interview-prep

# Interview preparation Interviews fail in the preparation, not the conversation. This skill covers pre-interview research, question design, logistics, and follow-up. ## When to use - Preparing to interview a source - Developing question frameworks for recurring interview types - Managing interview logistics and consent - Planning follow-up after initial interviews - Training new reporters on interview technique ## Pre-interview research checklist ### Background research ```markdown ## Source background check ### Public records - [ ] Professional licenses verified - [ ] Court records checked (civil/criminal) - [ ] Business registrations confirmed - [ ] Property records (if relevant) - [ ] Campaign finance (if political figure) - [ ] SEC filings (if corporate) ### Professional background - [ ] LinkedIn profile reviewed - [ ] Current employer confirmed - [ ] Previous employers noted - [ ] Published work reviewed - [ ] Conference appearances checked - [ ] Professional associations ### Social media audit - [ ] All platforms identified (X, Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Substack, etc.) - [ ] Post history reviewed - [ ] Connections/followers analyzed - [ ] Previous statements on topic found - [ ] Any deleted content recovered? (See **web-archiving** skill for Wayback / Archive.today retrieval) ### Media appearances - [ ] Previous interviews found - [ ] Statements consistent with current position? - [ ] Other journalists' assess...