Interview with David Mehegan

I found this interview to be very informative. I think that although everyone will have their own approach to journalism, Mehegan does a fine job at pointing out a few very important devices. I especially appreciated the response to the question, "How do you get people to answer questions they don't want to answer?" Getting the answers your looking for from a person who is trying to remain obscure is an obstacle reporters often stumble upon while interviewing. Mehegan suggests,"You want to build a reputation for being a straight-shooter. If you prove trustworthy people will be more talkative next time."

I also found the information about writing writing a lead was also helpful because that is the part of a article that i find toughest to write. Mehegan denotes "...always speak directly to the reader's desire for interest and enjoyment." Personally I don't always read the newspaper because I find it stuffy and boring, but if something catches my attention I tend to read a little more about it. I would think that most readers operate in a similar manner.