Look for the Skeletons

There may be a few things worse than having a reporter finding some weird or potentially damning thing about your story that you didn't already know.

Like...war. Or poverty. Or littering.

There are definitely a few things worse than a reporter finding out that the program you are pulling (and pitching) for so wholeheartedly was in the middle of some great scandal three years ago. But if that happens, your only focus is going to be how to recover from that devastating punch.

Here a few tips to avoid that sensation:

•  Be sure that you have done your research regarding your claims.
• Make sure the people you have aligned yourself with have clean, credible backgrounds. Or if they were involved with something, make sure you know about it so that you can explain it and you're not blind-sided by the revelation.
• Understand that if there is dirt to be found, a reporter will find it. And ask you about it, so it's best to have some sort of prepared statement.

The moral of the story? Research is important. Make sure that you are asking the right questions so you know the answer when a reporter asks you.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media relations consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.