The Right Way to Decline a Media Opportunity and Preserve the Relationship
By Ioana Good, Natalie Magierski for Strategies & Voices
According to a recent study shared by Cision, “45% of communications leaders identified content creation as a top priority; however, only 33% rate themselves as ‘excellent’ at articulating a compelling brand story.”
As communicators and strategists, we understand the importance of telling a story authentically and meeting a deadline. That’s why it is critical to maximize potential by aligning with the right media outlets — and perhaps more importantly, divesting from the wrong ones.
Media opportunities come and go, so don’t stress if a media interview does not work for you or your client. The worst thing to do is miss a deadline without providing adequate notice, which will tarnish your relationship with the media.
In this article, we’ll discuss several main reasons for declining media opportunities and offer some workarounds if you want to make it happen. And if you need to decline the opportunity entirely, we’ll cover how to go about that.
You Don’t Have Enough Time
We recently secured a media opportunity with the Wall Street Journal for a legal client regarding the legal intricacies of TikTok, Inc.’s looming ban on January 19, 2025, which had a tight deadline — a couple of hours at best. As PR practitioners, we’re used to fast deadlines, but sources may not always be. In this instance, the client working on the matter shuffled their schedule (Wall Street Journal is a great place to be an expert source, after all) and participated in the interview with the reporter.
However, schedules don’t always align, especially when news breaks and deadlines are incredibly tight. If you have a media opportunity you’ve committed to but are unsure whether you or your client can complete it by the deadline, communicate this early. In some situations, you can ask for an extension immediately, partner with a colleague, suggest another source or politely decline the opportunity.
If that deadline is fast approaching and it’s too late to back out, the first thing to do is ask for an extension. You may need to find someone else in the company to participate in order to preserve the relationship with the media outlet. Or get creative; find an industry partner or client who has the capacity. The hassle of finding someone else at the last minute is worth it compared to losing your and your firm’s reputation with a media outlet.
Legal Ethics Prevent Participation
Of course, attorneys must balance their relationship with the media and ethical obligations. There will be times when ethical obligations to a client or firm prevent participation in an opportunity. It’s important that attorneys respond to their legal marketing, PR teams or the media and explain that “ethical considerations prevent them from commenting on ongoing litigation.” This makes it clear why you cannot be a source and reinforces your adherence to the ethics of the profession. Express your willingness to help with other topics in the future that don’t pose ethical conflicts. This keeps the doors open for future media opportunities.
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