Part One

1. The definition of interview

Interview is a conversation in which one person (the interviewer) elicits information from another person (the subject or interviewee). A transcript or account of such a conversation is also called an interview. The interview is both a research method and a popular form of nonfiction.
2. The function and importance of interview

Interview is a good and straight way to help the audience to know the things they are unfamiliar with and even unknown. An interview is an exchange of information between interviewer and interviewee.

In addition, interview is the way more attractive and interesting than others.

Meanwhile, the interviewer must be able to ask a question and then listen to the entire response, all the time zeroing in on the key points. Interviewers who are well-prepared should be able to tell when the interviewee is telling the truth, embellishing it or lying. When an interviewer asks the right questions with finesse, an interviewee becomes a window to the public.

Part Two

1. Brief introduction of the interview

This is the first time Michael Jackson accepted individual interview and explored himself to the public including his sumptuous private mansion and amusement park which covers 700 acres. Music is the thing that brings Michael to such a high position and brings thousands of fans to Michael.

Through this interview, we can see entirely different Michael outside the stage, and he broke various ridiculous rumors about him. It also represented the sacrifices of being a child star, his family, the difficult transitioning from child to adult stardom and his relief efforts for children. From this interview, the men with a generous heart, pure spirits and little shyness is exactly the true Michael Jackson.

2. Background of the interviewer - Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and is currently (2012) North America's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and honorary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard.

3. Background of the interviewee – Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. Called the King of Pop, his contributions to music and dance, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

Aspects of Michael Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. While preparing for his comeback concert series titled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. He is a legendary figure who has the ability to drive the whole world crazy and let the world buries in grief.

Part Three

Preparation of the interview

In a word, the more things you prepare the fewer gaps between you and your interviewee and the more useful information you may dig out. Generally, the preparation includes following steps.

1. Do research before interview

Oprah must use every possible method to learn all information about Michael, even very little rumor published on the tabloid.

Utilizing her research skills can provide her with a lot of information which others didn’t bother to collect. But it is not enough just to find the information she need to put it to work for her interview. Find out key points as much as she can so she can target Michael’s answers to the most controversial topic.

2. Setting up the Interview

1. make a appointment

2. identify yourself

3. consider your source’s convenience

4. Describe the story

5. Dress the part

6. Be on time

3. Design, practice and modify interview questions & Give a prediction of answers

Oprah must take the time to review the “standard” interview questions she will most likely ask. And she put most focus on the incredible rumors about Michael, and she just puts straightly the question out. This kind of way to question must be carefully considered, because the way she chooses must be accepted by Michael. Hence, the question formulation determines the interview to continue well or not.

Part four

The Types of questions

1. Close-ended Questions:

A closed-ended question is that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", or with a specific piece of information, and that gives the person answering the question scope to give the information that seems to them to be appropriate.

|3. Oprah: You really aren't? |Oprah makes sure Michael is nervous or not |
| |and give a relief opening. |
|13. Oprah: When you all first became famous? |Just to make sure and Oprah already knows |
| |the answer. |
|20. Oprah: Were your brothers jealous of you when you started |Try to find out the relationship between him|
|getting all the attention? |and his family. |
|26.Oprah: Well, let's go back to when you were growing up and feelin|Emphasis on his loses during his childhood. |
|g all of this, well, I guess it's a sense of anguish, I guess, so th| |
|ere was no one for you to play with other than your brother's, you n| |
|ever had slumber parties? | |
| 44. Oprah: But can you really forgive? |Figure out the relationship with his father.|
|74. Oprah: And another girl? Let me ask you this, and it's |Straight and sharp question focus on |
|embarrassing for me to ask you this, but I'm going to ask you |Michael’s private and sexual aspect. |
|anyway, are you a virgin? | |

Importance: This kind of questions keeps the interview on the premeditated line and gives the direct answer to the audience.

