How to work with journalists more effectively

Posted on by Margaret Paton
In focus: how journalists work

Journalists can be your conduit to positive online, print, and broadcast media coverage about your expertise and business. However, knowing the best way to deal with members of the profession is key to getting the best results. Here’s how to improve how you work with journalists.

They’re under pressure to perform understanding how deadlines work in a journalist’s life is the golden rule. Their numbers are dwindling; they’re paid less than workers in public relations (who outnumber journalists six to one, by the way, according to Bloomberg).

Getting on a journalist’s best side


I’ve worked as a staff and freelance journalist for 35 years (physically) in Australia and Europe and online for clients across the globe. I’ve also held management roles in communications, media liaison, marketing, and public relations. This means I can understand ‘both sides’ of journalism.

Whichever side of the fence I’m on, I’ve always felt a need to demystify the role and working processes of a journalist. They’re often misunderstood. Understanding how journalists work is key to a better partnership with the media.

Who is the journalist and who do they represent?

Has a journalist contacted you to ask for a quote for a story they’re writing? Do the research. Google them. Check them out on LinkedIn. Are they a freelancer or on-staff? See what they’ve written before. Are they getting in touch to ask for a quote on a topic they write about frequently or is this new territory for them?

Check the targeted publication. Are you happy to be associated with it?

One of my key niches is education, and I write regularly and extensively on education in Australia and overseas. So, I occasionally check in with media people at Australian universities with teaching courses and who research into education. Some will be honest and tell me that they’ll prioritise an interview/information request from journalists writing for mainstream national or metropolitan news organisations. It’s good to know this as a journalist who writes for specialist publications.

Media liaison officers can be helpful and are happy to work with journalists directly first, rather than have the journalist contact one of their peers directly. However, occasionally, I’ll approach would-be interviewees directly via LinkedIn, their organisational, business, or personal website (if they have one).

Is it a definite story, or are they just sniffing around?

I sniff around a lot. It’s how I check if there is a story worth writing. If it ‘has legs’ so to speak. And I need to make sure relevant interviewees are happy to talk ‘on the record’ to me. I don’t assume because other journalists or I have quizzed them in the past, , that the ‘source’ is keen to speak to me. There’s nothing worse for a journalist’s credibility to successfully pitch a story idea to an editor and find the potential interviewees don’t want to talk.

So, I’ll often do ‘pre-interviews’ to sharpen up my story idea (or pitch). These are background chats with potential interviewees for the story. If the story is assigned, I’ll go back and do an ‘on the record’ interview.

Don’t underestimate the benefit to you of this preliminary stage. You may be able to shape the narrative.

However, if you’re strapped for time or don’t value the publication highly, maybe opt-out of that ‘pre-interview chat’ and save your time for when a journalist rings you from a media organisation you value and in a time-frame that suits you.

What exactly is the story they’re working on?

Ask the journalist for the story brief. What’s the scope of the story? Be clear about what they need from you. Is it a brief quote? Or an extended interview?

Should I ask them to send their questions to me before they quiz me?

They may or may not agree to this request, depending on their circumstances. Seeing the questions or thinking points beforehand means you’ll get definite clues about the direction they’re taking with the story and your possible role in it. It will give you time to gather your facts and figures and sound like you’re on top of your game.

I’ve found I get better quotes if my interviewees have had a chance to review the questions, but it’s a luxury a tight deadline might not allow.

What’s their deadline?

Find out to assess if you can help them within their time frame for the story. Be upfront if you’re short of time and won’t be able to answer their questions. To work with journalists effectively, be as honest, and open as you can be.

You’ve got a great event coming up, so you email blast to work with journalists? That’s enough, isn’t it?

Reaching out to journalists for publicity is just the first step. It’s important to make yourself accessible after the press release goes out. To get valued coverage for your event, make sure you assign someone to the media liaison role. Their key role should be to make themselves available to the press for interviews.

Background or off the record – understand the difference

This is a fuzzy area of journalism because writers (and editors) can interpret this differently.

If you wish to venture into this territory, ensure you trust the journalist first. Be clear on the category of information before you start talking.

A simple ‘this is off the record’ then disclose it. The journalist will know this is background, and you are not to be quoted on this in the story.

Don’t disclose something then in retrospect say, ‘Oh, that bit was off the record’. It’s a sure way to confuse a journalist on what they can and can’t use in their story.

To build the relationship when you work with journalists, be aware of the assumptions you might be making about how they’ll use the information you share.

How do you know you’re talking to a journalist?

If they’re Australian and a member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, they should identify upfront they are a journalist. It’s a requirement in the Journalist’s Code of Ethics. As such, they should be accurate, fair, and allow for a right of reply to the substance of their stories. They shouldn’t let personal interests, beliefs, or any benefits get in the way of reporting accurately, fairly and independently.

Will you see the story before they publish it?

