Need to know phrases when talking to journalists

Speaking with journalists about business or industry insights is such an important way of securing publicity for your brand. And although HR and workplace journalists are generally only aiming to educate their audiences - not dig the dirt on any scandal - during a pitch or interview, there are some key phrases to be aware of to ensure journalists accurately and appropriately present your story.

We’ve created a list of need-to-know phrases to help you in any conversation with the media.

On record

When speaking on record, whatever you say to a journalist can be used and attributed to you. The information you give can be quoted or paraphrased but what’s key is that a journalist is free to report on anything you say to them. 

When speaking to a journalist, assume that you’re speaking to them on record unless you specifically state that you are speaking off record...

Off record

If you state to a journalist that you’re speaking off record, this means that you’re providing information that is not meant for publication. This could be insider industry news or unreleased information about your business that helps a journalist better understand your story. 

However, the term ‘off record’ is not always widely agreed on. Some believe it means the information cannot be published at all, others believe it means the information can be shared but not attributed directly to you. 

Because of this, be careful when talking off record to a journalist. Firstly, you must specifically state when you’re speaking off record and have the reporter confirm this with you before you begin speaking. 

Secondly, off record is not a legally binding agreement - therefore, any details you provide off record are done so under a mutual understanding that your words won’t be shared or attributed to you. Importantly, this means that you should only go off record with someone you trust and any completely confidential information should never be shared.

Thirdly, because of different understandings of the phrase, when you go off record, it's important to clarify with the journalist what this means. To help, you can tell them that the information you’re about to provide is ‘on background’ or ‘not for attribution’ so the journalist is completely clear about what information they can or can’t publish and how they can use your story.

On background

So what’s ‘on background’? It usually means that journalists can use the information you’re providing but you cannot be directly quoted or named. It’s not something we come across much within the HR media, but just in case, it means the journalist can reveal some information about you as the source but can’t link you to the news directly, e.g. they may reveal the type of job you have or your relationship with the story.

Still, as with many of these phrases, people have different understandings of the term and therefore, always agree on the meaning before you speak. You must also be specific and direct - openly state when you are going off record/on background and when you are going back on record so it is entirely clear what information is or isn’t public.

Exclusive

When you agree with a journalist that your story is an exclusive, you are saying that only this publication can release your story. Under this agreement, you cannot share the same information with other news outlets and breaking this can ruin your relationship and future opportunities with the initial publication. 

As a proviso to this, some HR publications will run an exclusive on a story, and then are happy for you to use the same angle (with different content) to other publications after a certain period of time. This can be discussed with the editorial team. It enables them to run the exclusive and have the kudos for the story, while your story is able to gain traction in other publications afterwards too.

Embargo

An embargo is when you provide information to a journalist with the understanding that it can only be published after a specific date. A big company announcement, for instance, could warrant an embargo as you may not want the information released to the public until company stakeholders have been notified.

However, trust between you and a journalist is still paramount here as publications do not have to agree to an embargo and may choose to publish your story early. Therefore, when pitching your news, an embargo is not a definite and sensitive information should only be given to those with whom you have a strong working relationship - even then, there is no guarantee on a publication date.

Trust between you, your PR and journalists works wonders here. A PR can advise you on each of these elements and how they may differ on each of the publications. As always, if we can offer any advice, do let us know.