Reluctant sources, hostile subjects, difficult editors, high-stakes pitches — practice the conversations that separate good journalists from great ones.
No credit card. Just sharper interview skills.
Every scenario below is one you'll encounter in your career — often when it matters most. Practice them so the technique is automatic when the story is real.
“Your source has agreed to speak but is being evasive and clearly uncomfortable. Build enough trust to get the information you need while respecting their hesitation.”
The best journalists aren't just good writers — they're skilled interviewers who can draw out reluctant sources. This skill is rarely taught and mostly learned the hard way.
“You're interviewing a CEO about allegations of misconduct at their company. They've answered everything except the central question. Ask it directly, follow up on deflection, and persist without becoming combative.”
Persistence and follow-through in interviews separates strong journalists from weak ones. Most subjects are trained to deflect. Getting past the deflection requires practiced technique.
“You have an instinct that there's a story in a complex, hard-to-explain topic. Convince your editor in 90 seconds why this is worth allocating resources to.”
Many good stories die because the journalist couldn't articulate the pitch. The ability to make a compelling case for a story quickly is as important as the ability to report it.
“A junior reporter has filed a story that has a good premise but significant structural and sourcing problems. Give feedback that helps them see the issues without crushing their confidence.”
Editorial relationships shape careers. The editor who gives clear, honest, constructive feedback produces better journalists. The editor who softens feedback produces confusion.
“A story you published is accurate, but the subject is calling demanding a retraction and threatening legal action. Hold your ground professionally while taking their concerns seriously.”
These conversations are among the most stressful in journalism. Maintaining calm and professionalism while standing behind accurate reporting is a learnable skill.
You spend your career learning to write clearly. But the interview, the source relationship, the editorial pitch — these are skills too, and most journalists develop them only through painful experience in the field. Practice changes that. The journalist who enters the hard interview with practiced technique comes out with a better story.
Commy is an AI communication coaching platform that helps professionals practice salary negotiation, difficult conversations, leadership communication, and public speaking through interactive drills with real-time AI feedback and scoring.
You choose a realistic professional scenario — like negotiating a raise or handling a conflict. You speak or type your response. Commy's AI analyzes your communication in real time and provides specific scores and feedback on clarity, confidence, empathy, assertiveness, and structure.
Yes. Commy offers a free plan with 5 drills per day, all scenario types, and full AI feedback and scores. No credit card required. The Pro plan ($12/month) offers unlimited drills and personalized coaching.
Commy covers 12+ scenario categories including salary negotiation, job interviews, conflict resolution, performance reviews, public speaking, client pitches, executive presence, difficult conversations, investor pitches, giving feedback, brainstorming sessions, and cross-cultural communication.
Traditional communication coaching costs $200-500 per session and requires scheduling. Commy provides unlimited AI coaching available 24/7 at a fraction of the cost, with consistent scoring and immediate feedback after every drill. You can practice the same scenario repeatedly until you master it.