Interview Process
Our interview process
The Huntington News is dedicated to transparency, ensuring our sources understand what it means when they agree to speak with a reporter and clearly communicating our reporting process to our audience. An exhaustive list of our policies can be found in our Constitution, but here’s what you should know if a reporter reaches out to you, or if you reach out to The News.
Interviewing with the Huntington News
When you speak with a reporter, think of the interview as a conversation — not a practiced presentation. We conduct interviews in person, over the phone or on Zoom because we are more inclined to use quotes that are genuine, not prepared from a statement.
Reporters should always ask you for consent before recording a private interview, per Massachusetts law. The Huntington News reporters commonly record interviews to have a transcript of the conversation so that sources are not misquoted. If you speak at a public event, reporters are not obligated to ask for permission to record. If you are approached by a reporter, the reporter should always identify themselves as such.
If you speak with a reporter but do not see any of your quotes in a story, that is normal. Sometimes, a reporter will use interviews to inform their story, but will not always quote every person they speak to. Other times, a story does not work out altogether. If you have any questions about the status of a story you were interviewed for, reach out.
Going off the record and granting anonymity
The Huntington News abides by the Associated Press definitions and standards for information on the record, off the record, on background and on deep background.
Unless otherwise clarified, an interview with a reporter is on the record. This means that we can use the information you give us in a story without caveats and attribute it to you by name. This is the standard practice in journalism, and we strive to identify sources whenever it is feasible. The public is entitled to as much information on a source’s reliability as possible, per guidance from the Society of Professional Journalists. Once you consent to an interview, that consent cannot be retroactively revoked — anything captured previously is treated as on the record information.
Asking a reporter to go “on background” means that we can use the information you give us, but we agree not to quote you directly and we will not attribute the information you give us to you by name. The terms of attribution should be negotiated with a reporter, but typically include a description of your position (for example, we might refer to you as: “An SGA senator with knowledge of the election process” or “a member of the Faculty Senate”). The reporter must first agree that you can speak on background. We usually agree to go on background if the information you want to share with us can’t be obtained any other way, and sharing the information with us puts you at risk in some way. “Deep background” is another type of attribution, in which the information you provide can be used but without identifying the source in any way, even on the condition of anonymity.
If you ask to go “off the record” and a reporter agrees, that means the information you tell us can’t be used in the story at all unless the reporter can confirm information through another source.
If you want to speak with us, be quoted in a story or offer information but do not want your name to be attached to what you say, you can ask a reporter about being quoted anonymously, which is different than speaking on background or off the record. When you are anonymous, we can quote you directly or share the information you disclose to us but will not disclose your name.
Anonymity is granted on a case-by-case basis and a reporter must consult with editors before granting it. The reporter and editors must know your name for the sake of reporting integrity, but we will not share your name with anyone. Anonymity will typically be granted if you have a well-founded fear that being named in the story will result in professional, disciplinary or legal retaliation, or put your physical safety at risk. We commit to protecting the privacy of and defending the integrity of our sources.
The manner in which you are attributed should be made in agreement with a reporter. If at any point you have questions about how the information you share with us will be attributed, please ask the reporter or contact an editor. You can not “take back” any quotes or things said in an interview after the fact unless there are extenuating special circumstances, like you have discovered new information that renders previous information shared unfactual.
Asking to see a story before it is published
As a standing policy The Huntington News does not allow a source to review or censor a story, video, audio, graphic or photo prior to publication. This applies to anyone we interview, as well as members of the Northeastern administration. This maintains our editorial independence from the university and the integrity of the reporting process.
If you’d like to know what quotes are used in the story, you can request that a reporter read back or send you your quotes. Changes to quotes are not guaranteed and will be made at the discretion of our editorial board — We are likely to edit quotes at your request only if they are factually inaccurate. We can also tell you generally what information you shared with us that we are using in the story.
How we source our stories
We strive to include all necessary context, information, and stakeholders in articles. As a result, stories written about Northeastern will almost always include a statement from university spokespeople. Seeking comment from a party involved in a story is a standard practice for responsible journalism. It allows parties a chance to respond to potentially damaging information being published about them, regardless if the party is the university itself or an individual such as a student government official or faculty member.
Contacting a reporter and editorial hierarchy
If you have any questions or are unsure about anything during the reporting process, we encourage you to check in with a reporter or editor and follow up on any concerns you may have. We are students, just like many of the people we interview, and strive to build trust and do our best to ensure sources are never blindsided or confused by what we publish.
Huntington News reporters report to section editors, whose contact information can be found here. Section editors directly manage reporters and help guide them through the reporting process of a story. Section editors in turn report to The News’ senior staff, which include the editor-in-chief, two managing editors and an editor-at-large. The editor-in-chief, in consultation with the rest of senior staff, has the final say over editorial decisions. Both section editors and the editor-in-chief must be involved in conversations with a reporter about granting anonymity for their source, the identity of the source must be disclosed to the section editor and the editor-in-chief in addition to the reporter.
