Listening Below the Surface

Elwood Folse | WUWF 88.1 | Week 6

This week, I had the opportunity to sit in on our first recorded interview for the podcast. Due to the sensitive nature of our topic, I’ll need to keep some details vague—thank you for understanding.

The interview took place in one of the WUWF recording booths with Terry Strickland and a former lighthouse keeper who claimed to have knowledge related to the tunnels we’ve been investigating. While the guest was clearly well-versed in lighthouses and had meaningful experience in that area, it quickly became clear that his connection to our specific research was minimal.

Over the course of an hour and a half, we realized that much of what he offered leaned more toward personal storytelling and self-promotion than credible or relevant information. Despite this, he did share one interesting lead—something we plan to follow up on in the coming weeks.

What stood out to me most was how Terry handled the interview. He listened patiently and respectfully, even when it was apparent the information wasn’t useful. Not only was he checking for new insights, but also quietly evaluating the speaker’s credibility and consistency. It was a powerful reminder that even less fruitful interviews have value—not just in what’s said, but in how it’s said.

This experience taught me that no short interview is ever truly thorough, and that sometimes, the value lies in the process of listening itself.