Agreed.
If your child does unique/unusual things, eventually the media will find YOU, we've found. This is all the more true for physically attractive children, or those that seem to be 'stereotype-busters' since they are more desirable from a media standpoint. Besides, if they win contests, or earn awards, that kind of thing is almost automatically newsworthy in some places.
My DD, for example, gets a LOT of attention for her entepreneurial activities and anything STEM-- probably because she looks so... well, dainty and girly.
We've said "no, thank you" to a LOT of requests. But "yes" to a few.
For example:
my daughter started her own business when she was nine. She came up with a model that profit-shares with a local community assistance agency. At the end of her fiscal year, she made a significant donation to the non-profit, and they were sufficiently impressed that they notified the local newspaper... and word got around that she was witty, pretty, articulate, and highly principled... oh, and female. Naturally, this is the kind of "feel good" neighborhood story that most media agencies love.
DD wanted to do it, so we allowed it. (With some reservations.) She appeared on the front page of the local paper (we don't live in a large city, but neither a tiny town), and was on regional nightly news broadcasts in a neighboring metropolitan area. DD's rationale was that her business model is something she'd LIKE for other kids to adopt, because it is just plain good for everyone involved. It's not about the intellectual property for her-- so why not spread the word and do more good in the world?
ETA: one more thing about this, too-- when the TV reporter asked "how old are you" I intervened. We'd rather have grade/school out there than her age, and never both, since that isn't what the media appearance was about.
I talk relatively little about specific identifiable achievements online (anywhere) because I feel that probably poses the greater risk to her privacy long-term. I don't ever FB about my daughter.
