The New York Times published a story yesterday that caught my eye.  It talked about how the Internet is giving interview subjects the power to respond to articles in a new way.  News sources are putting transcripts of their interviews with reporters online and posting entire e-mail interview threads on their blogs.

There is one lively situation the Times story discusses in which Mark Cuban was interviewed electronically for an NYT story and, unhappy with the result, posted the interview on his blog. Feel free to click to Cuban's post.  It's lively reading.  I'm not suggesting that such tactics ought to be widely practiced.  It is a powerful way to make a point, but it may come at the expense of your relationship with the reporter.

What I am suggesting is this: Watch what you write!

Reporters are increasingly asking to do interviews via e-mail, and many are tempted to comply.  After all, it is quite convenient.  However, it also creates a permanent trail that can be used by others.  The e-mail comments can be taken out of context by anyone who sees them.  They can be altered.  They can be disseminated.  This represents a real risk, particularly for a public company executive who must be extremely careful about what is disclosed, and when.

I prefer that clients conduct phone interviews or in-person meetings.  E-mail is a useful tool in public relations.  It is great for sending marketing materials and research reports, setting up interviews and distributing press releases.

For interviews, though, I think it's often a bad idea.  Even setting aside the danger of creating an e-mail trail, I find that with e-mail it's tougher to keep your comments in context.  This is because it's harder to judge the reporter's reaction as you go along.  On the phone, a reporter's tone might suggest that he or she didn't completely follow what was just said and signal it is worth going back to clarify.  On the phone, you can get a sense for how the interviewer is reacting to the points you are trying to make.  All that tends to be stripped away in an e-mail discussion.

E-interviews, ironically, are not interactive enough.

If you must do the interview via e-mail, be brief and to the point.  Don't put down anything in your e-mail you wouldn't want to see on Page 1.  And, lastly, write in full sentences with proper grammar.  E-mail shorthand is great for sending quick notes to friends and co-workers, but may not play well to a broader audience.