INTERVIEWING Disaster Victims - GNI - PatrickButlerI

Summary

The transcript describes an interviewer's approach to engaging deeply with an interviewee, who lost everything in a hurricane. The interviewer emphasizes the importance of asking probing, respectful questions to uncover personal insights and beliefs. The interviewee shares how the experience reinforced his belief in the importance of family and faith, revealing a profound connection to his upbringing and prayer. Through persistent questioning, the interviewer captures a powerful narrative of resilience and hope, highlighting the significance of thoughtful journalism in uncovering deeper truths.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The importance of asking deep, personal questions in interviews to uncover meaningful stories.
• 🏠 The devastating impact of a natural disaster, as described by a man who lost everything to a hurricane.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The realization that family is the most important thing after losing possessions in a disaster.
• 💔 The emotional pain of losing personal mementos and the significance of material possessions.
• 🙏 The role of faith and prayer in coping with loss and finding strength during difficult times.
• 👀 The influence of a person's upbringing and family values on their worldview and coping mechanisms.
• 🌟 The power of continued prayer and seeking divine guidance in times of crisis.
• 🏡 The unexpected blessings and provisions that can come even in the midst of disaster.
• 🤔 The introspective questioning that leads to a deeper understanding of one's beliefs and their impact on life.
• 📚 The value of journalism in capturing and conveying the resilience and faith of individuals facing adversity.

Q & A

What was the situation of the man you interviewed at the Red Cross center?

The man was at a Red Cross center, sitting in a chair with his and his family's belongings beside him in a gymnasium, having lost everything to a hurricane.

How did the man describe his feelings about losing his home and possessions?

The man expressed that losing everything made him realize the importance of his family, as they survived the disaster, which is what matters most to him.

What did the man attribute as the source of his perspective on family being the most important thing?

The man attributed his perspective to his parents, who used to pray all the time when he was growing up.

What was the man's response when asked about the effectiveness of his family's past prayers?

He believed that the prayers his family made throughout their lives had taken hold, as they are now facing a difficult situation with faith.

How has the man been coping with the current challenges in his life?

The man has been praying for strength, God's thoughts, patience, and the ability to not be discouraged or give up.

What has the man been praying for during this difficult time?

He has been praying for strength, guidance from God, patience, and resilience to not be discouraged or give up.

How does the man feel about his current living conditions despite the disaster?

Despite being far from home and having lost his job and house, the man feels that God has provided him with shelter, food, and the company of his family, making him feel closer to God.

What does the man believe about God's role in his life during tough times?

The man believes that in all his life's tough times, God has always been there for him and his family, and he trusts that God will work something out.

How does the man's faith influence his outlook on the disaster he has experienced?

His faith gives him a strong sense of hope and the belief that despite the disaster, God will help him and his family get through it.

What advice would the man give to others who might be going through similar disasters?

The man would likely advise others to rely on their faith, pray for strength and guidance, and maintain hope that things will work out.

How did the interviewer's approach of asking multiple questions contribute to the depth of the interview?

The interviewer's approach allowed for a deeper exploration of the man's experiences, beliefs, and coping mechanisms, providing a richer narrative than if the interview had been cut short.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Deep Interviewing Techniques

The paragraph emphasizes the importance of asking deep, personal questions in an interview while maintaining politeness. It illustrates this with an example of an interview at a Red Cross center with a man who lost everything in a hurricane. The interviewer continues to probe beyond the surface, uncovering the man's realization of the importance of family, his faith, and his prayer life. The narrative shows how persistence in questioning leads to a richer understanding of the interviewee's worldview and resilience in the face of disaster.

Keywords

💡Reporter

A reporter is a person who investigates and gathers information to present news stories or features. In the video, the reporter is conducting an in-depth interview, which is central to the theme of understanding the personal experiences and perspectives of disaster survivors. The script mentions, 'now for all of you reporters everywhere,' highlighting the role of reporters in uncovering and sharing stories.

💡Red Cross Center

The Red Cross Center refers to a location where the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies provide humanitarian aid and support. In the script, the interviewee is at a Red Cross Center, which is indicative of the disaster relief setting and serves as a backdrop for the personal story being shared.

💡Hurricane

A hurricane is a large tropical storm with heavy rain and strong winds. In the video, the hurricane is the disaster that has affected the interviewee's life, causing the loss of his house and belongings. The interviewee says, 'my house and everything I own was taken away by the hurricane,' which is a key element in the narrative.

💡Loss

Loss refers to the state of having lost something or someone, often implying a sense of grief or deprivation. The theme of loss is central to the video as the interviewee experiences the loss of his home and personal items. The script illustrates this with the line, 'losing everything made me realize that the most important thing in my life is my family.'

💡Pain

Pain is a sensation of physical or emotional suffering. In the context of the video, the pain is both the physical loss of property and the emotional distress that comes with it. The interviewee discusses the pain of loss, which is a significant aspect of the personal journey he is sharing.

💡Family

Family is a fundamental social unit typically consisting of parents and their children. In the video, the concept of family is highlighted as the most important aspect of the interviewee's life after the disaster. The script states, 'my family survived, that is what matters most,' emphasizing the value of family in times of crisis.

💡Perspective

Perspective refers to a person's point of view or the way they interpret or understand something. The interviewee's perspective on what matters most in life is shaped by his family's survival and is a key theme in the video. The script explores this when the interviewee says his perspective comes from his parents' influence and their constant praying.

