Conducting a street interview is one of the most basic, yet most challenging skills of journalism. Whether you’re interviewing random people about a news topic or getting specific reactions from eyewitnesses, it’s not guaranteed that people will want to talk to you. NBC News, MSNBC and NBCU Local experts share in our latest “Level Up” video above, and in the passage below, how they best approach people and keep reaching out until they land a street interview.
Note: Street interviews are known by many names, including “person on the street” interviews, “man on the street” interviews, “MOS” and “vox pops.”
How do you ask someone for a street interview?
Hallie Jackson, “Hallie Jackson Reports” anchor: Be very chill. Try to approach without the camera first, I’ve found that to be helpful. Then be patient. It can take a really long time to try to get somebody to talk to you, so just build that into your day.
Marquise Francis, NBC News “Stay Tuned” correspondent: Embrace being uncomfortable. You’re going to get so many nos from people. You’re going to be talking to people, all different kinds of cultures. I try to build rapport with the people I’m talking to. For every five people I do talk to, maybe one will say “Yes, I’m willing to connect.”
Morgan Radford, “NBC News Daily” co-anchor: Talk to people just like we talk to our friends and our families. Solicit their advice in a comfortable and casual way.
Laura Jarrett, NBC News’ senior legal correspondent: The best man-on-the-street interviews that I’ve seen are ones that are super short and to the point.
What are some good conversation starters for interviews?
Vicky Nguyen, “NBC News Daily” co-anchor: Approach people in a respectful and friendly manner. Be as transparent as you can: Identify who you are and what you’re hoping to talk with them about. I think a smile goes a long way, and letting people know that there’s no wrong answer. You’re just asking their opinion on a subject that could really help you with the news report.
Emilie Ikeda, NBC News correspondent: If you’re covering Black Friday, big shopping day, I would start the conversation with, “Oh, looks like you had a successful shopping trip,” instead of just throwing out an immediate question like, “Can I interview you?” I think people are more open to that.
Rehema Ellis, NBC News chief education correspondent: If you’re doing an on-the-street interview about education, and you see a family that has children, it’s pretty easy to ask them a question about what they think about any one particular education issue.
Kay Angrum, NBC 4 New York host and digital reporter: Be your most pleasant self. Let folks know, “I’ve got this question. Do you have a second?” And then not taking it personally when people say no, because you can feel defeated.