2. Open-ended Questions：

Unstructured question is in which possible answers are not suggested, and the respondent answers it in his or her own words. Provide qualitative instead of quantitative information. Open ended questions are asked generally during exploratory research and where statistical validity is not a prime objective.

|23. Oprah: No. What's your relationship like with your |Still focus on relationship with his family. Oprah |
|family? Are you all close still? |hopes he can talk more about his own feeling towards |
| |his family. |
|39. Oprah: And why would he beat you? |To let the audience know more about his childhood and |
| |his strict father who impressed him deeply. |
|46. Oprah: Okay, but you are in something there, there's |Figure things out and clearly. |
|a picture of you, where did it come from? How did it get | |
|started? | |
|59. Oprah: How much plastic surgery have you had? | |
|84. Oprah: Never did! What do you think is most |Give a chance let the audience to know the real Michael|
|misunderstood about Michael Jackson? |and get rid of the distorted pictures. |
|94. Oprah: How often do you actually come out here and do| |
|this? | |
|106.Oprah: How did you, first of all, you know we've |The origin of the moonwalk which also raises audience’s|
|spent so much time trying to dispel the rumors, trying to|curiosity. |
|get the truth out that I haven't had a real opportunity | |
|to talk to you about how you conceive your music, how you| |
|conceive the dance. Where did the Moonwalk come from? | |

Importance: Open-ended question helps the interview to continue and go to some deeper degree. Meanwhile it adds more unimagined sparkle points and more surprises. Because of these distinctive questions, it makes the interview unique and attractive to the audience.

3. Follow-up Questions:

The questions based on the interviewee’s answers in order to dig more deeply and make audience totally clear about what the interviewee means.

|28. Oprah: Who are they? |Try to make clear “they” which Michael used in his |
| |answer. |
|30. Oprah: Your father teased you about your pimples? |Oprah may be a little unbelievable about what she heard.|
|40. Oprah: And were you scared of him? | |
|55. Oprah: So it is... |Let Michael to finish this topic. |
|69. Oprah: And that's where this all started? | |
|104. Oprah: And what has made you happier. |To find the thing makes Michael happy. |

Importance: These questions are based on the interviewee’s answers and their function is to help the interview go down and let the interviewee say more, so that the interviewer can find more useful information and make them be shinning spots for the interview.

Part Five

The most impressive part: Rumors (from Question 45 to Question 104)

During this part of interview, Michael breaks almost every prevalent and false rumor about him. It my favorite part, because I can hear Michael say personally the truth behind the rumors, and Oprah just puts these questions straightly and sharply without any hesitates. The way of asking questions is clear for the audience to follow the interview to know exactly what you’re talking about.

Besides, from this part, we all have a new recognition of Michael Jackson, who, with a simple and kind heart, puts all his love into the charity aimed for helping children in need. He is so pure that we should not easily believe the nonsense rumors damaged him so much.

Part Six

Summary

On February 10th February 1993 Oprah Winfrey was allowed access into the world of Michael Jackson in his home at the Neverland Ranch. It was Michael's first interview in 14 years.

At the start of the interview Oprah stated that Michael had agreed to be questioned on any aspect of his life. Oprah questioned Michael on many aspects of his life. About his childhood and the abuse he suffered from his father as well as working and missing out in his childhood years. Michael stated how he often felt very lonely as a childhood star.

Many tabloid rumors were covered and Michael dismissed buying the Elephant Mans bones and sleeping in an oxygen tank. He also stated for the first time that the reason why his skin color had changed from black to white was because of a skin condition known as vitiligo.

At the end of the conversation, Michael performed a short acapella "Who Is It". His latest music video of the time "Give In To Me" was also shown and went on to be one of the highest charting singles from the album.

As a whole, this interview is really successful; because it reported on the TV show was watched by over 90 million viewers in the U.S, one of the most watched TV programs ever.

Impression

In the interview, there is one sentence, said by Michael, impresses me deeply;” I'm honored to be chosen as an instrument of art by God & nature.” Because we believe that everyone born into the world has his own responsibility and meaning. And maybe the meaning of Michael presenting in front of the public is that he is envoy send by god to transfer amazing music and dance to us. Don't judge him on his private life, and enjoy the marvelous music he brings to us.