💡Praying

Praying is a form of religious practice where individuals communicate with a deity or higher power. In the video, the interviewee's worldview and coping mechanisms are deeply rooted in his family's tradition of praying. The script mentions, 'we used to pray all the time when I was growing up,' which is a central part of his belief system.

💡Strength

Strength, in this context, refers to the mental or emotional resilience to withstand adversity. The interviewee prays for strength as a means to cope with the disaster, as he mentions, 'I've been praying for strength and God's thoughts.' This highlights the role of faith in providing emotional support during difficult times.

💡Discouraged

To be discouraged means to lose confidence or hope. In the video, the interviewee mentions not wanting to be discouraged or give up, which reflects his determination and positive outlook despite the challenges. The script captures this sentiment when he says, 'be able to come through this without being discouraged or giving up.'

💡God

God, in a religious context, is often considered the supreme being or creator. The interviewee's faith in God is a recurring theme in the video, providing him with a sense of hope and comfort. The script illustrates this with the interviewee's belief that 'God has always been there for me and my family,' and his conviction that 'God will work something out.'

💡Disaster

A disaster is a catastrophic event, often natural, that causes great damage or loss. The video revolves around the experiences of individuals affected by a disaster, specifically a hurricane. The interviewee's story is a testament to the impact of disasters on people's lives, as he describes being 'a thousand miles from home' and the challenges he faces.

Highlights

The interviewee lost everything to a hurricane, including family mementos and furniture.

Despite the loss, the interviewee realizes that the most important thing is the survival of his family.

The interviewee's worldview is shaped by the importance of family, influenced by his parents' frequent prayers.

The interviewee has been praying for strength, God's thoughts, patience, and resilience during tough times.

Prayer has been a constant in the interviewee's life, even in the face of disaster.

The interviewee finds shelter, food, and a sense of closeness to God despite being a thousand miles from home.

The interviewee believes that God will help him get through the disaster, drawing from past experiences of divine support.

The interviewee's faith remains strong, feeling closer to God despite the loss and challenges.

The interviewee's story is a testament to faith and resilience in the face of disaster.

The interviewee's perspective on the importance of family is a central theme in his narrative of loss and recovery.

The interviewee's parents' praying habits have had a lasting impact on his approach to life's challenges.

The interviewee's prayers are focused on maintaining a positive outlook and not giving up.

The interviewee's faith provides a sense of hope and direction during a time of uncertainty and loss.

The interviewee's experience highlights the role of spiritual beliefs in coping with and overcoming adversity.

The interviewee's story is an example of how personal values and beliefs can guide one's response to disaster.

The interviewee's narrative provides insights into the psychological and emotional aspects of disaster recovery.

The interviewee's faith in God's provision and guidance is a key element in his resilience and optimism.

Transcripts

now for all of you reporters everywhere

just keep asking questions go as deep as

you can

be unfailingly polite say may i ask

because these are personal questions

you're asking somebody

and um

here's how this interview went

um

i'm going to read it like this

now if you follow this you're going to

have some pretty interesting results

i asked what happened to you now i'm at

a red cross center and he's sitting in a

chair with all his belongings beside him

and his family's belonging on the floor

of a gymnasium and he said my house and

everything i own was taken away by the

hurricane all my family mementos and

pictures and all my furniture are gone

all of it

now i could have stopped there as a

reporter

i could have cut right there or as a

filmmaker as a documentary filmmaker say

cut great we have it he lost everything

and move on or you could ask the next

question

so the next question i asked was well

how are you getting through the pain of

that loss

pretty painful and he said well

losing everything made me realize that

the most important thing in my life is

my family

my family survived

that is what matters most well you could

cut right there you could as a print

reporter or

documentarian you said cut great we got

our piece uh

that's what matters most family and go

and report but i asked another a

question i was getting i was trying to

get at his world view where does his

ideas come from and that's what you want

to do with people you want to get to say

where did you get this idea

how you're living

so i said well where does that

perspective in life come from that

family matters most

and he said probably for my parents we

used to pray all the time when i was

growing up

now is the time to find out if all that

praying we did in our all our lives took

hold

that's pretty interesting

his parents were praying parents

and so his world view has to do with um

praying all the time and did it take

hold of my life well i could have cut

there and said great we have our footage

or we have our our prayer let's write

our story but i asked another question i

said and what have you been praying may

i ask

oh i said have you been praying in these

tough times and he said all the time i

never stopped

and i said and what have you been

praying may i ask

and he said for strength and god's

thoughts

for patience and be able to come through

this without being discouraged or giving

up

so that's pretty good comment

strength god's thoughts don't be

discouraged don't give up i could have

said cut

let's you know we've got the story we've

got great coats there i've gotta i'm

gonna stop here but i asked another

question and i said

has that been working for you

okay so he's doing it so what and he

said

really well actually even though i'm a

thousand miles from home god has

provided me with shelter and he pointed

to this humble floor with all the stuff

on it

and food and my family is together i've

never felt closer to god than i do right

now even though all these bad things

have happened i don't have a job my

house is probably underwater but i

really feel like he's going to get me

through this

wow what a great quote and i said could

have said cut we've got a great quote

let's you know wrap it's a wrap let's

move on but i said another question why

do you think that

and he said well because this is a real

interview

he said because in all my life in tough

times god has always been there for me

and my family this is just another tough

time and i know from the past that god

will work something out god always works

something out

well how much more can you get

i mean what a great i mean boy what a

faith story what a you know it's a god

story and it's a it's journalism it's

how he's handling disaster

and when you when you interview people

that have gone through disaster ask them

how they're getting through it