What to do if a reporter contacts you about FTX?

By JackM @ 2022-11-15T07:48 (+44)

I have been contacted by a reporter (see below, omitting name/email).

I am going to ignore. I have nothing to say anyway. But I just wanted to raise this as there are likely good and bad ways to respond to these requests and some care is warranted given the seriousness of recent events.

Would welcome views on the best way for people to deal with these requests.

EDIT: CEA advice to group organisers includes the following (see comment from Irene H):

If a journalist is interested in talking to you or your group, we recommend you politely decline. The situation is likely to be in flux for a few weeks at least, and we think media interviews could be more challenging than usual. In a few weeks, we might be able to provide advice or media training, but right now we do not have the capacity to do so. Feel free to let us know if you’re getting media requests (media@centreforeffectivealtruism.org) and we can prioritize advice.

EliezerYudkowsky @ 2022-11-15T09:42 (+72)

Unless you know the reporter, and you know that their coverage about subjects that you personally are well-informed about has been accurate and fair (not just plausible-sounding coverage of things you don't know) then Rule 1 is don't talk to reporters.

I almost always don't.  If it seems plausibly important I offer to answer their questions off-the-record, if they're really looking for knowledge rather than a money misquote; and so far only one reporter, a Pulitzer Prize winner, has taken me up on that - been interested in knowledge at all.

Yonatan Cale @ 2022-11-15T09:36 (+47)

Remember CEA has advice on talking to journalists

Irene H @ 2022-11-15T08:42 (+21)

The CEA's advice for group organizers also has some guidelines about what to do if journalists contact you, so that might be helpful.

Jack Malde @ 2022-11-15T09:18 (+21)

Thanks! Copying the relevant text below:

If a journalist is interested in talking to you or your group, we recommend you politely decline. The situation is likely to be in flux for a few weeks at least, and we think media interviews could be more challenging than usual. In a few weeks, we might be able to provide advice or media training, but right now we do not have the capacity to do so. Feel free to let us know if you’re getting media requests (media@centreforeffectivealtruism.org) and we can prioritize advice.