It’s painful to see attrition among the ranks of tech journalists. Many are more than contacts – they are, or have become, friends. Many of us on the PR side of the divide come from the world of journalism, and we feel the hit too as mastheads shrink, magazines get thinner and articles shorter.

None of this is news, of course, but what has passed largely un-remarked is the death of a related group of professionals with an indispensable skill: fact checking.

When you’re writing three or four articles a day, talking to executives in rushed 15-minute calls and cranking out copy, hoping for page views, there’s not much time left to check facts. And there’s no one in the newsroom to do it for you. As a result things slip past that have been misheard, misunderstood or misinterpreted, or are just plain wrong, and there’s no time to go back and fix the mistake.

With anxious clients pushing for accuracy, agency types do their best to right wrongs and refine meaning. But it’s an uphill push because most journalists write the article and move on. Whatever happened yesterday is gone – even if the client can’t let it go.

What’s the solution? For PR folks, prep your clients, drill on key messages before any interview, and be on top of the call. Sum up at the end of the call and follow up with a short thank you note that recaps the gist of the discussion. Offer yourself as a resource and provide links to content resources.

For clients: know what you need to say and be clear. Repeat your key points. Don’t assume the reporter had a lot of time to research your company and your product before the call. Read the briefing sheet, especially the section that describes the journalist’s attitude, approach and coverage preferences. Don’t expect perfection and resist the urge to assign a grade to the article when it comes out. Realize that getting an interview is a feat in itself, and treat the journalist with respect. Give them news that will generate page views.

For journalists? Ask us for help if you’re not sure of a detail. We always have time for a question, and we want to help drive pageviews. We won’t pester you with trivialities but if we ask you for a correction please consider it. We thought about ten times before asking.

Here’s to facts, and fact checking, to over-worked reporters, to clients with a great idea who take the time to articulate a clear message, and finally to PR people. We’re in the middle. We want everyone to succeed.

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