Questions for journalists

An overview of what to look for in candidates as well as a sample of appropriate interview questions is provided in this Journalist interview profile.

Questions for Journalist Interviews

To begin a meaningful conversation with prospective journalist or reporter candidates, use their portfolio of published articles and newscasts. Once you have reached the interview phase, you should only see candidates who have polished work samples that relate to the audience of your organization. After conducting these interviews, you should be able to verify the hard and soft skills that you require. If you’re a digital-first outlet, for example, it might be helpful for candidates to have some familiarity with a CRM, publishing tools like WordPress, or social media. Discuss their role in creating a complex project with a similar team setup if they will be working closely with you in a cross-functional team. Ask them about their experience in uncovering and pitching their own story ideas if they will be required to do so most of the time. Finally, top marks go to candidates who have applied because they clearly see a strong fit for themselves within your organization and can back that up with knowledge of your audience and the Kind of work you typically produce.

Questions specific to the role

• When you have time to read on your own, what do you like to read?
• Tell us about a time when you found and pitched your own story.
• Please provide some examples of your best work.
• How did you contribute to the development of [this work sample]?
• What are your strategies for coping with tight deadlines?
• What steps do you take to ensure your work is accurate?
• Have you ever used any publishing software before?
• What is your frequency of use of social media? Where do you spend most of your time online?
• In your opinion, how well are you able to use technology to tell stories? How would you rate your strengths and weaknesses in this area?
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a multidisciplinary team to tell a story.
• What is your knowledge of our publication? Do you have any suggestions for how we can improve?
• In your opinion, who are our competitors?
• What is your familiarity with our staff writers? What are your favorite authors and why do you follow them?
• Is there any current news that is relevant to our publication?