Rejected by a source? There’s still hope!
One of the first lessons a new reporter learns is how to face repeated, brutal rejection. Day after day as a local newspaper intern, I was thrown at murders and gruesome car accidents, with orders to knock on the doors of victims’ or suspects’ families on the absolute worst day of their lives. Some would lash out in anger and call me a vulture. Others would hide in their homes as reporters’ business cards piled up at their doorstep.
Some reporters learn unhelpful lessons from these moments. They come to see gaining access to sensitive subjects as such longshots that they put them off or stop trying altogether.
I learned a different lesson, one that has been affirmed time and again in my 20-plus years as a journalist. Access is all about timing, persistence and emotional intelligence.
Months after the horrific events, I would see those same families sitting on courthouse benches for hearings so routine, no other reporters bothered to show up. Given the lack of competition and deadline pressure, I was able to think through my next move.
Certainly, I could approach the subjects respectfully and try to talk to them right there. I could also try to broker access through someone who could vouch for me – a prosecutor, victim advocate or defense attorney. My single best strategy involved writing a letter.
In it, I introduced myself and my intentions. I attached examples of similar stories I’d written to give them an idea of what my work looked like. At the end, I would include my contact information and tell them to reach out so that we could talk more about talking.
I would walk up to the families, say absolutely nothing, hand it to them and walk away. I did this in courtrooms, but also on doorsteps, in the raw aftermath of tragedies.
The letter got me exclusive interviews time and again. It shifted the power dynamic, giving people information and space to decide what to do with my request — in essence, restoring a measure of control to people who had lost it in the most terrible ways. It also gave me an opening to return later without blindsiding them or pretending I hadn’t already asked.
Some of the most impactful stories I’ve overseen at ProPublica benefited from the same emotionally intelligent strategies.
I teach these — and many others — in an upcoming five-week online group seminar called Will Work For Impact: Fundamentals of Investigative Journalism.
