Media coverage is an important way to ensure the work your group is doing is seen by a wider audience.

Today’s journalists are exhausted, working for low pay amidst staff reductions, covering broad beats and working to meet the demands of today’s 24-hour news cycle.

But journalism is also an industry with hard-to-understand conventions and rules that don’t always align with the principles of narrative sovereignty.

What you need to know about collaborating with a journalist

1. Key Terms
   1. On the record: Everything in an on-the-record conversation can be printed and attributed to the source, which can include name, position, and organization.
   2. Off the record: Nothing in an off-the-record conversation can be printed or attributed to the source.
   3. On background: Information provided on background by a source can be used and paraphrased, but the source cannot be named.
   4. Not for attribution: Any comments can be quoted directly, but they must be anonymous or attributed very generally.
2. Journalists take their own impartiality very seriously. News outlets aren’t necessarily looking to tell your story, they’re looking to tell the whole story.
   1. This means that, except in very rare cases, you are just a source of information. You might be asked to fact check a quote or line, but you won’t be involved in the storytelling process beyond what you share directly with the reporter.
   2. Additionally, some journalists come in with either no knowledge about your community, or even an existing idea of what they want to say about it.
3. Always ask for clarification about how your word will be used and when the conversation shifts between being on- and off-the record. Different reporters have variations in expectations around terms.
4. If a journalist asks you a question you don’t know the answer to, or one you don’t feel comfortable answering, you can always say, “I don’t know.”
5. If your conversation with a reporter seems to stray far away from the story you are hoping to tell, bring it back to your focus with some bridge lines like:
   1. The point is…
   2. The thing to keep in mind is…
   3. The real question is…
   4. The fact is…
6. Prepare for your interview, even if it’s not going to be recorded. Before your interview:
   1. Clarify what you want to say. What is the problem? What is the significance of your work?
   2. How is it relevant to this reporter’s audience? Why should they care?
   3. What do you want this audience to take away?
7. Always assume that your interview will be recorded. You might also assume that the interview is being recorded or processed with AI tools, and you may want to consider whether or not you consent to that processing.

Scenario 1 vs. Scenario 2

Scenario 1: A journalist approaches you, looking to cover your story.

Scenario 2: You have a story you would like to pitch to a journalist.

Scenario 1: A journalist approaches you

If a reporter reaches out to you, make sure to get the following information:

1. Basics: Name, outlet, phone number, email address.
2. Who else has the reporter talked to/who else do they plan to talk to?
3. What is the timeline for the piece?

If the reporter’s timeline works for you, and if you feel that this journalist is interested in sharing your community’s side of the story…

…then collaborating with this journalist might be worthwhile for your community.

Scenario 2: You are seeking a journalist to cover your story