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What to expect when you’re interviewed by AP

Sometimes people ask about the “ground rules” when they’re being interviewed or photographed by AP. Here’s what you should expect when working with an AP reporter, photographer or videographer:

We want to hear and see your story.

We’ll try hard to accurately convey what you say, and to provide background that gives the context for your remarks.

We prefer to talk to you directly.

We seek to do all interviews in person or by phone, Skype or similar. Sometimes we may ask questions by email. But our story will then characterize our exchange as an email conversation, not an interview.

We want to interview you on the record, with your name in our story, radio report, TV piece or photo caption.

We can grant anonymity in some cases but our rules are quite strict. Generally we bar any anonymous expressions of opinion, and do not grant anonymity unless it is the only way to get information that is essential to the story. We also weigh the risk to the source if he or she is quoted on the record. If you wish to say something on an anonymous basis, be clear with the reporter; we may not be able to use it unless you’re willing to have your name attached to it. Also, if we quote you anonymously in a story, we cannot quote you on the record, elsewhere in the story, as refusing to comment.

We almost never obscure a face in photos or video.

On rare occasions we can take photos and video from an angle that does not identify the person. Any such issues should be discussed with the photographer or videographer.

We cannot show you our story, or the images we’ve taken, before publication.

We also cannot allow interviewees to review or edit before publication the quotes they give in interviews. (AP reporters are free to, at their own initiative, check a quote with a newsmaker during or after an interview to make sure it is correct.)

We cannot provide a full list of questions in advance.

We may specify some general areas we intend to ask about, but we always reserve the right to ask about something else.

We cannot agree not to ask about specific topics.

If you decline to comment, we’ll report that.

If you feel your comments were rendered inaccurately, contact the reporter or editor.

We will correct the story if appropriate.

For more on AP’s editorial standards, see the AP Statement of News Values and Principles.

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