Get your interview on

As Metascene explained in Ten Tips for Building a Bionic Weblog: "Play reporter once in a while. Research under-reported stories and do some leg work for your readers. Find an angle that no one, including mainstream press, has reported on."

Don't be shy about interviewing. Most folks love to discuss their passions – and will treat a citizen journalist with the same respect as a professional (so expect anything from fawning to projectiles ... but mostly gracious help).

Great places to harvest interviewees include Twitter, Facebook and Help A Reporter Out, as well as listserves and electronic bulletin boards.

Research beforehand to formulate intelligent questions. Jot down key queries, so they don't slip away during a good conversation. Avoid questions with a simple yes or no answer; Try to get subjects to elaborate. Remember to listen, not talk, advises Christopher (Chip) Scanlan, author of Reporting and Writing: Basics for the 21st Century.

Start with easy, confidence-building queries, then weave in tougher material – if any – towards the end. Always conclude with: “Is there anything you'd like to add that we haven't covered?” and “What elements would you emphasize in an article?” Often the best comments arise then.

In most countries, you must ask permission to capture the conversation on audio or video tape (record the subject's assent for maximum protection, though clip that off any broadcasts). I take notes too, because technology can easily fail. For example, Oxford Times Features Writer Reg Little once interviewed a haughty Noble Prize laureate, only to discover the recorder was on the wrong setting. The two-hour conversation was captured on high speed –  creating a super-soprano, chittering, Alvin and the Chipmunks effect. Poor Reg spent long, long hours interpreting the tinny squeal. Background noise, battery failure and tampering can also ruin recordings.

“Off the record” means the subject is imparting sensitive background information not for print. Strictly speaking, they must specify this before the statement, but use your discretion. “Not for attribution” means you cannot use that person's name, just a vague description like “a Johannesburg shopkeeper” or “a Syrian homemaker”. Avoid this whenever possible, as it weakens your credibility.