How to Interview a Student for a Campus Article

Interviewing a student for a campus article requires more than asking a few questions and copying down the answers. You need a clear purpose, thoughtful preparation, active listening, and a reliable way to verify what the student says.

Define the story before contacting the student

Start by identifying what the article is actually about. A student interview can support a news report, profile, feature, opinion piece, event preview, or service article, but each format requires a different approach.

Write a one-sentence story focus before you begin. For example:

• “This article will explain how students are adapting to the university’s new attendance policy.”
• “This profile will show how a student-run food pantry supports classmates facing food insecurity.”
• “This feature will explore why students are choosing public transportation instead of driving to campus.”

The focus helps you decide whom to interview and prevents the conversation from becoming a general biography. It also makes it easier to explain the purpose of the interview to the student.

Consider whether one student is enough. A single interview may work for a personal profile or first-person experience, but a news article about a broad campus issue usually needs multiple perspectives. You might also need a faculty member, administrator, organization leader, or relevant document to provide context.

Before reaching out, make a short reporting plan:

1. Identify the main question your article will answer.
2. List the facts you need to confirm independently.
3. Choose students with direct experience of the topic.
4. Decide whether you need contrasting or additional viewpoints.
5. Set a realistic deadline for the interview and follow-up.

Choose and contact the right student

The best source is not always the most available person. Select someone who has firsthand knowledge of the subject and can describe it clearly. If the article concerns a campus program, interview a student who has actually used it. If it concerns a proposed policy, distinguish between students affected by the proposal and students who have only heard about it.

Avoid presenting one student as representative of an entire campus unless you have evidence that their experience is widely shared. A student can speak authoritatively about their own experience, but not automatically for every student.

When contacting the student, be direct and respectful. Include:

• Your name and publication.
• The article’s general subject.
• Why you would like to speak with them.
• The expected length of the interview.
• Whether the interview is on the record.
• Possible meeting times and formats.
• Your deadline, if there is one.

A simple message might say:

Hello, I’m writing for Maroon News about how students are using the campus food pantry. I’d like to ask about your experience and the practical impact of the service. The interview would take about 20–30 minutes and would be on the record. We can meet in person, talk by phone, or use a video call. Would you be available this week?

Do not pressure a student to participate. Give them enough information to make an informed decision, and be prepared to offer alternatives such as email questions or an audio-only conversation. However, remember that written answers may be less spontaneous and can make it harder to ask useful follow-ups.

Prepare questions that invite useful answers

Good interview questions are open-ended, specific, and connected to the story’s purpose. Questions beginning with “how,” “why,” “what,” or “when” usually produce more useful material than questions that can be answered with yes or no.

Prepare more questions than you expect to ask, but do not treat the list as a script. A 20-minute interview may require only eight to twelve questions, depending on the student’s answers.

Useful categories include:

• Background: “How did you first become involved with this program?”
• Experience: “What happened when you tried to use the service?”
• Change: “What is different now compared with last semester?”
• Impact: “How has this affected your schedule, finances, or coursework?”
• Specific example: “Can you describe a particular day when this became especially important?”
• Evidence: “What information or records could help confirm that?”
• Perspective: “What do you think people misunderstand about this issue?”
• Future: “What would you like to see happen next?”

Avoid loaded questions that contain an assumption, such as “Why has the university ignored students?” Instead, ask, “How have university officials responded to students’ concerns?” This allows the student to describe events without being pushed toward a predetermined answer.

Avoid asking students to speculate beyond their knowledge. Replace “What will the university do next?” with “What have you been told about the next steps?” If the student expresses an opinion, clarify that it is an opinion: “What leads you to that view?”

Create a compact question plan:

Interview stage	Purpose	Example
Opening	Establish context	“How are you connected to this issue?”
Middle	Gather details and examples	“What happened next?”
Clarification	Check meaning and accuracy	“When you say ‘unsafe,’ what do you mean?”
Closing	Find impact and next steps	“What should readers understand?”

Arrange consent, privacy, and recording

Before asking substantive questions, explain how the interview will be used. Tell the student whether you plan to publish their name, year, major, organization, photograph, or other identifying information. Be especially careful when the topic involves health, finances, immigration status, disciplinary action, harassment, housing insecurity, or other sensitive matters.

Ask for permission before recording. Recording laws differ by location, and even where recording is legally allowed, ethical reporting still requires clear notice. Say something straightforward: “Is it okay if I record this so I can check the quotations accurately?” Wait for an affirmative answer before starting.

If the student does not consent to recording, take detailed notes instead. Do not secretly record the conversation. You can also ask the student to spell their name, confirm pronouns, state their year and major if relevant, and identify any terms or organization names that may be easy to miswrite.

Clarify the meaning of “off the record” before the interview begins. Different people may use that phrase differently. Establish whether the conversation is fully on the record, on background, or contains specific portions that cannot be used. If a student asks to change the terms after sharing information, pause and discuss the request rather than making assumptions.

Conduct the interview effectively

Choose a setting where the student can speak comfortably and where background noise will not overwhelm your notes or recording. A quiet campus room, library study area, or calm outdoor location may work. For sensitive topics, avoid locations where friends, classmates, or staff can overhear.

Begin with easy context questions. This helps establish rapport and gives you a chance to verify basic details before moving into more difficult subjects. Listen closely and allow brief pauses. Students may need a moment to organize their thoughts; filling every silence can prevent them from adding their most useful details.

