To recap from our course readings, Dr.’s Ryan Bisel (University of Oklahoma) and Kevin Barge (Texas A&M University)offer us insight into the ideal protocol for interview and question-writing techniques. Specifically, they advise us to 1) find a particular pool of interest in which we’ve classified the broad areas of public relations. These scholars also call us to 2) get curious (and stay curious) throughout the process of interviewing and interview preparation. Getting and staying curious certainly speaks to the research adage of locating materials you are passionate about. Barge and Bisel also recommend interviewers 4) think carefully about (research) questions. Careful thought can make the difference between rich and valuable answers and partial answers that offer no real insight into the interviewee. For this reason, word choice and word economy are vital elements to formulating successful questions and generating quality responses.
Cult Comm Exercise: Craft a series of ten pilot questions that may be selected for the first interview to be held formally in class on Feb. 11. In following the recommendations of Barge and Bisel, the first five questions should incorporate the following opening phrases (below). The final five questions can then borrow from these techniques or innovate in more specific directions that reflect your interests. We will assess, revise, and refine questions collectively in class on Feb. 9. Future interviewing workshops will be assigned accordingly.
Question Starters:
“Tell me about a time when…”
“Could you describe…”
“In an ideal world…”
“How…”
“In what ways, do you…”
The Cultural COMMune 
Interview Questions:
1. Tell me about a time when social media caused problems for your department.
2. Could you describe some of the misconceptions about your occupation?
3. In an ideal world, what would you change in connection to the wildlife reservations?
4. How did you end up in your current career?
5. In what ways do you think technology has changed how people view the environment?
6. What is the current level of interest in wildlife?
7. Could you describe the pros and cons of using social media for your department?
8. What sort of image does the wildlife department seek to communicate via technology?
9. How does having a social media presence help in regards to issues like conservation?
10. What are the biggest safety issues you face on the job?
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1. How did you decide that this was the career field for you?
2. In what ways does your career help or hurt you financially?
3. Could you describe the everyday grind of your occupation?
4. Tell me about a time when the experience of wildlife was awe-inspiring?
5. In an ideal world what would you change about your occupation?
6. What are some of the pros and cons of your job?
7. Could you describe the feeling that you get when your doing your job?
8. What are some things that you hope to accomplish in the near future and down the line?
9. How do you plan to achieve these goals?
10. Has this occupation satisfied your life or are you hungry for more?
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1. Could you describe what a day at the parks and wildlife department is like?
2. What role does your position play in the department?
3. How are some ways you use social media for work?
4. What sparked your interest in this field of work?
5. In what ways does the department control activities like hunting and fishing?
6. How does the department ensure that people are following the regulations?
7. Could you describe a time when the department received bad press, and how it was resolved?
8. In an ideal world, how would you utilize social media for the department?
9. Has there ever been a time when an experience at the job made you reconsider working there?
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1. Tell me about a time when developing new ideas for games was extremely difficult. What kept you going?
2. Could you describe some of the ways you use social media for your business?
3. In an ideal world, what changes would you like to see in the gaming industry?
4. How did you become interested in gaming?
5. In what ways do you find new ideas for developing products?
6. What is a typical work day like for you?
7. Have there been any significant cultural movements linked to or started by your industry? If so, could you describe them in more detail?
8. What is the worst thing about your job?
9. How does making and maintaining a podcast help your business?
10. If someone is new to gaming (as a player), what advice would you give them, since you are a fellow gamer?
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1. In what ways do you feel that gaming has improved over the last 20 years?
2. How difficult is making a game from start to finish?
3. What ideas do you have for future games?
4. What are your goals for the long term?
5. What was your favorite video game as a child?
6. How do you think you can improve yourself as a video game creator?
7. In an ideal world, how long do you want it to take to create your next video game?
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1. Could you describe the most difficult phase in getting a game developed and on the market?
2. How do you make your product unique and original?
3. How can you market a game to stand out from the competition?
4. What made you decide to create a video game?
5. Has there been a time when you wanted to quit the gaming industry, why?
6. In what ways can the gaming industry be too restrictive?
7. What takes place in a typical work day for you?
8. Has there ever been a time when your ideas have been denied?
9. Is the gaming industry difficult to be successful in?
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1. What made you want to go into the video game industry? Will you still work with table top games?
2. What steps go into designing a typical digital or table top game?
3. In what way does social media impact your job?
4. How do you handle the situation when you can’t think of any new ideas?
5. What are some challenges in the gaming industry and how can you or others work to change them?
6. Has a cultural movement ever had an influence on your job?
7. Could you describe different topics that your podcast covers?
8. Has your experience with your podcast given you an edge when it comes to the gaming industry?
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1. What made you want to go into the video game industry? Will you still work with table top games?
2. What steps go into designing a typical digital or table top game?
3. In what way does social media impact your job?
4. What are some challenges in the gaming industry and how can you or others work to change them?
5. Has a cultural movement ever had an influence on your job?
6. Could you describe your podcast and different topics that are discussed?
7. Has your experience with your podcast given you an edge when it comes to the gaming industry?
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1. Tell me about a time when creating and maintaining a podcast was going really well. What made it so successful?
2. Could you describe what what an average day on the job is like?
3. In an ideal world, what would you change about the blogging world?
4. How do you measure the effectiveness of marketing blogging?
5. In what ways do you try to bring in new people to your blog(s)?
6. Is it difficult to do projects for Nashville while you are living in L.A.?
7. What are the best and worst aspects of your job?
8. If someone were new to your occupation, what advice would you give them?
9. How do you handle negative comments/replies to your blog?
10. Have there been any times where your work in marketing has contributed to a social/cultural movement?
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1. Tell me about a time when you really enjoyed your job
2. Does it become difficult to find a balance between all the different things you do for work?
3. What different topics do you cover in your blog?
4. How do you come up with your ideas for the social media?
5. In an ideal world, what would you consider to be the best outcome for your projects?
6. How much research or networking do you have to do when starting a new project?
7. How different is the social community between the different areas you have lived?
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
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1. Tell me about a time when creating a podcast went really well. What made it so successful?
2. Could you describe what what an average day as a marketing blogger is like?
3. You have labeled yourself as a “creative entrepreneur.” What are some ways you cultivate creative inspiration?
4. How do you measure the effectiveness of marketing blogging?
5. In what ways do you try to bring in new people to your blog(s)?
6. Is it difficult to do projects for Nashville while you are living in L.A.?
7. What are the best and worst aspects of designing social media content?
8. If someone were new to your occupation, what advice would you give them?
9. How do you handle negative comments/replies to your blog?
10. Have there been any times where your work in marketing has contributed to a social/cultural movement?
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