News coverage is a key aspect of public relations. It builds trust and awareness about your brand and can drive sales. It also influences the beliefs and attitudes of citizens in areas such as social change, disability, and climate change.
Journalists need to report on a wide range of issues, so their stories can be quite diverse. They talk to a variety of sources including lay people, spokespersons for advocacy groups, and religious leaders. They also talk to scientists and experts in fields such as medicine, environment, and energy. While they need to cover many different topics, their goal is to give a balanced view of the issue.
While preparing for an interview with a journalist, consider your main message and what you want to accomplish. Providing concise and quotable statements that align with your messaging will help the journalist build a story around your expertise. Be sure to include any relevant statistics or data, as this can add more depth to the story.
Don’t expect a journalist to show you the final copy of their story before it goes to print. News deadlines won’t allow for this, and journalists can see requests to preview the article as an infringement of their freedom. However, if you like the way your quote is used in the final article, say so. But avoid thanking the journalist, as this can be perceived as a gift for writing about you. This type of behavior can damage your credibility.
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