This guide distils decades of practical experience gained from working in and across newspapers, magazines, radio, television and now my own social media – what to do, what not to do, and how to stay in control of the narrative when under the pressure of scrutiny.
I write this moving between the perspective of ‘talent’ – the subject of a story – and that of a capable public relations operator. On the surface, these roles can appear contradictory; at times they run parallel and at other times they diverge entirely. Where these distinctions matter, I will make them clear as they arise throughout this guide.
For arts organisations, galleries and artists, the media can amplify your message or damage your reputation. Understanding how journalists work, across all forms of media, and how stories are built gives you a fighting chance to stay in control of your own narrative.
Of course, all the good press in the world does not guarantee success. Conversely, a single day of bad press can destroy a corporate or professional life. Bad press is forever on the record – to the exact reverse degree that good press simply evaporates.
Top tips for dealing with media – quick links
1. Get journalists in the room – if you can
This is not as ironclad as it once was, but it remains worth understanding. When I began writing for The Australian, there were four journalists in the Arts section and me in the Business section writing on art and its market. Today, there is one desk-bound person.
If you can secure the physical attendance of a desk-bound journalist at an event, they are – through sheer time pressure and editorial demand for copy – highly likely to produce a story, whether written, broadcast or online. Their presence is therefore powerful and must be handled with precision.
In the day, a good lunch equalled attendance, and attendance equalled a story. It was the time-tested golden ticket. That world has largely disappeared. Very few journalists now have the time, autonomy or freedom as they once had to leave their desks. The contemporary equivalent is not lunch but relevance. Only pitch what a journalist will genuinely care about.
2. Know your journalist
Know the journalist’s round, their patch, their speciality (if they have one), their editor (if possible) and the type of story they instinctively chase.
Journalists are drowning in email. Many receive hundreds of pitches a day; a significant number will never be opened. When you pitch, make it count.
Only approach a journalist when you genuinely believe the story suits their beat, their style and their masthead. Offer exclusives. Email the pitch, then follow up – politely – because the odds are high, they simply haven’t seen it yet.
Increasingly, freelancers are the ones who land stories. They often have a more direct route to editors than publicists do, and their livelihood depends on pitching stories that will actually be commissioned. Get to know them. Understand who they write for and the kinds of narratives they consistently place.
A freelancer who trusts you – and knows you won’t waste their time – is one of the most valuable allies you can have.
The journalists and freelancers who return to you again and again do so for one reason: you make their job easier. You give them relevant stories. You respect their time. You deliver what you promise. And when you do pitch, it’s because the story is worth their while. Editors trust journalists who bring them strong material, and journalists remember the sources who help under pressure.
Know who you are dealing with. Know what they want. And never pitch blind.
3. Silence can be golden
This is for everyone but PR people, please take double note.
In any media encounter, particularly during a crisis, the biggest mistake people make is to open their mouth at all. You rarely need to say anything immediately – or at all.
Saying nothing can be golden. Most of the time, it is best to turn off your phone. All things pass. Even if Jesus returned tomorrow, the story cycle – at its absolute peak – would last three weeks. The headline news cycle is fleeting; don’t fuel it unnecessarily. In many circumstances, companies, arts organisations and smart individuals simply ride out the media cycle by saying very little or nothing at all.
Over the years, I have been contacted for comment dozens and dozens of times on international stories about fakes, frauds and art theft. No matter how learned your commentary, you absolutely do not want your name attached to certain subjects. Today, if an art fraud story pops up, I simply do not answer my phone for three days – and it’s all over.
Journalists have a go-to list of contacts. Ignore them a few times and you fall off the early-morning radio producers’ fraud-commentary list. That is not such a bad thing.
4. News media is a collaborative process
This is a touch more procedural in advice, but it is still worth noting. In the day, before publication, an article traditionally passed through multiple layers of editorial review. This remains broadly true in hard news, where legal exposure and accuracy are paramount, though modern newsrooms have changed.
In many feature, arts and lifestyle sections, the process is far leaner than it once was. Most section editors today work under intense time pressure, meaning far fewer people read a piece before publication than the public imagines.
What hasn’t changed is that headlines are often written by someone other than the journalist. Headlines exist primarily for clickbait – New York Post‘s ‘Headless Body in Topless Bar’ being one of the most notorious examples. Headlines and stories frequently bear little resemblance to one another. If a headline misrepresents you, do not blame the journalist; they did not write it.
