The Most Valuable Question You Can Ask a Reporter

A few days ago, I asked my Facebook friends to tell me what they thought was the most valuable question you can ask a reporter. Once the snarking stopped, we got to the core question rather quickly.

Are We On The Record?

There are three ways you can make a comment to a reporter:

1. Off the Record—a reporter may not use information unless he obtains it from another source.
2. On Background—a reporter may use the information but cannot attribute you as the source.
3. On the Record—a reporter may quote you directly as the source of information.

Any conversation you have with a reporter is on the record unless you both agree in advance that it is not. If you don’t want to be quoted as a source, tell the reporter in advance of making any comment.

Everything else is fair game.

Why Is This So Valuable?

In a nutshell, it is vital to have ground rules before speaking with a reporter. I find information to be more candid the father away I am from being on the record. I can explain things, connect dots, and provide jumping off points for the reporter. In short, the more anonymity you have the easier it becomes to tell your story.

There are times where you can give information on background and then a quote on the record. Then there are times where it’s in the best interest of your client to read that prepared statement and say nothing else. As a result, the ground rules are significant. Know if you are on the record.

I want to credit Tracy Schorle (LinkedIn) at Smith Bucklin for identifying this valuable question.  Thanks, Tracy!

Here are other articles I have written on this topic:

• What Twitter’s DoS Attack Can Teach Us
• Using Social Media in a Public Health Emergency
• What Tradition PR Can Achieve That PR 2.0 Can Not
• Facebook Caves on Usage Agreement
• Should Brands Use Social Networking to Advertise?
• Book Review: The New Rules of Marketing and PR
• Facebook Earns $2 Per User
• Do You Plan to Quit Facebook Monday?
• U.S. Military Establishes New Social Media Policy
• What Is Strategic Communications?