Oral history interviews can provide important information about the lived experiences of individual people. The importance of giving the interviewee editing power extends to many aspects of the interview in order to maintain authenticity and ethical practice as part of the process. 

Oral history interviewing is a specific interview technique used to allow interviewees to self-report on important events in their lives. Hierarchies present in alternative interviewing methods are, ideally, comparatively absent within oral history, which ensures that it is intersubjective in power, allowing for an accurate account of the interviewee’s lived experience. Rather than preparing a strict and rigid list of specific interview questions prior to the interview, a topic guide is created to provide a general structure for the discussion. The interview is strongly led by the interviewee as their answers to previous open-ended questions guide the direction of the rest of the interview. This allows the interviewee to report on what is important to them in a level of detail that they are comfortable with.

After the interview occurs, the interviewee is given the opportunity to choose whether they wish to remove anything from the record. For the purpose of oral history interviews this is extremely important because the environment in which these interviews occur can sometimes feel slightly less formal than other forms of interview, encouraging the interviewee to talk openly about their experiences. This relaxed environment, and the rapport built between interviewer and interviewee, can make the process feel supportive, enjoyable and unintimidating. However, this feeling of being at ease can potentially lead to the interviewee disclosing information that they, on reflection, decide they would rather not share publicly. 

The right to reply to comments that they themselves have made is therefore central to the ethics supporting oral history interviews. Libellous or defamatory information which has been disclosed in the interview should be removed to protect the interviewee, along with any statements they ultimately decide against sharing. After the interview takes place and the interviewee has reviewed the information they have provided within the interview, they can then agree to sign the rights to their interview across to a company or individual. The interviewee also has the right to limit public access to the interview, requesting that it only be shared with certain individuals, in certain places, or from a certain time. Therefore, handing the editing power back to the interviewee is extremely important to ensure that the oral history interview process remains ethical.  

It is with this in mind that the ‘DIY TV’ Unit has moved away from the idea of livestreaming on-stage oral history interviews. Instead, we are adopting a dual approach of public-facing events and discussions involving those who worked with the CPU, and a range of more conventional oral history interviews conducted in closed conditions and more intimate settings. These oral history interviews will be preserved and shared via a dedicated archive at the UWL library, providing a vital resource for those with an interest in the unit and its history. However, by moving away from the immediate dissemination provided by livestreaming, we will be better able to honour the key principles and accepted best practice of oral history interviewing, giving the editing power back to our interviewees.