An interview request has two clocks: the reporter's deadline and the time your team needs to verify the facts. Respond promptly even when you cannot yet give a full answer. The goal is to help the journalist get accurate information without promising a speaker or document you cannot deliver.
Triage the request
Verify
Confirm the reporter and outlet using an independent contact point if the request is unfamiliar or asks for sensitive information.
Clarify
Ask for the topic, questions or angle, deadline and time zone, intended format, live or recorded status, and requested spokesperson.
Assign
Choose someone who knows the subject and is authorized to speak. Provide a backup for urgent inquiries.
Prepare
Gather verified figures, context, source documents, and a concise explanation of what is not yet known.
Confirm the terms
Set a realistic interview time and explain practical constraints such as a live connection, accessibility needs, or availability of visuals. Do not assume an 'off the record' agreement exists; discuss attribution explicitly with the journalist before sharing anything sensitive. If the organization cannot participate, say so before the deadline and provide a factual written response where appropriate.
For a crisis, the CDC recommends identifying a spokesperson in advance and making accurate updates available regularly. A delayed, improvised answer is usually worse than a timely acknowledgment with a firm follow-up time.
Close the loop
Keep a simple request log with the outlet, contact, topic, deadline, assigned spokesperson, promised materials, and follow-up owner. This prevents two teams from giving conflicting answers and makes it easier to respond when the same story develops later. Access to the log should reflect the sensitivity of the subject and the personal information it contains.
- Send promised assets with captions and usage permissions.
- Record what was said and any facts still being verified.
- Check published coverage for factual errors, not merely an unfavorable angle.