TLDR: Just pick up the phone. Agree on permissions for information before you share it (see Step 4).

I have worked as a professional journalist covering AI for over a year, and during that time, multiple people working in AI safety have asked me for advice on engaging with journalists. At this point, I've converged on some core lessons, so I figured I should share them more widely.

I've also reviewed some of the prior art about how to talk to journalists on LessWrong and found it unsatisfying. The answer to the question often seems to be "Don't."[1]

Unsurprisingly then, I think many people feel like they are not prepared to talk to journalists. They often have a sense that they are waiting to receive some arcane knowledge that would equip them for such a treacherous conversation, the sort of knowledge acquired at ritual ceremonies called "media trainings."

In fact, there is very little such secret knowledge. It's easy to talk to journalists—it mostly involves picking up the phone—and the most important lessons can fit in a quick post. This post provides those lessons so you no longer have any excuses for not talking to journalists if you want [...]

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Outline:

(01:31 ) Before the Call

(01:34 ) Step 1: Understand the Interaction

(02:40 ) Step 2: Research Your Target

(03:31 ) Step 3: Sus Out the Topics

(03:50 ) Step 4: Set Permissions

(05:53 ) Changing Permissions

(06:34 ) On Background

(08:11 ) Deep Background

(08:59 ) Off The Record

(09:50 ) Anonymity

(10:45 ) Embargoes

(11:39 ) Step 5: Figure Out Key Points

(12:37 ) During the Call

(12:41 ) Step 6: Be Nosy

(14:11 ) Step 7: Hammer Your Key Points

(15:27 ) Step 8: Defense Against the Dark Arts

(18:01 ) After the Call

(18:05 ) Step 9: Follow Up

(18:26 ) Step 10: Keep in Touch

(18:59 ) Whats Next

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First published:

November 25th, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/Ax7sMzZxsvqLgzdTn/how-to-talk-to-journalists-1

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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