DON’Ts:

• Don’t speculate. If you don’t know the answer to something, say so. Don’t offer your opinion.
• Don’t answer hypothetical questions. Hypothetical questions often begin: “What if . . . .” Don’t answer questions that require you to make assumptions.
• Don’t respond to questions best answered by another agency. Also, don’t talk about other organizations, unless to thank them for their efforts.  Don’t comment on what others have said,
• Don’t comment particularly if you haven’t heard or read it yourself. It may cause you to verify something that might not be true.
• Never lose your temper.
• Never lie. NEVER.
• And, most importantly, never say anything to a reporter you don’t want to see in the news media.
• Never say anything “off the record.” Some PIOs will argue that you can give “off the record” information to a reporter with whom you have a long-standing relationship of trust. One thing to consider: By giving this trusted reporter off-the-record information, you may be doing a disservice. If the information gets out from another source, other media outlets will run with it, while the reporter you trusted may hold back. Also be wary of reporters calling “off the record” information they are seeking from you as only “background” information that is ok for you to share.