Fielding media inquiries are an important aspect of public relations that companies need to be prepared for. A business like Coca-Cola will receive hundreds of media inquiries a day. A small restaurant in downtown Boston might get one inquiry a month.
No matter the regularity, it's crucial you or your team respond to media inquiries consistently and positively. After all, speaking to the media is a chance to highlight your brand, share positive news and developments, and minimise the impact of negative stories.
This guide will walk you through the steps to dealing with inquiries from the media. Learn the importance of responding to questions succinctly and staying on message, and how to manage all requests in one place.
In this guide:
What Are Media Inquiries?
How to Prepare for Media Inquiries
Crafting Effective Media Responses
How to Manage Inquiries for Positive Media Coverage and ROI
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Media Inquiries?
Media inquiries is a catch-all term for any questions and requests that a company receives from external media. Types of media inquiries include:
Interview requests – A journalist or outlet requests to interview one of your employees
Information requests – A journalist requests information about your company or an aspect of your activity
Right of response – A journalist or publication plans to write or talk about you and has given you the right to respond to their story before it goes out
Clarification requests – A journalist asks for clarification on details about a story they’re writing
Sports is a really good industry for understanding how media requests work. A team will have a media manager, who fields requests from journalists, publications, and TV networks for interviews and information.
The media manager needs to approve or deny these requests, liaise with those making the requests, and often oversee the interviews themselves.
If a journalist has unearthed a scandal then they will send a right of response to the media manager. They often also become the spokesperson for the team, particularly when talking off the record.
Of course, sports isn’t the only industry where media requests occur. Everywhere from the federal government and big business, down to schools, independent brands, and charities will receive media inquiries from time to time.
Government departments, such as the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice, handle media inquiries in compliance with federal laws, ensuring proper management of information and privacy. It's not an easy job, especially when they receive hundreds of requests a week.
How to Prepare for Media Inquiries
The process of preparing for media inquiries is the same no matter the size or importance of your business. You need to be proactive and prepared to make the most of these opportunities. You might have the chance to showcase your brand, or you might need to soften a negative story.
Create an External Media Kit
Start by creating a media kit. This should include key facts about your company, products, executive bios, and high-resolution images. Keep it updated and easily accessible on your website. If a journalist wants to know more about your brand then they can easily download this and perhaps not need to bother you.
Work on an Internal Media Handbook
After this, create an internal media handbook that can be shared with all employees who have to field inquiries. This handbook needs to outline:
Your overall brand position
Clear talking points about your brand
Allocation of duties among employees (e.g. who is an official spokesperson)
Processes for responding to negativity
Processes for dealing with complaints
Social media use guidelines
Be Proactive
Once you have created your guidelines, it's time to train all employees who will need to deal with requests. Develop those clear talking points on important topics and practice delivering these messages concisely. You want your spokespeople to sound natural, not scripted.
You should build relationships with journalists before you need them. Follow their work and engage thoughtfully – whether it be at industry events or on a formal social media platform like LinkedIn. This can lead to more positive coverage down the road.
It's also important to stay informed about your industry. Set up news alerts and regularly review trade publications. Follow similar brands on LinkedIn and attend events. You'll be better prepared to comment on breaking news or negative media stories if you know your industry inside out.
Finally, make sure reporters know where to send media inquiries. Set up a page on your website for inquiries, so that all questions are filtered to the correct place.
Here's an example from the Cision PR Newswire media inquiries page!
Crafting Effective Media Responses
Now you’re prepared for dealing with media inquiries, it’s time to look at how you actually respond to the various questions that will inevitably come your way.
When a journalist reaches out, it’s important to be proactive and follow the process established in your internal media handbook. A journalist might contact you via email, over the phone, on social media, by directly messaging you, or go through your brand’s official channels. They might simply walk up to you and ask a question.
No matter how you receive your inquiry, you need to respond in the right manner. Replying swiftly is good for showing you’re on top of things. However, you also need to take time in crafting your message, so you don’t send wrong information.
When you receive an inquiry, you therefore need to go through a few steps fast.
The first is to do your homework. Learn about the reporter and their outlet, as this will help you tailor your response to fit their style and audience.
