Media & Source Contact Procedures
Last revised — August 21, 2026
Purpose
SOAPSzone should handle media inquiries and source contacts in a way that is prompt, organized, human, and easy to reconstruct later.
Incoming Media Inquiries
Record who contacted us, their outlet or role, how to reach them, what they are asking about, and any deadline they gave. Respond to the actual question before explaining the entire history of SOAPSzone.
Source Contact
When contacting a source, be clear about who we are, what subject we are asking about, whether the conversation is intended to be on the record, and what we need from them.
Follow-Up
Follow up when a source, company, or reporter reasonably needs another chance to answer or when new information creates a meaningful new question. Do not manufacture a correspondence marathon merely to create a paper trail.
Documentation
Keep significant correspondence, documents received, interview notes, dates, and follow-up decisions with the relevant story research.
Return to Principles & Practices
Keep It Human
People should not need to decode newsroom jargon to talk with us.
Deadlines
A real deadline matters. An invented deadline mostly creates unnecessary stress.
Confidentiality
If a conversation involves anonymity, background, off-record information, or another restriction, make the understanding explicit rather than assuming both sides use those terms the same way.
Working Rule
Know who contacted whom, what was asked, what was promised, and what happened next.