Q&A: Is It Acceptable for PRs to Give Journalists a Deadline to Respond?
Steph Spyro will answer comms pros' dilemmas every three weeks as part of a new Off the Record series.
I’m so excited to share that Off the Record is launching a new Q&A series!
It will tackle a real-life communications dilemma. Whether it’s how to pitch a tricky story, handle a journalist’s unexpected call, dissect a real pitch that failed to land, respond to a difficult request or navigate a media crisis, we’ll answer the everyday questions you’re grappling with.
Here’s how it works: send us your real-world predicament (that will be featured anonymously) and either I’ll answer it or draft in support from a journalist in another specialism if needed to explain exactly how they’d handle it, what they’re thinking on the other side of the phone or email and what gives you the best chance of success.
We’ll feature one every three weeks (so our practical tips and interviews with other journalists aren’t going anywhere)!
The aim is to improve understanding, strengthen relationships and make life easier for both journalists and comms professionals. So, what’s your dilemma? Send it in, and we’ll tackle it. Think of it as the comms world’s agony aunt... where journalists answer the questions you’ve always wanted to ask but never quite dared.
I got an email last week at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk from a comms pro with nearly 25 years of experience who wanted advice on “one of the thorniest issues to navigate”.
None other than whether it’s acceptable for PRs to give journalists a deadline to respond to an exclusive… “or is that overstepping the mark?”
Here’s an extract of the email: “You offer a journalist an exclusive (bearing in mind as a PR you’re under some pressure to deliver, often within a timescale) and then you don’t hear back. You might send a follow up, but if you still don’t hear, you would probably try elsewhere. But how long do you reasonably leave it, considering the journalist may be on deadline or may need to wait until the next editorial meeting to pitch it etc.?
“Sometimes they very helpfully send a one line holding email along the lines of, “Thanks, this is interesting - can you leave it with me” but often they don’t, and as a PR you can get in hot water if you give them a few days and having heard nothing you pitch elsewhere - and then the first journalist comes back and is thoroughly p****ed off!
“I’ve had this where I gave a journalist on a national a week, and chased, and when I’d heard nothing, I pitched to another national who said yes straight away - and then the first journalist came back and said her editor had said yes and they’d like to do it. Very awkward and relationship damaging!
“I had to explain I hadn’t heard and had tried elsewhere and I’m sorry but they’re running with it - and she said I hadn’t given her long enough. But as a PR if you give two or three people more than a week to reply, your story risks going stale and your client is probably wondering what on earth’s going on.
“I would love to hear your tips on this. Should PRs give journalists a deadline to respond - or is that overstepping the mark?”
So, here’s what I think:
