Sometimes, interviews for a story or an article require an extra dose of sensitivity and compassion. In many of our stories for healthcare organizations and non-profits, we talk to people about some of the most difficult seasons of their lives.
If you’re facing a similarly sensitive interview, here are our team’s best tips.
What types of interviews might require extra sensitivity?
Many of our interviews are with people talking about challenging health-related experiences.
These interviews can include talking to:
- Someone who’s received a new medical diagnosis that’s significantly impacted their life
- Someone who’s been through complex medical or social challenges (often without adequate support).
- Parents who’ve lost a child.
We also talk to deeply committed doctors, nurses and researchers. Often, their passion is inspired by their own (sometimes difficult) life experiences.
All of these sensitive conversations require two important ingredients:
- Bringing our most empathetic and compassionate selves to the interview.
- Setting the scene and building trust – in a short amount of time.
Getting consent for the story
Before you dive too deeply into story planning, it’s important to first get consent from your interviewee. Ask if they’re open and willing to share their story – and be prepared to understand if they say no.
Clearly communicate the process with them so they know what to expect.
- Tell them you’ll have a conversation (sometimes the word “conversation” is less intimidating than “interview”).
- Tell them they’ll have a chance to review the story and make changes before it’s published.
Tell them where, when and how the story will be published.
Preparing for the interview
When an interview requires extra layers of compassion and thoughtfulness, preparation is key.
Do extra research to feel more at ease
For example, if you’re interviewing a family who lost someone to cancer, you could:
- Research the particular type of cancer they had and the treatments for it – to understand what the family’s journey might have looked like. You might start with government websites like the National Cancer Institute or clinical pages for the hospital where they received treatment.
- Read up on the medical language and terminology around the diagnosis and treatment so you can speak more easily about them. When talking to people about some of the most difficult times of their lives, you don’t want them to have to educate you during the conversation.
- Research non-profit organizations who support the area of care or type of services you’re writing about. This can give you a good picture of the language around the topic, treatments and care.
- Read stories from others who went through something similar. This can give you an idea of the common challenges, emotions and outcomes.
- Reach out to providers or social workers who may be able to give you background on treatments or sensitive parts of the interviewee’s backstory. Ask: “Are there any sensitive family dynamics or health history that might be good for me to be aware of before I talk to [patient name]?”
Get clear about the story’s goals
Having a good idea of the goals of your story – and how you want your readers to feel and think when reading it – will help you shape your list of questions.
Ultimately, your goal should be to tell a story of hope, empowerment, or overcoming obstacles to inspire others to do the same. To set the stage, you usually only need to ask a few key questions about the obstacles. Anything more runs the risk of feeling too invasive.
When possible, it helps to focus less on what happened to a person and more about how an organization that they used – a hospital, school, social services program – helped them regain strength and make progress toward their goals.
The best pieces strike a balance between the larger organizational goals for a piece and what’s most important to highlight for the person you’re featuring. For that person, in many cases, that’s not the hardest, darkest moments. Rather, it’s the moments of triumph and hope.
Come up with well-crafted questions – in advance
Sensitive interviews are not the kind you can “wing.” You need to think carefully about the types of compassionate, thoughtful questions you’ll ask to get at the heart of the story, without prying.
We always recommend writing out questions in advance. This helps you avoid scrambling for your next question and wandering into potentially triggering territory. A well-prepared list also helps you easily pivot the conversation, if you need to.
As you prep your questions, spend some time thinking about the order you’ll want to ask them. This will help you follow the natural progression of the interviewee’s experiences and improve the flow of the interview.
Drafting open-ended questions
One of the biggest pieces of advice from our Content Directors? Keep questions open-ended.
Open-ended questions let the interviewee define how much they’d like to say. And that can help put them at ease and keep your conversation a safe place.
Some techniques we like are to:
Use soft openers. These include prompts like:
- “Is it okay if I ask you about ____…?”
- “You can choose not to answer this, but I’m curious about…,”
- “We don’t have to get too deep into this, but I’m wondering if you’d be open to sharing about…”
Use broad language that allows them to choose what to share. For example:
“I’m curious to hear about your relationship with your family and how they may or may not have supported you through that.”
