You received an email from a reporter saying that they would like an interview to feature you or a member of your team in a column… Is this a legit opportunity? Is it worth pursuing? What are the next steps? As PR practitioners, we often get asked how to reply to opportunities like these.
There are many factors we weigh in assessing this. Before agreeing to set up an interview for either yourself or a member of your leadership team, we evaluate if the email is from a reputable outlet, align on the nature of the opportunity, and consider if the opportunity is worth your team’s time and energy.
Checking if the media outlet is “legit”
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams online. The first step in assessing a prospect is to figure out if the correspondence is from a reputable outlet. If the answer to any of the following questions is “no,” do not pass go.
- Does the website look professional?
- Does the website have significant unique monthly visitors? How about its social following? Do they have a decent following, and are the followers actually human and not bots? Does the website produce original content? Or are they all syndicated from other credible news outlets?
- Does the media outlet have a real person who is behind the content?
If your organization is featured on a website with little following or credibility, it won’t help your reputation or be seen by the audiences you need to get in front of. We make sure the media outlet is strategic for you to be in.
Know what is involved
If the media outlet is legit, the next step is for us to figure out what they want. To help keep newspapers and digital media companies alive in today’s day and age, many outlets offer an opportunity to be featured for a price. Once the person agrees to pay, the news organization will assign one of its writers to interview them and oftentimes provide a chance to review the material before it is published. However, the corresponding feature will be marked as “sponsored” or otherwise appear as an advertisement before the public. These are what we call “pay-to-play” inquiries.
Sometimes, it’s obvious that the person who sent the initial email is not a salesperson. We may have worked with them on a previous story, seen their work before, or believe they are asking specific and targeted questions about a story angle. If there’s any confusion, however, it’s best to check to make sure both sides are on the same page about the meeting before setting up a call. The last thing we want is to get a CEO excited about an interview, only to find that he’s on the phone with a salesperson. To avoid confusion, we ask the person we’re speaking with if there are costs involved, and if so, what they are and what the packages include. Even if you are open to advertorials, the answers to these questions will help us inform you if the sales package is right for you.
Figure out if the “juice” is worth the “squeeze”
Once it’s clear the outlet is credible and not seeking payment, the last step is to assess if it’s worth your team’s time and energy. In some cases, pursuing the media opportunity isn’t even strategic or beneficial for your company’s image. In our evaluation, we often ask:
- Is it in your favor to have a story published on that topic and to respond to the questions the reporter is asking?
- Will participating in this story help establish you as thought leaders in your industry?
- Is it likely that your current donors, customers, beneficiaries, or other stakeholders read this publication?
- Will you gain new donors, customers, or stakeholders from this publication’s audience? Does this story help the people you serve?
- Are the other people quoted on this website up to the caliber of your spokespeople? Or will putting your spokespeople alongside these folks “cheapen” your image?
- Can you use coverage from this story on social media, in your newsletter, or on your website?
Navigating media opportunities requires careful evaluation. While not every opportunity may check every box, assessing credibility, alignment with goals, and potential impact are key. By considering these factors, we can help you can make informed decisions to maximize value and protect your organization’s reputation.
