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Decline an interview request
Free template · Press and media

Decline an interview request politely: email template

A polite way to decline a journalist's interview request while keeping the relationship and offering an alternative.

When to use it

You cannot or should not take part in a story, but want to stay on good terms with the journalist.

The template

Fill in the fields to personalize it, then copy the finished email. Everything stays in your browser.

Fill in the details

0 of 6 filled

Preview

Subject

Re: [story topic]
Hi [journalist name],

Thank you for thinking of us for [story topic]. We're going to pass on this one, as [short reason].

[optional alternative, such as a background briefing or another expert]

I'd be glad to help with future stories on [topics you can speak to].

Best,
[your name]

Tips

Send it from a shared inbox

In Tutti, templates like this one live in your workspace with the same [tokens]. AI drafts replies from the full thread and leaves anything it does not know as a placeholder, and a teammate approves before anything sends. Have your own template? Try the free email personalizer.

Further reading: How to respond to a journalist request.

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