Journalism norms

Talking points

TPs · message house

Definition

Talking points are internal answers for spokespeople: the facts you will defend, the bridges you will use, the things you will not say. They are not a quote sheet for publication. If you email them to a reporter as “our lines,” they become on-the-record copy, usually bad copy.

Keep them short enough to use with a closed laptop.

How it works

Three to seven points, each with a fact and a fallback. Include the ugly question. Rehearse out loud. Destroy stale decks after the news cycle.

Worked example

Point 1: outage window 14:10–16:02. Point 2: card data not in the blast radius, pointer to forensic note. Point 3: next update 18:00. Q: “Will customers get cash?” A: “We are reviewing case by case; I will not invent a number.” That is a talking-points card.

How it differs

Soundbites are the spoken cuts. Holding statements are public and tiny. Talking points are the private map. A press release is public and longer.

Common errors

Twelve-page message houses. Points that contradict the newsroom post. Emailing TPs to the whole press list.

Sources