In the US, it’s common to pre-brief trusted reporters prior to a key press announcement under embargo. This means the reporter can write her story and have it filed and ready to issue on the day of the announcement. It’s a good way for print pubs to keep pace with online sites, and it helps clients get same-day coverage.

But it only works if everyone honors the embargo. The more you brief, the greater the risk of someone breaking the embargo through mistake or mischief. Some publications are better at honoring embargoes than others – even well-reputed dailies break them on occasion.

Now include bloggers in the mix and the dynamics get more complex. While a print pub is unlikely to run a story based on pre-pitch info, a blogger can speculate and post early while the details are still vague since he can always update as more info comes through. That said, some bloggers will honor embargoes, right down to a specific timed post.

So when you have your one big announcement. The one you can’t afford to get wrong. Do you feel comfortable including select bloggers in your pre-briefing schedule? How do you decide who to include? Do you get push-back from clients? Or do you play safe and stick to mainstream pubs?

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