Journalists today are under intense time pressure to identify and vet “experts,” and that speed is exactly where PR agencies can help, or hurt, coverage. The journalist fellowship paper “How to think about journalism in a world of experts” from the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford underscores how quickly a reporter can elevate a source to “expert” status without rigorous scrutiny. For PR teams, that means every pitch, briefing and spokesperson introduction must be engineered for accuracy and trust as journalists seek true expert commentary or background.
Everybody’s an Expert
It’s easy to see how, for online platforms, podcasts, the technology press, mainstream press coverage and indeed, network television blur the line between informed commentary and genuine expertise. Self‑appointed experts often force journalists to make snap judgments on who carries what weight, if any. This dynamic pushes newsrooms toward speed‑over‑rigor, where a source’s accessibility and clarity could outweigh actual depth of knowledge.
For public relations agencies, this environment means you are responsible for distinguishing your clients’ experts from the noise. PR firms must show why the expert label is warranted. Journalists’ email boxes are flooded with “experts” and “expert” pitches. The ones who stand out are those whose expertise is both demonstrable and easy to verify in the time it takes to file a story.
Warp Speed
Reporters often have minutes or hours, but not days, to decide who counts as an expert in the 24‑hour worldwide news cycle. Professional titles, affiliations, prior commentary and ease of access serve as delegates for determining “expertise” at warp speed. The risk is very real that someone can be treated as an expert because they are available and articulate, not because they have the most profound or most relevant knowledge. And, unfortunately, highly qualified voices, including critical insiders or practitioners on the ground, often miss the tightest deadlines.
How a PR agency packages expertise matters as much as the person being touted, often more so. A tight, concrete descriptor that spells out credentials, experience and knowledge limitations is essential.
PR Teams Can Help with the Speed Trap
Multiple sources, including the Reuters Institute and the Press Gazette, offer sound advice beyond the sound bite on how PR teams can support journalists with expert sourcing in digital media.
To align with the speed at which journalists must work, agencies should:
- Pre‑vet and tier experts: Maintain an internal map, across all client spokespersons, of potential conflicts or limitations, and delineate between practitioners and commentators. The reply to “Who is the expert?” is not a name and title but a brief, clear justification.
- Provide journalists with pre-interview proof points: Supply short bios, talking points, key data points, demonstrated knowledge, non-fungible availability and more, so journalists can quickly verify and contextualize a source’s expertise. This is also key to building trust.
- Have experts available for interviews on short notice: Fundamentally shift the agency mindset from “getting coverage” to “providing value” by educating clients that reporters not only need compelling stories and accurate information, but reliable expert sources – and that reliable also means speed and keeping interview commitments.
- Be explicit about what the expert does not know: In briefings and question-and-answer prep, help spokespeople unmistakably outline their areas of expertise and limitations. This transparency builds trust for the agency and the client, and it’s critical to building credible thought leadership in PR.
When journalists are playing beat-the-clock, they gravitate toward sources that are both credible and easy to work with. Concise, well‑structured expertise packages best serve reporters. Trustworthy PR agencies represent experts, not pundits with grandiose titles, who can deliver true thought leadership and make it quick (and reliable) work for journalists to answer, “Why is this person an expert?”
