Why Journalists Won’t Share Their Story in Advance

Most journalists won’t share their story in advance of publication. 

I’ve been in public relations for close to 23 years. If there is one question I consistently receive, it is whether a reporter will share their story in advance.

Typically, the people who ask this question fall into two categories. They either have very little experience with the media or they have such a large platform that reporters typically come to them looking for stories or comment. In the latter scenario, it is not uncommon for persons with immense privilege and power to seek special treatment from journalists. The treatment could look like asking to see stories in advance or asking for a full list of questions prior to the interview.

Let me be plain: most journalists who work for reputable publications will not share articles they intend to publish in advance. They may send short passages for fact checking purposes. Additionally, they may double check a person’s quote.

However, once a reporter writes a story, it must be reviewed and fact-checked by the journalists’ editors and copyeditors. Logistically, it is not always difficult to send articles in advance. Separately, and most importantly, journalists don’t want to get into a back and forth with interview subjects about their stories.

Serving the Public Interest

Additionally, journalists serve the public interest, not the subject they are interviewing. Their focus is centered around what they believe the public should know. Sometimes there is a convergence of interests between the person being interviewed and the public. But when there is a divergence, journalists usually put the interests of the public ahead of the individual, especially when wrongdoing is suspected to have occurred.

Question List

Similarly, while some journalists will share the types of questions they’ll ask during an interview, many won’t send the entire question list. This is for couple reasons. First, journalists don’t want scripted answers; they want authentic dialogue with the interview subject. Next, sometimes in the course of conversation, a source’s answers could provoke more questions from the journalist. There is little way to predict what will pop up until you have the conversation. It isn’t practical to send questions in advance nor is it always advisable.

In sum, asking to see an article (or a full question list) in advance is not feasible, nor is it necessary. Here’s what you should do instead.

When you receive a media interview, learn as much as possible about the outlet, and the journalist seeking the interview. Ask who else will be interviewed for the story and the angle of the piece. Then determine the best spokesperson. The spokesperson should obviously prepare for the interview carefully. Once you’ve done these things, the rest is really up to the journalist understanding of the information you’ve presented and the story that they are trying to tell.

In best case scenarios, you will develop the type of relationship with a handful of journalists such that they may give you a heads up if they’re going to write about an area for which you have expertise. You want journalists to feel comfortable asking you for your perspective or for your assistance making sense of an issue. When you’ve reached this position (where journalists are reaching out to you in advance), know you’ve done something right.

Jennifer R. Farmer, aka The PR Whisperer^®, is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out other blogs and subscribe for regular communications updates.