It's the reporter's nightmare: You conduct the world's best interview, with the subject of your dreams--only to find that your batteries died, you recorded nothing but static, or your recorder "disappeared" your file. And trust me, it's happened to every reporter you've ever read. So if you've had a technical difficulty while conducting your Assignment Zero interviews, you are probably not alone.
So let's all breathe a sigh of relief... and then make sure that technical difficulties don't stand in the way of all the great work you've done. One contributor had to resort to recording a cell phone conversation played over speakerphone. He did a killer interview, but could only make out about two out of every three words. What should you do if this happens to you?
First, try to salvage whatever you can. Transcribe what you've got. And reach deep into your memory bank (the one in your brain, not the digital kind) to try to recall the best points your subject made, the things he said that made you think, "This is going great!"
Second, get back in touch with the person you interviewed. Make a list of a few key questions you want to ask again, or topics you want to revisit, and ask them if you can go over a couple things with them for clarification. Don't be afraid to re-contact the person! In fact, you should probably check back in with them anyway, to check any facts you're unsure of, clarify any points they made that don't quite make sense to you.
Third, let us know if we can help! Don't sit home alone, panicked and hiding under the bed! If something went wrong and you need to fix it, let us know. We'll help you solve it.
Thank you for all you've done and are still doing!
