Being a part of NPR’s Next Gen Radio program at CapRadio was an experience that stretched and grew me in ways I was not expecting. Prior to the program I was struggling to find an interviewee and a pitch. I found one but then was asked to explore climate change from a different angle than my initial pitch. After a frantic call out to friends who might know of people who are personally impacted by climate change, I was able to find an interviewee and a pitch.
Whew.
On my first day of the program, I was incredibly anxious about conducting the interview. All of the reporters, including myself, had a practice session with a mentor. This reduced some of my anxiety since I had gained some knowledge on interview techniques as well as how to properly hold a shotgun mic.
At the actual interview, Heidi Wilder at Fort Rock Brewing was extremely accommodating and very personable. She put me at ease. I had a few fumbles with the interview questions, a bit of a difficult time remembering to have Heidi respond by repeating my questions, and we had a hiccup with our recording equipment.
But all in all, the interview went well and we had enough good audio for a compelling story. After the interview, Heidi gave me one of the brewery’s beers to try. It was a welcome reward for completing the interview.
While I came into the program not feeling confident about my interview skills, I was encouraged all along the way by my mentor, making the experience less nerve-wrecking. After this experience, I’m feeling more assured in my ability to stretch myself to try things outside of my comfort zone.
