January 2003

Kernel Knowledge
Knowing Your Subject Through and Through Is the Core of a Good Interview

By Lois Whitehead

Editors, producers and reporters prefer a source who is knowledgeable and in tune with current events to provide timely, informative information. Members of the New York State Society of CPAs combine professional knowledge and familiarity with today’s news in keen analysis that makes them particularly attractive to the media, which has come to rely on them recently for quotes on the new Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and stock options.

It’s also important to know what kind of information a reporter or producer is looking for.

For example, reporter John Crudele focuses on national issues and trends in his column in the New York Post. Similarly, Gary Strauss, of USA Today, says, “News has to really impact our readers, such as big trends.” “Good Morning America” producer Rachel Shelton has her own definition of news: “Whatever the producer says it is.”

There is a method the media follows in considering a new source or a story idea, the vagueness of a producer’s whim notwithstanding. Members of the media have guidelines, and because they are journalists, they ask questions that you should keep in mind when approaching them with a story idea or as a potential source. How many people does a particular subject affect? How urgent or unusual is it? Does it have an emotional impact? Is it simple to explain? Does it lend itself to illustration or motion graphics?

Editors also may consider the profit potential of an article. Will a story help to sell copies or increase viewership?
Anticipate these questions before contacting a reporter to pitch a story, or before an interview, and always familiarize yourself with the kind of stories the journalist has done in the past. Combine that with your knowledge of the profession and current events, and you will develop the kind of content the media adores. Don’t contact a reporter without developing content first.

Our Championship Season

Society members can put their media savvy to the test as we careen toward April 15. CPAs already are pitching stories about year-end tax planning. We have scheduled a weekly question-and-answer tax column for the New York Daily News as well as a two-day tax panel coordinated with the newspaper. We will, of course, continue to seek tax-story opportunities with media throughout New York state, so consider one thing: What can you offer your local newspaper, or television or radio station? Editors are barraged by mail, phone, fax and e-mail messages, and they develop strong opinions about what is and isn’t newsworthy. Create a paragraph about your tax expertise and send it to your chapter’s public relations committee chair or to me at lwhitehead@nysscpa.org. This will help open the door to communication with media in your area.