Learning to ask questions: interview techniques explored in practice at the Young Journalists School

---

An interview is not just a friendly conversation, but a structured exchange with a clear purpose. Participants of the Young Journalists School discovered this in practice during a session with Polina Gotovchits, producer at the New Media Workshop. Instead of theory and general advice, the focus was on hands-on work with phrasing, pauses and challenging interviewees.

During the session, Polina Gotovchits invited the students to get straight to work: one of the participants conducted a quick interview with her right in the room — without preparation, relying only on existing knowledge. This allowed the young journalists to see that even a seemingly strong set of questions is far from enough.

"An interview is a genre that requires preparation. But it also demands spontaneity, the ability to respond in any situation and to find exactly the right question to ask," explained Polina Gotovchits.

Using practical examples, the expert demonstrated four basic types of questions — closed, open, clarifying and hypothetical — and how they function in real dialogue. Together with the instructor, the students reworked closed questions into open ones: from "Were you nervous?" to "What did you feel a second before going on stage?", and from "Do you like your job?" to "What do you love most about your work?"

Polina Gotovchits also emphasised that it is important not only to speak correctly, but also to remain silent when needed. According to her, a pause is not an enemy but a tool: it helps to gather thoughts, highlight what matters and give the interviewee space to respond.

In the practical part, the students "interviewed" the speaker acting as a fictional character — a "Teacher of the Year". The expert deliberately gave short answers, avoided the topic or used generic phrases that were difficult to develop. After the exercise, Polina Gotovchits analysed the dialogue with the group: where follow-up questions were missing and when it would have been better to change the topic. They also discussed when it is appropriate to ask a more personal and specific question in order to elicit genuine emotion.

The expert also shared a set of rules for a successful interview:

— An interview is a structured conversation: the goal and logic must belong to the journalist, not the interviewee.

— Listening is more important than speaking: strong questions emerge from the interviewee’s answers.

— Closed and general questions can be used, but selectively and with purpose; the main focus should be on open and follow-up questions.

— Preparation should go beyond biography: it is important to study the person as a whole — how they speak, how they behave, where they open up and which topics engage them.

In the second part of the session, the students practised interviewing "difficult" interviewees — for example, a shy blogger who talks about rural life on social media. In practice, it became clear how challenging it is to elicit engaging answers, encourage a reserved person to open up, or keep the conversation on track. At the same time, they experienced how rewarding it is when a single well-placed question helps the guest relax and become engaged.

At the end of the session, the participants asked Polina Gotovchits their own questions — about working with a difficult interviewee when there is no "chemistry", what to do if a person avoids the topic for too long, and whether there is a future for new interviewers in an already saturated media space. The expert noted that the most important qualities for a journalist are genuine interest in people, willingness to listen and not being afraid to make mistakes.

"Media is a living system that always needs new actors. Each of you has a future in journalism. I am absolutely sure that one day I will by chance come across an interview by one of you and watch it with great interest," added Polina Gotovchits.

Classes at the Young Journalists School at the National Centre RUSSIA continue to introduce teenagers to the profession not only through lectures, but also through practical work — both in a training format and through real assignments. Here, participants can do more than just hear "how it should be done" — they can try asking their first truly effective question.