Many companies are now looking to add media screening when hiring at the executive level. Media screening is a comprehensive search through various databases to access thousands of news sources including newspapers, trade publications, professional journals, articles, transcripts, etc. The results of this search can include award nominations and other achievements by the applicant, community and industry association involvement, business and job disputes, references to criminal activity, or other potentially negative information. It is important to note that media screening is not the same as social media screening. Media screening practices go beyond what the potential employee shares with you during the interview but don’t cross the line into the “personal” aspect of social media checks. Media searches can complement your background screening efforts by providing information about incidents or investigations that may not be reflected in official records and can also highlight the positives about an individual that might not come through in the interview process. Employers may want to give more weight to information that has been “published” versus what has been “posted.”
