impeccable oratory that is permeated by persuasion, which is why, in a nutshell: the importance of confronting statements and checking figures and facts. Journalists, through their work, must allow a certain "message" to reach its "recipient", but it is essential that this is guided by ethics and the truth. We are not stepping stones for liars, and so we must apply our techniques so that we are not misled and do not replicate these failures.

My suggestion is to revise the text at least three times. The first time, we tend to write in a more comprehensive and redundant way, since we are excited and since this process takes place right after the interview. In the second, with a more critical and assertive view, we can remove excesses, eliminate redundancies and structure the content into more appropriate blocks. Finally, the third allows for a more in-depth review, also in line with the space we will have for dissemination (whether it's a written text, on a physical or digital platform), or whether it's for TV or the internet. Don't forget to visually highlight quotes or images that are relevant to the content, as well as making the headline eye-catching and informative!