Next, look into what they’re actually asking. Do you have the reply at your fingertips, or do you need to do some digging yourself? Perhaps you know the answer and it’s a negative one. If this is the case then think carefully about how you respond, and how you can soften any negativity.
Be ready with facts and figures to back up your claims. Reporters love data and specifics.
If you need more time, let the journalist know. Give them a realistic timeframe for when you’ll have answers. Government departments do this all the time, as it’s not realistic to expect an immediate, accurate response. It also buys you time to gather info and get approvals if needed. The disclosure of collected information is limited to certain necessary circumstances, including both civil and criminal law enforcement.
What to Do When You Get a Media Inquiry from Journalists
Understand exactly who in your company should respond
Make sure they are properly briefed on your brand's stance
Be honest and transparent
Offer to help with background info or research
Explain why you might need time to respond
Provide a media pack in your initial response
What Not to Do When You Get a Media Inquiry
Say "no comment" – we'll explain why below
Go off the record unless absolutely necessary
Make promises you can't keep
Criticize others in your company before you have the full details
Why Can't I Say "No Comment"?
Saying "no comment" to a media inquiry is a really bad idea. For a start, it makes you look unprepared for a complete response. It also suggests you're hiding something.
What's worse, a journalist simply needs to write in their article that you declined to comment. To a reader or viewer, this looks as though you don't care about the issue that's being raised.
An alternative to saying "no comment" could be something like:
"We are aware of the situation and are investing internally. We will release a full statement soon."
This way you're able to control the narrative a little better and issue your first comment via a news release.
How to Manage Inquiries for Positive Media Coverage and ROI
Let's now look at ways to contain and manage media inquiries, with the aim of ensuring all resulting coverage is positive. Sometimes dealing with the media is about reducing the negative impact of a story, while at other times you're able to champion the great things about your brand.
You need to channel all media requests into one place. This makes it far easier to deal with multiple requests. A small brand might do this via their DMs on Instagram, or through a media@brandname.com email address.
If you really want to stay on top of your media contacts and requests, then Cision's Media Management Platform can help by pulling all requests into one central space and deal with each one easily.
If you don't want to use software then you need to ensure you're on top of the narrative at all times. Journalists can contact you in multiple ways and, if you don't respond, they'll probably seek someone else in your company to talk to instead.
There's also a process for managing injuries, which goes as follows:
Respond to the inquiry and state that it's been received
If you can't offer an immediate answer, explain that you'll need time to reply
Do your homework on the journalist and publication
Look for answers to their inquiry
Send a positive, official response with the answer. Even if the subject is negative, be ready to put a positive spin on things
If the subject of the inquiry is damaging to your brand, be ready to issue a press release with a wider statement about the issue
If the subject is positive, be ready to jump on the extra media attention you're bound to receive and look at ways to exploit the good publicity
When done correctly, handling positive media coverage can really amplify your brand. You can also reduce the negative impact of a bad story and prepare a consistent response to negative questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Media inquiries require careful handling to ensure accurate coverage and maintain positive relationships with journalists. It's not easy, especially when negative stories are fired at you. Effective strategies can help organizations navigate press interactions successfully, and a strong communication handbook is key to getting started.
Here are some common questions about responding to media requests and answers on how to do it the right way.
How can I effectively respond to media inquiries to ensure accurate coverage?
You need to follow a process outlined in your company's media handbook. Respond promptly to acknowledge the request. Explain why you can't answer the questions in full, if you need more time to provide accurate answers. Then do research on the journalist and publication asking the questions, while you seek answers for them. Be clear in your eventual reply and follow up with reporters to clarify any misunderstandings.
What steps should be taken when handling sensitive information during a press release?
Any sensitive information issued in a press release must be checked by your legal and leadership teams. Clearly mark confidential details and use embargoes when needed. Spokespeople must be briefed on what can and can't be shared. Have a plan for addressing leaks or unauthorized disclosures.
How do organizations prepare spokespeople for the nuances of interacting with the media?
Journalists are smart, so spokespeople need to understand that their language may be misconstrued if they are not clear enough. A spokesperson therefore must rehearse answering questions and build techniques for fending off scrutiny. Saying "no comment" is the worst thing a spokesperson can do. Instead, have a series of positive points to make and accept that you might have to go away and find out more details before answering a specific question.
