Will Good Reporters Settle for Canned Quotes?

Over at theprlawyer.com, author Gina Rubel weighs in on the use of canned quotes by reporters. She references a blog post by Michael Doyle, a reporter for the Washington bureau of McClatchy Newspapers, in which he says reporters welcomes quotes they can cut from a news release and paste into their stories. “It’s E-Harmony,” he says.

Wow! Unless good journalism has changed in the last few years — come to think of it, maybe it has — most respectable reporters would be loathe to use canned quotes in a story of any substance. At the very least, they would want confirmation from that source that the quote was accurate. And using a prepared quote doesn’t allow for any follow up questions that curious reporters might have.

Anyway, if you are preparing a press release and hope that the reporter will use canned quotes, here a few guidelines:

1. Cut the fluff. Self-serving platitudes are the first thing to go. In newsroom, they’re called “throw-away quotes.” If they somehow make it into a story, they are the first to get cut.
2. Make it interesting. Don’t quote your CEO as saying the company has been around for 20 years or that sales are up 20 percent. Have him say something insightful, controversial or memorable.
3. Write the way he speaks. Some quotes from CEOs sound stiff and rehearsed. Try to make it sound like he actually said it.
4. Anticipate follow-ups. Think like a reporter. What else might be asked? Stay on message but provide answers to additional questions.
5. Offer to arrange an interview. Let the media know your source is available for questions. Providing quotes and then denying access to the source throw up a red flag.
6. Prepare your source.. If the media does call, go through a mock interview with your source. Ask the same tough questions the media will ask. Be confrontational, if necessary.

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