Use follow-up questions instead of moving mechanically down your list. If a student says, “It was difficult to get help,” ask:

• “What made it difficult?”
• “Can you walk me through what happened?”
• “Who did you contact?”
• “How long did you wait?”
• “What happened afterward?”

Ask for concrete examples, but do not demand private details that are unnecessary to the article. You can usually report the effect of an experience without publishing a student’s complete medical history, family situation, or personal messages.

Separate observation from interpretation. If the student says, “The office does not care about students,” ask what they observed that led them to that conclusion. Their interpretation may be important, but readers also need the underlying facts.

Do not argue with the student or signal that you agree with every claim. A neutral response such as “What makes you say that?” encourages explanation without endorsing the statement. If the student raises a factual allegation, note it for independent verification and seek a response from the relevant person or institution.

Reserve time at the end for accuracy checks. Repeat important names, dates, numbers, and descriptions back to the student. Ask, “Is there anything I have misunderstood?” and “Is there someone else I should speak with?” These questions often reveal missing context or another useful source.

Take reliable notes and protect the source’s words

Even when recording, take notes. Mark the time or approximate location of strong quotations, important facts, emotional reactions, and possible follow-up questions. Write down observations separately from the student’s exact words so you do not accidentally turn your description into a quotation.

If you cannot capture a quotation exactly, do not use quotation marks around a reconstructed sentence. Paraphrase it accurately or contact the student for confirmation. Never improve grammar in a way that changes meaning, tone, or emphasis.

After the interview, create a source sheet containing:

• Correct spelling of the student’s full name.
• Pronouns, year, major, and relevant affiliations.
• Date, time, and location of the interview.
• Contact information for follow-up.
• Key claims that require verification.
• Potentially sensitive details and agreed restrictions.

Use the recording only for reporting and accuracy, and store it securely. Do not send a private recording to people who do not need access. Follow your publication’s retention and deletion policies, particularly when the interview involves vulnerable students.

Verify facts and add balance

A student’s account can be sincere and still contain an error. Verification is part of the reporter’s job, not a judgment about the student’s character. Check dates against event schedules, policy documents, emails, public records, or official statements where appropriate.

For claims involving the university, give the relevant office or individual a fair opportunity to respond. Send precise questions rather than a vague request for comment. For example, ask when a policy took effect, how many students it affects, or whether a reported incident was investigated. Include a reasonable deadline and document your outreach.

Be careful with numbers. Ask how the student calculated an amount, whether it is an estimate, and whether another source can confirm it. Avoid publishing a dramatic statistic based solely on memory.

Balance does not mean giving every claim equal weight. It means accurately representing relevant perspectives and making the limits of your reporting clear. If you interviewed one student for a profile, present their experience as one person’s experience. If you are writing about a campus-wide issue, broaden the reporting before making campus-wide claims.

Write the article with context and precision

Choose quotations that reveal information, personality, or stakes. Do not select a quote merely because it sounds emotional. Introduce the student with enough context for readers to understand why their perspective matters.

A strong structure may look like this:

1. Open with a specific scene, moment, or relevant statement.
2. Explain the broader campus issue.
3. Introduce the student and their connection to it.
4. Use examples and quotations to show the impact.
5. Add verified context, statistics, policy information, or another perspective.
6. Explain what happens next or what readers need to know.

Keep the student’s words in proportion to the article’s purpose. A long block of quotations can make the story feel unedited. Use paraphrase for routine information and save direct quotes for distinctive language or important firsthand description.

Do not overstate emotion. A student who pauses, laughs, or becomes frustrated may be showing an important reaction, but describe only what you observed and avoid diagnosing their feelings. “The student paused before answering” is more precise than assigning an emotion the student did not express.

If you offer the student a chance to review a quote for accuracy, explain that this is a fact-checking opportunity, not editorial approval of the article. Do not allow a source to rewrite unfavorable but accurate reporting simply because they dislike the result.

Troubleshoot common interview problems

The student gives short answers. Ask for a specific example, use a pause, or change from abstract questions to chronology: “What happened first, and what happened after that?” If the student remains uncomfortable, offer a different format or end respectfully.

The student becomes emotional. Stop and ask whether they want a break. Do not treat distress as evidence that a detail should be published. Confirm what they are comfortable discussing and whether they want to continue.

The student makes a serious allegation. Listen without promising an outcome. Record the exact claim, ask what the student personally witnessed, seek supporting documentation, and contact the accused party for a response. Consider whether publishing the detail could create avoidable harm.

The recording fails. Tell the student what happened, explain that you want to reconstruct the conversation accurately, and rely on contemporaneous notes. Do not pretend a recording exists or invent exact quotations.

The student asks to approve the entire article. Explain your publication’s policy. You can verify factual details and clarify quotations, but editorial decisions remain with the publication.

The student withdraws after the interview. Review any prior agreement and your publication’s ethics policy. If the story involves sensitive information or potential harm, consult an editor before publishing. In every case, verify the material carefully and avoid using information outside the agreed terms.

A careful student interview gives readers a grounded human perspective while respecting the source’s dignity and limits. Preparation, consent, exact note-taking, independent verification, and precise writing are what turn a conversation into trustworthy campus journalism.