Serving as a source for policy stories

News stories about proposed and newly implemented policies can often be strengthened by including scientific evidence as context. But as a scientist, you may be uncomfortable giving your personal opinion about a policy or speculating on the potential outcomes. Here are some things to think about if a reporter approaches you about a policy-related story.

• Get the information you need to make an informed decision about participating in the interview.
  • Ask the reporter what their story is about and what information they’re hoping to get from you. Are they looking for general context to frame the policy, or for an expert source to give an opinion on the policy?
    

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  • Ask if the reporter is able to share a few of their questions in advance so that you can get a sense of the direction of the interview.
  • Familiarize yourself with your institution’s media guidelines and media relations staff. Some institutions want to vet policy-related stories or help you craft messages to avoid commenting on a specific policy.
  • Reporters may be covering policies that impact scientific agencies or government research.
    • Clarify whether the reporter is interested in your academic expertise or your own experiences as someone impacted by these policies, and whether you want to share your personal story.
  • In the initial exchange, be upfront with the reporter about what you will and won’t be able to speak about. They can decide whether that works for their story.
• If you’re not comfortable speaking directly about a policy, try to redirect the reporter. Here are some alternatives you can suggest:
  • Providing context for trends in the topic the policy is trying to address.
  • Discussing the current state of the populations the policy will impact.
  • If a policy is based on interventions tested at smaller scales, offering to speak about the outcomes of those trials.
  • If a similar policy has been implemented somewhere else, sharing evidence about what happened after it went into effect.
• Prepare and practice for difficult situations that may come up.
  • Decide how you want to respond to questions you’re not comfortable with. The more prepared you are, the less likely you are to ramble or respond off-handedly and say something you wish you hadn’t.
  • Before you speak to the media about policy issues, you may want to take steps to ensure your online safety.
• Once you’re in the interview, stick to your boundaries.
  • Remember that everything you say to a reporter is considered “on the record”, meaning it can be quoted and attributed to you, unless you and the reporter agree otherwise.
    • This includes things you say while casually chatting before or after an interview, so if you don’t want to be quoted endorsing or opposing a specific policy, don’t make comments to the reporter doing so at any point in your interactions.
  • If a reporter asks a question you don’t want to answer, try pivoting. Acknowledge their question as asked, then use a transition statement to move to a point you do want to make.
    • For example, “I can’t speculate about what will happen if that policy is implemented here, but what I can say is that when it was implemented in another state, X happened.”
  • If a reporter keeps pushing, it is perfectly fine to say something like “I think I’ve answered your question to the best of my ability. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

Further reading: Engaging with policy makers and answering tough questions.