Vox Pop (part II): How to find a good topic and ask the right question

In the first part of our series about the vox pop, we discussed the pro’s and con’s of the vox pop as a journalistic format. Now, let’s get down to the actual business of making a vox pop.

Before you decide to produce a vox pop, you should make sure that the topic lends itself to this format. The spectrum of possible topics ranges from politics, business, sports and religion to social issues and everyday problems.

The best topics for vox pops are controversial issues that move the people. With these kinds of issues, you can be fairly sure that the answers you get from the people will be varied, interesting and usable. But other topics, such as consumer behavior, recreational activities, etc. are also possible.

What’s important is that the issue must be topical and of general interest. If only a minority of your listeners is interested in the topic of the vox pop, you run the risk that the majority of your audience will switch off. And it is very difficult to win back lost listeners.

As an example for a vox pop, we will use the same topic as in our first article – an issue that is topical, of general interest and – in this case – even controversial: the construction of a new pharmaceuticals factory in BIGTOWN. In this vox pop, we want to document what residents of BIGTOWN think about having to leave their homes in order to make room for the new factory.

How to ask the right question

Whether a vox pop turns out well or not depends largely on the kind of question you ask. It is important that you always ask the same question and that it is short and clear. Don’t change the wording from one person to the next – after all, you want the answers to fit together, but they will not fit if you keep changing your question.

Don’t ask a “closed” question – a question to which people can only give “yes” or “no” answers. This would inevitably lead to further questions – and before you know it, you’re caught up in a dialog.

Play through your question and possible answers with colleagues or friends before you go out to record your vox pop. This will help you see whether or not your question is well-formulated and whether you can expect interesting answers.

Example
Not good (Closed question):
“Do you mind having to leave BIGTOWN because of the construction of the new pharmaceuticals plant?”

A possible response could be: “Yes”, or “No, I don’t mind”. If you are lucky, the people may also give you an explanation. But it is also possible that the people you ask will turn around after the initial “yes” or “no”, and simply walk away. You will have got an answer to your question, but not one that you can use.

Better (Open question):
“How do you feel about having to leave BIGTOWN because of the new pharmaceuticals plant?”

This question makes a “yes” or “no” answer impossible. Instead, you will now get answers that clearly express the speakers’ critical or positive attitudes:
– “This whole issue makes me sick! They are treating us like dirt…”
or
– “I can’t wait to get out of here. This way, I finally get a new apartment. And maybe I’ll even find a job at the new factory!”

Make sure that you are always neutral when formulating your question, so as not to influence the answers.

Example
Not good:
“I suppose you feel sad about having to leave BIGTOWN because of the new factory?”
(Closed suggestive question that already more or less prescribes which direction the answer will take.)
Better:
“What are your feelings when you think about having to leave BIGTOWN because of the new pharmaceuticals plant?”

In the next part of this article, we’ll discuss some things that can go wrong while recording a vox pop and how to avoid them.

by Peter Hüllen and Thorsten Karg