Insight
The importance of credible experts in journalism right now
Putting in-house experts forward to comment on breaking news stories or to provide tips for features can offer significant benefits to a public relations strategy. It can help humanise a brand, establish authority and increase opportunities for media coverage.
In the current fast-paced digital media landscape it’s become easier than ever for misinformation and fake experts to seep through, therefore having a trusted spokesperson with real expertise to turn to for commentary is incredibly important.
We spoke to Sophie Goddall and Callum Dent from Press Association Experts, formerly known as Expert Hub, to find out what journalists look for in expert commentary and the key factors they consider when determining an expert’s credibility.
What are some red flags that journalists and sub editors look out for with experts?
With years of subediting and fact checking under their belts, Dent and Goodall both know what red flags to look for in an expert.
For example, no online presence on official websites can alert suspicion.
"When subediting I would check to see if whether the expert had been used in previous publications before, would need evidence that they work for the company that they said they worked for and would always double check that their job title was correct," says Goddall.
Anyone can put any job title on a LinkedIn profile on an Instagram bio, so checking official websites and registers can be a better way of verifying these claims.
Being listed on an official professional register, such as the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) Register or FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) Register, can help verify an expert’s credentials.
Goddall adds: "I would often ask, is there pictures of this person? Has the PR confirmed that this person is real? Is the PR a trusted PR company? Is the company trusted?"
Journalists will often ask that experts are able to jump on the phone or do a quick video call - to comment for stories and to verify their identity.
What is Press Association Experts and what are the advantages of having your experts on this database?
"Press Association Experts is a database of experts that media and journalists can contact to get comments from for their stories," explains Dent.
Journalists can filter for a specific field and scroll through expert profiles on the database and if they find one that’s relevant to a story they are working on, they can
contact them on the phone numbers and email addresses provided on the system. The Press Association Experts database currently features a diverse network of spokespeople in health, business, education, and energy industries and more.
Organisations and public relation professionals can also submit expert commentary through the service.
"The experts on the system can submit what we call "Expert Views" that we can then send out on the PA wire, which journalists can pick up and add to their stories," explains Dent. “It's great for boosting exposure and building reputation."
Dent highlights that time is of the essence when it comes to submitting Expert Views.
"You really want to get those comments in fairly soon after a story breaks. We have seen that the coverage for Expert Views that came in quickly after a story breaks tend to rocket compared to ones that lag behind a few hours later," says Dent.
Premium quotes can appear on the PA newswire and can be picked up by top national and regional newsrooms.
Goddall compares being on the database to having a blue verification tick on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"It's gold standard because it's PA, and all the experts on there have been vetted by human beings who have a subbing and fact-checking background," says Goddall.
What is involved in the vetting process for Press Association Experts?
The vetting process starts with an application form.
"Experts first have to fill out a bit of a biography, add portfolio links to their previous work and LinkedIn profile, and other personal details that we can check," explains Dent.
The second part of the vetting process is a video call, where the camera must be on.
“Once the vetting calls are all sorted and we're happy with them, we make their profile live and they will then be on the database," says Dent.
