By Tom Hill, Course Director and Founder, Up To Speed Journalism Training.

Before I move onto the technical skills required by the different branches of journalism, I’m concentrating on some of the ‘soft’ people skills you need to master to become an effective reporter.

As a journalist you can find yourself mixing with all sorts of people and you have to learn to judge people and places quickly and to adapt your demeanour and approach to suit the situation.

If you are sent into a pub to interview a group of notorious football hooligans, you will speak to them in a different way than you would if you were interviewing a granny about her golden wedding.

In most instances, you have very little time to make an impression on people, to earn their trust and to win their co-operation. That is why it is important to develop and maintain good manners whenever you are mixing with people in a professional capacity.

In medical schools doctors are trained to develop ‘a good bed-side manner’ and those who do not may well opt for a career in anaesthetics or even pathology.

In journalism, reporters must learn to develop a professional persona, which enables them to negotiate a range of social situations.

The cap-doffing formality that characterised Stanley’s discovery of Livingstone is portrayed in a contemporary artist’s impression of their encounter.

And while our society may now have become more informal, in many situations courtesy and good manners will still open doors.

So here are some simple rules of etiquette for Twenty First Century journalists.

Meeting

It’s worth noting that Stanley’s famous question was, “Dr Livingstone, I presume?” and not, “Is that you, Dave mate?” As Victorians who had not been formally introduced, decorum dictated that Livingstone’s title should be included in the greeting.

If you are arriving for an interview, make sure you always check the name of the person when you first meet them and make a point of calling them Mrs, Miss, Mr or Dr in the first instance.  It only takes a split second, but that display of courtesy, respect and deference will make a lasting impression.

Accompany that first question with the offer of a firm handshake, a pleasant smile, if it is appropriate to the situation, and confident eye contact, and you will be laying the foundations for a good interview before you have even reached for your notebook.

Greeting

Introduce yourself clearly. Give your name, say who you work for and in what capacity. Don’t be too familiar, for instance using the interviewee’s first name, until you are sure it is appropriate.

Please

Ask politely for her help, advice or opinion, explaining how helpful she can be to you. People often like to help others if they can, particularly if you remember to make them feel important.

You Don’t Need To Say Sorry

Unless you are in an extreme situation, you do not need to apologise for being there.

Convey A Sense Of Your Professionalism

Ask your interviewee to spell her name and double-check facts and details, adding that you want to make sure that you get it right. Your appearance and dress can also be vital in this regard. If you dress like a student who has just come from a party, then you may well be treated like one and although that may work on a rock band’s tour bus, it is unlikely to help if you are interviewing a local grandee.

Thank you

When he has helped you, remember to express your gratitude and don’t be afraid to repeat how important he is and to use this final opportunity to make sure you have made an accurate note of his name, title and contact details.

Goodbye

When you take your leave, remember to repeat your thanks, using his name and title, and promise to keep in touch, possibly by sending him a copy of the paper or letting her know when the item will be broadcast. Exchange contact details. Remember to keep your promises to her. You never know when she will be useful to you again.

And finally….if your interview is not taking place in ‘polite society’ but in a potentially dangerous situation, I have three tips for dealing with awkward customers.

1. Make sure someone knows where you have gone.

2. Be open and honest. If you try to appear to be “one of the lads” in the pub described above, only to be rumbled as a journalist, you are likely to receive a much rougher ride than you would if you let people know you are a reporter when you first walk through the door.

3. If you have parked nearby, make sure you have reversed into the parking space. Backing out of a tight spot, or executing a three-point turn while surrounded by an angry mob, is so much more taxing than slipping into first gear and driving away at speed.

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Tags: dealing with awkward customers, journalism careers, journalism course, Manners and etiquette for reporters, mind your manners, NCTJ courses, top tips for reporters, Up To Speed Journalism

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