<b>The deadline is in the reporter's clock, not yours</b>

<b>The deadline is in the reporter's clock, not yours</b>

When a journalist writes "need this by 2pm," they almost never mean your time zone. They mean theirs.

Think of it like catching a train in another city. The departure time is set where the train is, not where you're standing.

Here's how to never miss again:

— 1. Find the outlet's city. A New York paper runs on Eastern time.
— 2. Subtract your offset. If you're in London, 2pm Eastern is 7pm for you.
— 3. Aim to send 3-4 hours early, never at the buzzer.

A "source" is just you — the person offering a quote. Reporters often file their story before the listed deadline, so early replies get read while late ones land after the piece is written.

Try this today: pick any open query you've saved and write down its deadline in your own time zone, in plain numbers.