The exception – and it is a growing one – can be in smaller or digital-first media outlets, though when headlines are written by someone else, the clickbait reflex tends to dominate. Either way, the principle remains: never confuse the headline for the story, and never assume the journalist authored it.
5. Images are king
Across the many hands that make a story a reality, a picture continues to tell a thousand words. Without a strong image, even a great article can be downgraded to practically worthless.
It also pays to remember that photograph captions are often written by someone who has never met you and has little to no understanding of the story’s thrust. Make sure your images for media are excellent, that they convey exactly what you want seen, and that they are clearly captioned and marked so your intent is understood by everyone involved in producing the story – and everyone who reads it.
6. Speed is currency
Understanding a journalist’s time pressures helps you control engagement. Speed is their currency – and being first among peers is money in the bank for their masthead. The faster you respond – calmly, clearly and on your terms – the less chance there is for misinformation to fill the gap, if you need to respond at all.
Be helpful:
- Make sure the journalist obtains great photographs.
- Help their photographer if one is sent.
- Pass on relevant contacts who can add depth or corroboration.
- Provide accurate background information – facts, not spin.
Journalists remember those who assist under pressure, and it often buys you a fairer hearing.
I remember a senior journalist on holiday in Berlin, several years ago, who interviewed me for an online podcast on Berlin. I offered several interesting further contacts and emailed them to him that same morning.
He told me – pointedly – that for all the offers of assistance he receives, I was the only person in his career who had actually delivered. I found that hard to believe, but so many people feign helpfulness and then underdeliver that it was probably true.
7. Keep it professional
Be friendly, but never familiar. A journalist is not your friend – and I don’t mean that in a combative or negative way. Being friendly and being a friend are two very different things.
Professional courtesy and genuine warmth are valuable, but they must never blur into personal familiarity.
Unless, like me, you’ve worked with a good number of serving journalists as colleagues for decades and understand exactly where friendship begins and ends within a media story, maintain a respectful distance. It’s not mistrust, it’s professionalism.
8. Understand the angle
Almost every story is conceived before the journalist arrives – that’s the big takeaway.
Sometimes, an editor directs the journalist to a story; it’s not the journalist’s own initiative but an assignment they’ve been told to pursue, often with a defined brief and angle. But even when working independently, most journalists of a generalist nature still come preloaded with a narrative.
Journalists are, for the most part, well-educated and, generally speaking, tend to lean left politically. Many see themselves as truth crusaders (their inner moral worth helps emotionally balance the poor pay) and many are generalists rather than specialists in the field they’re reporting on.
Specialists – those with a nuanced depth of understanding in a field – generally do not arrive as preloaded with a story as generalists do. Generalists rely on far fewer data points to craft their narrative, which makes their angle both more predetermined and more susceptible to quick assumptions.
For those working in public relations and communications, or who are the ‘talent’ or subject of a story, the task is to assess both the level of knowledge the journalist brings and the angle they are operating from – then, where possible, shape it in your favour.
Know your talking points before you open your mouth.
Before any interview, decide what you want to say and what you will not say. Prepare three key points that reinforce your message and return to them as naturally as possible, no matter how the questioning develops.
Repetition equals Trumpesque truth.
9. Craft the takeaways
Think of snappy, headline-ready phrases – short, clear and quotable – to pepper your broader narrative. These ‘word and sentence tags’ help you feed your story directly into the narrative. If you do not give them the line, they’ll write their own.
As I once told the ABC, I describe myself as: ‘An art dealer whose distilled knowledge over 26 years is to try to avoid any artwork with dolphins in it.’
That lightweight snap was printed – in what was, appropriately, a very light magazine piece.
Horses for courses. Know your horses.
10. Control the opening moments
A standard journalistic technique is to begin an interview with a micro-detail, a seemingly harmless observation used to draw out a larger narrative. Be acutely aware of the first few minutes of any encounter; they will often set the direction of the piece.
Your tone, expression and body language speak louder than words. A defensive stance or visible discomfort can become the story itself.
Never forget the famous demolition of political journalist Maggie Haberman in ELLE magazine: ‘Haberman has what can only be described as a wildly expressive poker face…her tired eyes widening behind her smudged glasses.’
