10 questions I get asked in media training. Part 1: can we see the article first?

​I do a lot of media training with clients, often alongside my fellow trainer, BBC journalist Mike Dempsey – this give our clients the dual perspective of advice from a working communications person and a working business journalist.
 
During these session, we get a lot of questions frequently on similar topics.
 
So, I thought I’d kick start a series of common questions, starting today with a question people ask after doing a media interview.  Can we see the article before it is published?
 
Now Mike gets very passionate about this, as the answer, from his point of view, is absolutely not.  He is a professional journalist, and you need to trust him to do his job.  He is not a marketeer or PR person, and it is not his job to get your messaging right.  He has an article on it here.
 
The answer from my side is more complicated.  It depends.  I grew up in the hard knocks school of British PR where one had a semi adversarial relationship with the tough UK media, and you never, never asked to see the article first.  Even asking would get you in all kinds of trouble.
 
Then I moved to Switzerland where it is more acceptable to do this – but the ‘rule’ is you check for factual accuracy not for PR messaging and correction.  The same is true of media in much of Europe.  A middle ground for many business writers is they may send you the quotes for fact check.
 
So, what is my guidance?  Be acutely aware of local cultural nuance.  Take advice from a local communications person before the interview – far better than asking at the end.  Broadly, British and American journalists will almost certainly say no as will most if not all “global business media” such as Reuters, the FT etc.
 
​If you'd like some advice on this front, mail me at [email protected]