Use curiosity to invite sharing. You might try:
- “Tell me about…”
- “I’m curious about…”
- “I wonder if you’d be open to sharing about…”
- “Tell me about when you first got diagnosed with [condition]…”
Tip: Avoid direct questions about substance misuse, family structures or abuse.
Choosing the wording of your questions carefully
The specific phrasing of your questions can have a big impact on how they’re received by your interviewee. This is yet another reason to carefully prepare and write down your questions!
Here are some suggestions from our team.
Instead of: | Try: |
Was it scary when you got diagnosed with cancer? | How did you feel when you first found out about your diagnosis? |
Why did you end up having to use [organization’s services]? | Tell me about the ABC organization. How does it work? How was it helpful to you? |
Do you know what caused [xyz] disease in [loved one]? | Tell me about your experience with [condition]. |
What was the hardest part of going through these treatments? | What do you want people to know about living with [condition]? |
What have you learned from your journey? | What do you wish everyone understood about [condition] that you don’t think they do? |
What did it feel like when [loved one] died? | It’s best NOT to ask this question at all! |
Tip: Always ask your interviewee at the end of your interview: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
During the interview: Connecting and creating a safe space
When possible, we recommend getting yourself into a calm, centered space before the interview.
Settling your own body, emotions, and thoughts before a sensitive interview can help make more space for your subject to feel safe and comfortable. Going for a walk or listening to some calming music before a difficult conversation can be good centering activities.
Our writers often do a few minutes of deep breathing to get centered. This helps us allow the interview to go in the direction the interviewee most needs.
Set expectations
Before you start, introduce yourself and your role, why you want to share their story, and what to expect during your call. Reassure them this is not a job interview or test but more of a friendly conversation to hear their story.
At the start, make sure to:
Give the interviewee permission to talk about anything that feels important to their story, or not talk about any subject they aren’t comfortable with.
Let them know they can pause or stop at any time if they need a break.
Ask if they have any questions before you get started.
Walk them through the editorial process so they know what’ll happen after your interview.
Being upfront about the process and giving them some level of control over the conversation can set people at ease and make them more comfortable sharing.
Tip: Be willing to follow your interviewee’s lead on what they’re willing to talk about. But also continue to lead the entire interview process – so they trust you to handle their story with the care it deserves.
Acknowledge feelings and be ready to take a break
Interviews can often be emotional for the interviewee (and for you!), and you don’t need to ignore that. It’s OK to tell people how you feel hearing their story. This can help connect you on a heartfelt level.
You might say:
- “I’m so amazed by your [bravery / resilience / capacity to…]”
- “I hope you feel [proud / validated / strong].”
If things get overwhelming or it’s beginning to be more emotional than empowering, you can make space for people to let their emotions move through them before continuing.
You might say:
- “Would you like to take a minute?”
- “It’s OK, take some time if you need it.”
At the end of the interview … and beyond
Continuing to connect with the interviewee after the interview – and throughout the editorial process – helps them feel valued and reassured. It also helps them have a positive experience overall, which reflects well on your organization.
In those periodic communications, it’s important to:
Show gratitude for their willingness to share their story
Thank people for their time and willingness to share their story both before or during the interview and throughout the editing process.
After your interview, follow up with a thank you and let them know exactly when they’ll be hearing from you next.
Remind them that they’re in charge
Keep reminding them that this is “their story.” Make sure they know they’ll have a chance to review everything to make sure it’s accurate — and feels right to them. Give them an open door to follow up as needed with more information or questions.
When you send a draft for review, don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions in the comments like: “Is this how you’d like me to refer to this person, or is there a better way?”
Get their permission before you publish
Be sure the interviewee has a chance to review or make edits before their story is published. Keep in mind that reading their own story can be an emotional experience.
When we send out a draft for review, we often say something like:
- “I hope I captured your story in a way that feels true to you — but I’d definitely like to know if I didn’t, so please let me know if anything feels off!”
- “As you read this, I hope it feels like a genuine reflection of your feelings and experiences. I’m so grateful to be the person who gets to help share your story to inspire and teach others.”
Putting the pieces together
Looking for support crafting compassionate stories that highlight the work and care your organization is providing? Our team at Message Lab Media is here to help. We’re experienced in conducting sensitive interviews with compassion and grace — and we’d love to highlight the transformation, support, and care your organization provides for others.
Contact our team today to find out how we can help tell the stories of your community.