The subliminal message? She can’t hide what she really thinks, she is at the end of her tether and it’s all a bit grubby.
That is all it takes.
A throwaway detail can become metaphor that then colours every word you speak.
11. Lead with authenticity
Be direct, modest and truthful. Authenticity wins trust. Admit problems clearly and without defensiveness. Once the issue is acknowledged, move quickly to overlay your own – not too heavy – narrative, framing events on your terms within the realm of the possible.
12. Approach ‘off the record’ and background comments with caution
People often misunderstand this, and it remains one of the most common traps. Nothing is ever truly ‘off the record’. Assume that everything you say can and will be used. If you want something kept private, don’t say it.
For one, ‘background’ or ‘off the record’ are only as reliable as the journalist’s integrity – and their editor’s demands, deadlines and legal exposures.
A journalist may also take your off-the-record remark and use it to shape the story indirectly by presenting it as context, inference or ‘industry sentiment’. Once a journalist knows something, they cannot unknow it. Even if they don’t quote you, the information you’ve given them becomes part of the narrative architecture of the piece.
That said, good journalists – and there are many – do honour off-the-record context when it is given appropriately and ahead of a remark.
Across the arts industry, I now have people who trust me and will ask for background material purely to help them understand a story. I respect that boundary and keep my contribution objective, balanced and confidential. But that trust is built over years, not moments, and requires judgement on both sides.
The rule remains: never offer off-the-record information unless you are absolutely certain the journalist has the integrity, experience and professional standing to hold it properly – and even then, speak sparingly.
13. Your social media is your platform
Every story now lives – and mutates – online. If you are unhappy with comments on your point of view, resist the urge to respond in real time. A single post, ‘clarification,’ or defensive comment can reignite the story and give it new life.
Never argue with critics or attempt to correct every misconception. The more you engage, the longer the story breathes. Silence is not weakness, it is strategy.
Simply delete any comment on your platform that you disagree with. You are in control of your social media platforms. If everything pisses you off too much, turn your mobile phone off.
Remember that social media is not a conversation, but it can most certainly be a trap. Platforms reward outrage, misinterpretation, speed and escalation. Nothing good happens in the comments section. Nothing.
Do not post when tired, emotional, drunk or self-righteous. The entire world has screenshots. Delete, edit or rethink a post before you publish, not after.
If a post starts to gain traction in the wrong direction, do not explain yourself. Do not ‘clarify’. Just remove it. What disappears is then harder to quote.
Never try to correct the record in public. You are not a court of appeal. Block liberally. Mute mercilessly. Protect your mental space. If you need to vent, do it offline to someone who loves you or is paid to listen.
Finally, your social media feed is not a democratic space. It is your shopfront. Curate your space with the same discipline with which you curate an art gallery’s walls.
14. Dealing with errors after publication
If something inaccurate appears in the media, ask for a correction calmly and factually. Never respond emotionally or online.
The correction will always be much, much smaller than the story. You should only ever request a correction if a major fact has been neglected or misunderstood – and only so that the media outlet’s much smaller retraction becomes permanently attached to the story in future searches.
Remember: the story will fade faster than the outrage. Silence is, again, your ally.
15. A last word of final advice
Never forget you are the story’s subject, not its author. You can attempt to help craft an article, but you are rarely in total control of the end narrative.
Speak deliberately, and remember that silence, preparation, and composure are your greatest tools.
Control the silence. Control the message. Control yourself.
Michael Reid OAM’s media expertise
For a decade, Michael wrote a two-page Saturday morning spread on the art market for the Business section of The Weekend Australian, which had a readership of 1.2 million eyes on paper each week. After taking a year off, he went on to write weekly for six years with the Good Weekend magazine of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, where his column, The Medici Principle, reached an audience of 2.6 million weekly readers.
Alongside these roles, for five years Michael worked weekly on ABC Radio, appearing on Drive Time with Richard Glover and on ABC Sydney’s Saturday Mornings with Simon Marnie. He also hosted, for nearly two years, a weekly live, hour-long Sky Business News television show on the art-market.
For many years, six times a year, Michael hosted Art Dinners in collaboration with Belle magazine across Australia, bringing together collectors, artists, and industry insiders in exclusive settings to discuss trends and networks in contemporary art.
Michael has written for innumerable publications and platforms across Australia and internationally and authored a number of books on the art market. Michael is an art dealer and gallerist.
