Regan Communications recently published a great article written by a journalist who uses HARO to find sources for articles. It includes an in-depth look into the thought process of a journalist as she sifts through potential sources, as well as important tips one should consider when pitching a reporter.

Journalist reveals how she handles HARO responses
By Pam Baker
Freelance writer tells why some ‘Help A Reporter Out’ queries make the cut-and others get trashed on sight

The mainstream media are dying. Or, so I hear. If they are, I don’t notice. Assignments are flowing, deadlines looming and HARO responses are flooding in. On average there are 35-40 responses to my HARO requests; only three to seven are needed for any given story.

Here’s how I choose which sources make it to my article-and what I do with the leftovers.

E-mail, please

The most HARO responses I have received on a single request was 147, for a story I was writing on social media. The fewest was 16, for an article on health care. I have to use a minimum of three unrelated sources in any given story and no more than nine (such are the rules of journalism; the total number used is directly related to the length of the story).

A phone interview (of any depth) takes at least eight minutes (if I’m rude and rush the interviewee). But I can never get it done in eight minutes, because interviews rarely start on time and I have to push past all the pat answers, sales pitches, product pushes, and positioning statements before I can get to the core nuggets that make a great story. At the volume I write, there’s no time for three such phone calls per story, much less 147 of them.

So I ask for e-mail responses to my HARO requests. This speeds the process and ensures accuracy in my reporting.

I read every single HARO response that I receive. They then go to two files and a database. Those I’ll use in the story at hand go in one file; the rest go in a second file for use in related stories over the next 30 days. They all go in my source database for consideration in stories that I’ll write beyond the 30-day window. Well, almost all of them anyway. First, I have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The elimination round

Any HARO responder that offers to write the story for me: DELETE. All that are off topic: DELETE. Obvious nutcases: DELETE. Any that merely are a cut-and-paste of Web site copy, blogs, previously published articles, or original manuscripts: DELETE. Any that offer a phone interview after I specifically requested full comments be e-mailed to me: DELETE (with the rare exception of a truly unique source, which I will react to accordingly, but for the most part I simply don’t have time to chat).

Who makes the cut

I look for responses that are conversational, not robotic, over-thought, or chockfull of legalese. I look for valuable insights and skip propaganda or product pitches. Speak in terms of your industry, not your product.

Unless I’m doing a product review, I’m never going to advertise or endorse your product. Accept that fact of journalism. Make your answers relevant to your industry and the question(s) posed. Put your product and company info in a boilerplate paragraph beneath your answers. In the off chance I think your product is relevant to the story, I’ll pull the info from your boilerplate.

Next, I’ll read all the e-mails for a consensus, and I’ll note contrarian views. Then I’ll narrow by relevance and look for the quotes with the most power in the punch. (If your quote rambles, you’re probably not going to make the cut. Someone who can get to the point with pizazz is much more likely to take the slot.)

I then weigh those responses based on the authority of the speaker. The more integrity and authority the responder has, the more likely I am to use the quote. This does not mean I will only use responders from big corporations. Reader value tops corporate might every single time.

Last, I will verify the source and the material and follow-up with a phone call as needed.

Then, I write the story.

Pam Baker blogs at NicheKnot http://nicheknot.typepad.com/. Reach her at bakercom1@gmail.com or on Twitter @bakercom1.

Tags: advertising, blogs, HARO, Las Vegas PR Firm, las vegas public relations firm, MassMedia, pitching reporters, social media

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