What’s Your Deadline?
Assume the deadline is immediate. Acknowledge the request even if you don’t have a source lined up.
By Jennifer R. Farmer
What’s the first question you should ask when a reporter reaches out to request an interview? If you said, ‘what’s your deadline?’ you guessed correctly. But what happens if the reporter doesn’t specify their deadline or you forget to ask. How should you respond?
Regardless of if you know the deadline, you should always assume the request is urgent. Urgent doesn’t mean that you abandon protocol. But it does mean that you should act with haste. To me, this looks like immediately acknowledging receipt of the media request and expressing my commitment to follow-up with the reporter ASAP. I do not need to wait until I have a source confirmed to let the journalist know I’m working on their request. An immediate response communicates to journalists my strong interest in identifying someone to meet their needs.
Why is this important? When reporters reach out, we should assume that they are reaching out to multiple people. While knowing the deadline for a story is important, I operate with ‘this is urgent’ mindset. My rule of thumb when reporters reach out, is to quickly respond. The response could be, ‘I saw your request and I’m working on it,’ or ‘I’ll get back to you,’ or ‘I’m checking with my contacts and will follow-up.’ But then I actually follow-up, even if that follow-up is ‘sorry I do not have anyone available.’ It’s important to note that I never like to say ‘no,’ to a media request unless it’s clear the request is not in my or a client’s best interest.
After the initial contact, I try to line someone up within one to two hours of the request, assuming the request is a good one for myself or a client. This ensures that the reporter doesn’t have to keep looking for sources. I try to operate this way on a consistent basis so I develop a reputation of being responsive and quick. That’s my guidance to you as well. Even if you don’t know the deadline, assume that it is immediate.
Certainly, there are instances where reporters will say ‘my deadline is in three days.’ I still try to get back to journalists quickly because I want them to lock me in as the person providing a source for their story. The point is to approach all requests expeditiously.
I get it. Things happen. We get busy. We have multiple, competing demands. That is part of being an organizer or a grassroots leader. You may not be able to follow this recommendation in every situation. But this is a good rule of thumb.
Additionally, when I am thinking about the source, I want someone who is going to wow the reporter by giving her or him what they want. This means that media prep is ongoing. Waiting until a request comes in may be too late.
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