1. The reporter’s job is to print or air news.

What is news? News will always meet one of these criteria: interesting, important, informative or unusual. A story is perceived to be of lesser or greater value depending on who it will affect and who may be interested. How, or whether, your story is covered also depends on the day. A story may make big headlines on a day when there’s little else to report on. Or, a more interesting story can bury you.

2. Nothing is off the record.

Any interaction with a reporter should be treated as time on the witness stand—everything is recorded and reportable at any time in the future. This is one of those areas where lawyers often experience culture shock. You are trained to keep everything disclosed to you in confidence—reporters are trained to tell what is told to them to the public. There are a few exceptions to this, but in general, never assume that what you say won’t be quoted in part or in whole.

3. Reporters know their job, not yours.

The law has its own language and complicated process. It is easy to lose people in legalese. Keep your language simple, pitch it to no more than a high school audience. Even the most educated of the public are most comfortable at this level, and you stand a greater chance of getting your message through if it’s easy to understand. Picture a 16-year-old, practice telling them your message. Do they get it?

4. Reporters are driven by deadlines.

A reporter’s job is to get their story in on time. Period. That means if the story is going to run with something from you in it—and run it will, whether you return the call or not—you need to return their call quickly.

That doesn’t mean you have to be pressured to respond right away—we always recommend calling a reporter back rather than going on record right there and then. You need time to gather your information, decide on your message and practice. But it has to be within a reasonable timeframe. Try to find out the deadline the reporter is trying to beat, and then get back to him/her in time.

5. Reporters are not the enemy.

Reporters are doing a job, just like you. Unless you know for sure that they have been truly lousy at reporting stories in the past, or that they have an established history of bias against your issue, there is nothing to be afraid of. It’s like any other area of study you have applied yourself to over the course of your career—prepare, practice, and deliver.