As news and public perception are closely related, a journalist must understand how the public perceives things happening around them. And the best way to obtain this insight is through street surveys.

To an extent, conducting street surveys is very similar to making a street promotion. Both involve thinking of ways to stop your targets long enough for you to say your piece — or at least, a brief "Hello, Ms…"

Street surveys are a good way to poll public opinion, and interestingly, allow the opportunity to observe how respondents react when stopped by strangers and interacting with them within a short timeframe.

Based on my street survey experience, I can categorise my "targets" into the following:

The ignoring type:-
No matter how they are greeted or how my questions are phrased, they will not react, gazing forward as if any response would cause them to turn into stone. But I am quite certain that they must have glanced at me, if only for a split second.

The incoherent type:-
"Hello Madam, I'd…"
"There's no need."
At this point, I'd like to ask: "Exactly what do you not need?"

The walk-as-you-talk type:-
These targets are a challenge for your endurance. They are basically unstoppable, and from the moment the interview begins, the respondent will not slow down their pace, forcing you to walk alongside them while you speak, sometimes for an entire block. About 30 percent of these targets normally complete the interview, however.

The assertive type:-
These targets either ask for your journalistic credentials before answering, or ask what you were planning to say to them before the interview even begins.

The evasive type:-
Interviewees such as these count as a successful interception but will think of various strategies to end the survey prematurely. The best method is to simply say "No!" when asked, "Have you read this article before?" and then flee the scene.

The super-cooperative type:-
The most pleasant street survey respondent, of course, is one who will stop and listen, try their best to answer and then possibly even stay and make further clarification. The probability of meeting such targets varies day to day, and very much depends on your luck.

Fortunately, we all learn from our experiences. I now no longer wait passively for a lucky find, but proactively seek to raise my chances of meeting the last type of respondent. Or, I leverage my chances should I encounter the other five types. How do I do that exactly? I'll explain that next time.

By 心米也樂

*Translation from Chinese article.