Working with the Media: Getting the Basics Right and Knowing When to Get Help

• Author: Faith Dianne Pincus
• Profession: Attorney and former Federal Law Clerk
• Pages: 165-171

165

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Working with the Media:

Getting the Basics Right

and Knowing When

to Get Help

Greg W. Brooks, West Third Group

Many attorneys will eventually find themselves dealing with the press. Whether

it’s on behalf of a client or as a spokesperson for your firm or client, today’s

dynamics—more media than ever and publishers’ insatiable appetite to fill

screens and pages with content—means it’s unlikely you can avoid the spotlight.

As with most things, working with the press goes best when you

have a plan, have the information you need on hand, and know when it’s

time to call for reinforcements. This chapter suggests times an outside

professional might make sense as part of the case team, offers a glimpse

at the basics of best-practice media relations, and discusses when it’s time

to bring in the cavalry.

The Basics: Media Interview Rules

The heart of a good interview is simplicity itself: Be informative, aid the

reporter, and make the key points you want to ensure readers understand.

These general best practices go a long way toward helping make that happen:

• Get your message across—Come to an interview prepared with

your messages and find opportunities to get them across without

ignoring the reporter’s questions. Take the initiative. You are the

expert. You know what is important to tell the public—so tell them.

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