On Tuesday October 29, seniors at MTA who are part of the “Names Not Numbers©” Holocaust documentary elective participated in a unique lunchtime assembly with a special guest. Jeff Salgo, a retired CBS News producer, spoke to students about best practices of interviewing techniques that he gained from over 35 years lecturing about and working in the field of broadcast journalism.
His session was designed to give the students tips and tricks for their upcoming interviews with Holocaust survivors. To start, Jeff introduced the mnemonic HRE—History, Research, Empathy—the three major responsibilities an interviewer has to their interviewee. You must have a clear understanding of the background of the individual in front of you (history), you must show respect to that person by preparing adequately for the interview (research), and you must give the interviewee whatever space necessary for them to deal with the emotional difficulty of going through the interview (empathy). If you have mastered these three elements, Jeff explained, you will be able to create trust between the interviewer and the interviewee, and that is the foundation of an effective and qualitative interview.
Jeff also reminded the students about the importance of speaking loudly, rewriting questions that lead to yes or no answers, and asking follow up questions to get the most out of the information the survivor shares.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to ask Mr. Salgo about some of his personal experiences as a CBS News director, associate director and producer. Jeff shared a story of the time Kermit the Frog was being interviewed, and rather than put the mic on Jim Henson, Jeff had the idea to put the mic on Kermit! Jeff is also a professional scuba diver, and he relayed the advice of “don’t panic” describing a time he ran out of air in his oxygen tank when diving in 60 feet of water.
These and other stories peppered his talk, and made it entertaining, engaging and fun for the students. When the session was over, students crowded around him, eager to continue the conversation and learn more.
The 22 seniors involved in the “Names Not Numbers©” project will be working on preparing for their interviews over the next three weeks, and are looking forward to welcoming their survivors to MTA in the fourth week of November.
