No species of literary men has lately been so much multiplied as the writers of news.” —Samuel Johnson

What Dr. Johnson wrote about the English press in the mid-18th century may be doubly true about the American press today. There are more reporters than ever, especially in Washington. They’re everywhere. They write for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, Web publications, blogs, you name it.

As a government executive and a public servant, you have to face up to this fact: Sooner or later, and possibly often, you’ll have to deal with the press.

And members of the Fourth Estate are often persistent and aggressive.

But don’t look at this as a negative thing—talking to reporters is an opportunity to deliver a positive message about your program or agency to a wider audience.

To make sure you put your best public face forward, we asked some federal and private-sector experts for tips and suggestions:

Strategic planning. Write a communications plan to lay the groundwork for a story. The strategy should include what the issue is; an overall situation analysis, including the goals for the story; what barriers exist to releasing the story; what the angle of the story is; and to whom to pitch the story.

Part of strategic planning involves working closely with your public affairs or press office to get good stories out. As one federal executive said, “It’s not all about geek speak. You must find a hook the media can understand and then communicate it to them.”

It’s not about you. The best type of story conveys how your agency met its goals or mission. Your story should emphasize the boss’ role, whether it is the secretary or your immediate manager. If you make the story about you, people get jealous and, experts say, the story becomes more trouble than it’s worth.

Nothing is off the record. Make sure you understand the differences among on-the-record, off-the-record and on-background interviews. Try to agree on definitions with the reporter before the interview begins.

Even if such ground rules are established, don’t say anything you wouldn’t want to see in print, no matter how much you trust the reporter. However, if what you say is truthful, you will be in good shape, experts say.

Remember that comments to the press must be able to stand the test of time. Think about how comments would represent you 10 years from now. “This is one of the hardest rules to follow,” said one federal expert.

Lying never pays. Never, ever, lie to a reporter. If you try to misrepresent the truth, it will come back and bite you, experts say. “Treat reporters with the same respect that you want to be treated with, and respect their profession,” one federal expert said. “They are not out to get you, but don’t be naïve either.”

The sooner, the better. When a reporter requests an interview, ask for a list of questions up front. Most reporters hate this (really, we do), but it helps frame the discussion, experts agree. One expert said providing questions in advance separates the reporters who are more serious about the interview from those who are not.

No review copies. Don’t expect reporters to provide you with a copy of the story before it goes to press. Few news organizations will let their reporters do that. However, you usually can ask reporters to let you review direct quotes before publication. Not all reporters are enthusiastic about doing this, but it is a good way to make sure you are being quoted accurately.

A little help won’t hurt. If you aren’t used to dealing with reporters, enroll in a media-training class. Like public speaking, the more you talk to the press, the better you get at it; but classes are useful as well, experts say. Classes help you learn the basics and understand how to speak to the press.

Feed the beast. On a not entirely serious note, if you do nothing else, provide food at events. It might not get you a positive story, but it will at least make reporters happy for a few minutes.