Cold Calls

So I am not so sure if it is the best method of conducting interviews but for me I have gotten use to it. I expect everyone to be on their P’s and Q’s and ready to talk at all times. Most of the time I am successful, but it’s usually because I know exactly what questions I want to ask.

Is it fair that I am catching someone off guard?

I think so, sometimes you need to hear exactly what’s coming off the top of their head because giving a professional time to polish and compose their message is the best way to get a skewed version of the truth I think.

What I won’t use cold calls for is to obtain statistical information. If I don’t have the numbers in front of me I won’t ask them on the first call. If they are willing to send me documentation or get it to me at a later time I will accept that, but people can be dyslexic with numbers and so they say 100 when they meant 100,000.

It happens; I do it all the time.

I will verify statistics that I have acquired on my own, and that usually seems to work out well.

The reason I like cold calls the most is because it gets the interview over and done with and helps me finish the article quickly.

Traveling to Hart County from Athens is a time-consuming process, and if I’m not guaranteed an interview it can be the most maddening thing ever.

I made an appointment with the nurse manager at the ER and the day of the interview she called, cancelled, and pushed it back two weeks.

When I simply just walked into the ER and asked to speak to people. Not only was I able to speak with the nurse manager, but I was able to speak with a couple nurses on duty.

So for now I will stick to cold calls and impromptu visits for the late-breaking story and quick news quip.

It may not be the fairest, but it’s effective.