MarketingInsideOut.com

When it comes to helping clients deal with the news media, those of us who are “newsies”-turned-PR pros know what it’s like to be caught in the crosshairs of a news event—from both sides. We know, for example, what it’s like go through the day-to day newsroom “spin cycle” with the impossible deadlines—and the even more impossible demands of harried editors and producers. We know, too, how capricious news selection can be—and just how tough it is to defend just why a particular item makes the news, while other seemingly more newsworthy items did not.  Look at the front or section pages of any newspaper, from the esteemed New York Times to the Podunk Woolgatherer, from CNN to Channel 49 -TV, and chances are you’ll come across an item or 10 that make you wonder what the heck THAT editor was “smoking.”

And if you are one of the favored few whose event, product, issue, whatever, is deemed newsworthy on a particular day, your next big worry might well be, “Will I be quoted accurately, or will I come out sounding like a nut case.” Worse yet, if, in fact, you do sound like a “nut case”, will that hurt your product/issue/cause?  And, if you are misquoted or misrepresented in a way that substantively (and I’m not taking about a mere word or two gone awry here) hurts your business, product or cause, what can you do about it?

There are plenty of ways to maximize your odds of being represented accurately—and to counteract misinformation. We’ll explore all of that at a later date. However, first let’s focus on the most fundamental—yet least applied — tenant of newsgathering: As a potential news source, you have rights, too. That’s right, here’s what we tell our clients:
 

• You have the right to know what questions the reporter will ask.Â�
  Unless the interview is “live,” and few are, prior to the interview ask the reporter what general questions he or she will ask in the interview.
• You have the right to know that the reporter truly understands your responses.
  If you suspect the reporter does not fully understand the issue, ask if he or she needs additional examples or information. 
• Be quoted accurately.
  Everyone makes mistakes — even the most professional and conscientious reporter.  Still, if you are seriously misquoted or if your information is taken out of context, contact the reporter and ask that a correction or clarification be printed.  (If it’s a TV interview, contact the news director and ask for an on-air correction.)  This is important.  Unless the faulty information is corrected, it will appear over and over again in subsequent news stories.  A local TV station may “feed” the misinformation to the network (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.) with which it is affiliated, thereby spreading the misinformation nationwide.  Thanks to the recent reporting scandals at The New York Times, most reputable news outlets are more willing than ever to make corrections to erroneous stories.
• Be treated fairly by the news media.Â�
  If you are constantly misquoted or misrepresented by a particular reporter who seems to have an “ax to grind,” and you’ve talked repeatedly to the reporter and his or her boss, take it up the ladder — to the publisher, if need be, or the broadcast station manager. If that doesn’t work, consider taking that news media off your “call list,” but do this only as a last resort.

So, you ask, what do you do if that news media is the only game in town and you need to get the word out to your community? Actually, this comes up a lot—particularly in rural areas.  Here’s what one of our clients—the officers of health foundation—did. After a false and misleading article appeared in the local newspaper (the editor was for the project in question, but was over-ruled by the publisher, who also happens to be her father-in-law), the foundation officers decided to fight “ink with ink.” Rather than deal with their biased local newspaper, they are creating their own “press.” Plans are underway to publish and distribute a weekly newsletter and email blast to garner local support for the foundation’s project, while dispelling the misinformation that is sure to be published in the local press. Will this work? That remains to be seen, but at the very least the foundation officers will have exercised their “right” to dispense accurate information to the residents of their community.