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5 Tips: How to Conduct A Street Interview
Stopping Bangkokians from whipping through their life and capturing their short attention span to interview and take a picture of their shy self was not easy. I was rejected more than ten times within a day when I was trying to interview teens for Y-roon Thai. I mean, I get it. They might be in a hurry. Perhaps, they just want to take it easy and enjoy their day off at the mall.
But the more they rejected me, the more I reflected on myself. Am I approaching them the right way? How can I gain their trust? Am I asking the right questions? I learned a lot through the process from trial and error, and I want share some tips on how to conduct successful street interviews.
Stop people, don’t be ashamed!
You may hesitate because you’re scared of being judged. But don’t. You’ll miss the chance if you hesitate. Bring a friend to do it with you, if doing it alone seems daunting at first.
Why should they care?
Start off with introducing yourself and briefly explain your project, how you’re going to execute it.
“Excuse me, can I have a minute or two to ask you something. I’m currently interning at Action aid…”
Open-ended questions are key
Narrow questions can set up blocks to the interviewees’ thoughts. Broad questions are more relatable, allowing for more personal opinion and stories. Open-ended questions might even open you’re interviewees up to other ideas that you haven’t thought of before.
Guide
If your interviewee is going off topic and you’re not getting want you want out of them, give them guidance and be direct.
Rejection is normal
It’s okay to feel down after several rejections. But don’t take it personally. Approach the next person with a smile. You might not get the number of interviews that you set out for that day and it may take several days.
