HARO Journalist Guidelines

Below are the guidelines for journalists, bloggers and writers who use HelpaReporter.com. Our editors reserve the right to ban anyone who violates these guidelines. If you have a question about the journalist guidelines, please email editor(at)helpareporter(dot)com.

  1. In order to use HARO as a journalist, your or your media outlet’s website must have an Alexa.com ranking of one million or less. To determine the Alexa ranking of your website, please visit http://www.alexa.com/topsites and enter your website in the search box. Online television and radio shows must be hosted by their own domain that also meets our Alexa ranking criteria. Your website will be judged based on the overall Alexa traffic rank, not the traffic rank in the U.S.
  2. Your publication or website must be fully launched for at least a month prior to submitting a source request. Your site must also meet our Alexa.com criteria before a request may be submitted on behalf of a newly launched website.
  3. No subscription-based outlet may submit a source request. We consider an outlet to be subscription based if only paid users can view or read the outlet’s content. Outlets that include free content, but also offer a subscription service, are accepted.
  4. Podcasters may use HelpaReporter.com to source interviews for their podcast only if the podcast is hosted on their own website, with an Alexa ranking of one million or less.
  5. All users submitting a source request must include their full name, rather than “editorial team” or no name in the reporter details section.
  6. When submitting a source request, you must include the name of your publication and/or website in the media outlet field. If you do not want the name of your media/website published, please check off the “Anonymous” box next to the field for “Media Outlet.” Outlets may only use the Anonymous box to prevent story leaks, poaching and spam.
  7. No reporter or blogger may ask for content unless it is 300 words or less.
  8. When using the Anonymous box, you must list what medium your publication falls under (TV, Radio, Online, Magazine, Newspaper, Podcast, Blog) to be denoted in the source request listing so sources can determine their replies.
  9. Reporters or bloggers who source content through HelpaReporter.com must give proper credit to the source once the content is published.
  10. Source requests for product samples are accepted from reporters representing TV stations and verified print and online media. Product sample requests from radio station reporters are not permitted. This is in order to protect our users from fraud and other scams. Any products received by a reporter must be returned to the sender at the reporters' expense. Food products should not be sent, and beauty products should not be returned.
  11. When submitting a giftbag source request, please note that reporters may only request items for a single, in-person event (no online events or giveaways) and must list in the source request the name, date and description of the event, including information on the attendees. Also include the quantity desired. You cannot ask for event sponsorship, nor charge a fee for the giftbag.
  12. Student reporters are not permitted to use HelpaReporter.com at this time.
  13. Reporters may not ask respondents to take a survey, comment on a blog, or to submit information via a link. All information must be received via the submission process at https://app.helpareporter.com/Reporters/Queries
  14. Requests for event and conference speakers are not permitted.
  15. Reporters may not ask respondents for prerecorded audio or video. Reporters may only ask for sources to appear in a video the reporter themselves will film in person, or audio/video recorded over the Web using an app such as Skype or Google Hangouts. Raw B-roll is allowed.
  16. Reporters must credit the source of any audio or video.
  17. Book and e-book authors may submit requests for sources, under 300 words. Book and e-book requests must include the publication date and publisher information in order to be considered.
  18. Authors must credit sources used in a book or e-book.
  19. Source requests for book reviews or to review products will not be accepted.
  20. Requests for guest authors or guest bloggers are not permitted.
  21. A reporter may not ask a source for any type of monetary compensation for the source to appear in the reporter's media outlet. If this occurs, the reporter will be immediately banned from our service.
  22. Reporters may not request compensation for travel or hotel stays.
  23. Reporters may not ask for sources to appear on camera for more than one day of filming; HARO does not accept casting requests for television series or award nominations.
  24. Talk show and news shows may submit requests for topical experts or sources only.
  25. Reporters may not submit the same source request more than three times in a seven day period.
  26. Agencies may not submit a source request on behalf of their clients. HARO requires that firms submit source requests on behalf of themselves, solely.
  27. If a source request is submitted on the same day of the reporter’s deadline, notify urgent(at)helpareporter(dot)com. HARO will tweet it to its 100,000+ followers on Twitter via @helpareporter to help gather sources before the reporter’s deadline.
  28. If any source appears to be spamming a reporter with off-topic pitches, the reporter should report the user by forwarding the emails to flag(at)helpareporter(dot)com.
  29. Reporters should disclose their outlet and final story link(s) to the sources they included.


If you understand these rules, please click here to return to the source request form and submit your source request within these guidelines.