This will depend on the journalist. Some agree, and some prefer not to grant access to copy before it’s published.

I’m in the former camp. I’ve heard too many interviewees say after they’ve seen the story published, ‘oh, I know that was what I said, but it wasn’t what I meant’. That’s why, even 30-plus years into my writing career, I do offer to send interviewees a copy of my draft for their factual and quote corrections, if there are any. It ensures there are no nasty surprises.

With my work process, it’s easier if my interviewees make their changes in Microsoft Word Track Mode, particularly if there’s more than one interviewee.

Experience has shown me that my interviewees are the lifeblood of my writing. They deliver rich, insightful quotes for my stories, and can deliver hot news tips … in short, they are useful contacts. By engaging with my interviewees over my draft, I’m building the relationship on trust.

There are benefits to interviewees engaging with the journalist on the latter’s story process. Interviewees can help shape the story as it progresses and get a ‘look in’ to the writers’ craft.

What’s fair to change in a story if a journalist sends me their draft pre-publication?

Definitely not another interviewee’s quotes. If you have an issue, mention it in ‘notes’ to the editor. Get on the phone to the journalist and query that chunk. They may have misunderstood or misquoted that other source.

Another issue is that if you think the journalist hasn’t included enough of your business/organisation and its achievements.

Some people see the story as publicity for them, so they insist on extended input beyond corrections. But an editorial story is not an advertisement (or advertorial). If the story has a whiff of being a public relations piece, it’s not a story, it’s PR, and they have ad space for that.

I don’t like the story a journalist has published – it’s wrong. What can I do?

I’d advise this step-by-step process:

  • Get in touch with the journalist to discuss it by phone. Would they print a retraction/correction? If not, consider if this journalist is someone you value as a contact and balance that with how much the incorrect/defamatory story could damage your reputation. Would an online explanatory comment on the story suffice? (It may well be moderated so might not appear, though).
  • If you don’t get the resolution you want, ask to speak to the editor.
  • No joy? Some aggrieved sources might go to the owner of the company.
  • Your country will have a complaints body. For example, in Australia, we have:
  • Do you have a strong case for defamation – libel or slander? If so, discuss it with your lawyer. Good insight is available here https://www.thelawproject.com.au/defamation-law-in-australia.
  • If you end up in legal territory, you might feel inclined not to work with journalists again. Understandable, but how does that bode for your business, organisation or profile? Can the experience help you navigate with fewer assumptions, greater clarity and expectations if you decide to say ‘yes’ to an interview request?

I’m an expert, and I’m keen for journalists to ring me to talk. How can I get on their radar?

You’d know the usual ways to lift your profile – blogs on your website (with the right metatags), contributed articles in high-authority publications, conference appearances, your own YouTube channel, previous media coverage, and solid activity on LinkedIn, etc.

But, you might not have heard of a free online service that connects journalists with sources – Source Bottle (https://www.sourcebottle.com/). When my existing contacts list doesn’t cough up the expert I need, this is my go-to resource. I’ll pop in the title of my story, summarise what I’m looking for, give my deadline, highlight the topic (there are more than 10 including business & finance, health & wellbeing, professional services, technology) and hit ‘post’. Source Bottle then batches my request with others it’s received and sends it out to relevant experts the next weekday morning.

In the meantime, I’ll see ‘featured profiles’ such as a principal of a K-12 independent school who I might like to consider interviewing. If you do opt for a featured profile (it might cost, please note), be sure to keep it updated as one principal I checked out recently had three broken links on his page. I was able to get to his LinkedIn profile, but couldn’t connect with him unless I was on the paid Premium model. This isn’t ideal for a journalist.

While I haven’t used any of these, my research has come up with these alternatives to Source Bottle:

I’ve got a great idea for a story – how can I work with journalists on it?

For a higher chance of success, consider offering a journalist your HOT story angle as an exclusive – so you’re not blasting multiple journalists with the same news. However, send out a media release if it’s a more run-of-the-mill PR announcement.

If you’re going the ‘exclusive’ route, depending on how timely your angle is, maybe give them a few days to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. That means you can pitch the idea elsewhere. Don’t be left hanging; be active in seeing your story published. That doesn’t mean pestering the journalist with thrice-daily emails, phone calls, and text messages. Just an email to ‘check-in’ a few days after your initial offer should be fine. To improve how you work with journalists means being mindful of the other pressures on their time.

As an expert, you can probably roll off the name of journalists in your target publications/sites who cover your ‘round’ or expertise area. A bit of sleuthing might be needed to work out their email address if they don’t have a LinkedIn profile or aren’t on Twitter, for example. You can be more active using websites for PR pros such as Muck Rack (https://muckrack.com/).

If it’s a story in one of my niche areas of education, transport tech, AI, small business, and community services (more details here), I encourage you to pitch me.

Have I missed a question you’d like to ask?

Feel free to get in touch with me, and I’ll answer it promptly.

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