The main goal of all media interviews is to let the public know they have the option of adopting greyhounds as pets and that countless greyhounds living in shelters are just waiting to be placed into loving, caring homes.
- Please mention any statistics you have in terms of how many greyhounds are adopted each year through your organization.
- Please discuss how wonderful these animals are and the benefits of adopting a greyhound.
- Although the message of greyhound adoption is the main goal of any interview, please mention what your organization does.
- It’s very important to give the interviewer a phone number, email address, and website so the public can access information about adopting a greyhound and your organization.
- If possible, offer the interviewer the option to speak with a person who adopted a greyhound and had his/her life enhanced as a result. This would serve as a testimonial from the public on the benefits of greyhound adoption.
- Print journalists will need photos to use with their articles. They may ask to set up a photo opportunity or ask you to email him/her photos. Compile high-quality greyhound-related photos if possible so you have photos ready to email reporters. Photos that show the dogs' personalities or show them interacting with family are preferred.
- For television interviews, you should have greyhound-related video ready to offer reporters/producers. Most if not all television reporters/producers will ask for video they can run intermittently during interviews/stories on greyhound adoption.
- For radio interviews, please keep your answers as short as possible. Radio interviews usually last only 5-7 minutes. You want the interviewer to have time to address as many topics as possible to ensure you convey the correct message to listeners.
- Please go over facts with reporters to make sure she/he has them straight. A lot of reporters make mistakes because they are busy and working on multiple stories at once. It’s crucial to make sure the media will report the correct information, as they are your bridge to the public.
- Always thank the reporter for their time and let them know you are available if they need to speak with you in the future. This should be done in an effort to establish a long-term professional relationship with the reporter resulting in additional articles/news stories on greyhound adoption and related topics.
- Please keep in mind that everything you say to the reporter is "on the record" and can be used within the article unless otherwise stated as an "off the record" piece of information.
Have fun. We know you will do a great job!