Journalists need to keep an open mind - not only about what they hear but about their ability to understand. You might call this humility - a better word may be open-mindedness. Don't assume. Avoid arrogance about your knowledge.

For instance, when dealing with specific religious or ethnic groups, some words have very specific meanings that lay outside the common definitions. If something sounds startling, it is worth asking the next question to make sure that's what the person meant.