Many of these interviewers and/or editors already have a story line mapped out. I know a young artist who was trapped here after Hurricane Katrina, was rescued and made it back to New York. She was interviewed for several hours for the NY Times but the interview was not used because "she was too upbeat about her experience."
The local paper was going to do a feature on an unusual wedding for the Living Section. My friend allowed a reporter and photographer to interview family members,observe much of the preparations and attend the associated events and the wedding. She gave them detailed information about the associated laws and customs. The only request she made was that she and her husband be allowed to review anything that was being published so that they coudl be sure that the information was accurate. This was allowed but the article was killed by an editor who did not accept their request to delete a reporter's untrue explantion of something she observed.