No Turtles" Faculty-Media Relations

I read this article with interest because I've been on the other side of this a few times as a reporter. In fact I thought about writing a guidebook for faculty members who are about to be interviewed. There are a lot of accusations about the press getting it wrong, but faculty members, as the author pointed out, enable the problem. Reporters will ask dumb questions. That's part of the process and a way of getting at the truth. Try not to treat them like the awkward kid in the class or a lower form of life when they do that. It's rude and patronizing and does you no good in the long run. If they misunderstand, then explain it as you would to a child of six years old. Be prepared to repeat yourself, because the same question will be asked about six different ways. Answer patiently and completely each time.

Do not demand prior review of the article to make sure "they got it right". No legitimate reporter can agree to this. They could even be fired for doing it because that makes them your publicist and not an objective observer. Providing well-written press materials with all the technical terms spelled correctly and defined in simple eighth-grade English without jargon will also help their accuracy. (If you can't be bothered, then get your Media Relations people to do this.)

The average television interview is four minutes. Keep it simple.

Realize that a reporter has a boss called an editor, and if there are errors, they are more likely to occur at this level than hers. Editors tend to simplify, condense and conflate quotes because they want to save space and/or time. As a reporter I've spent hours correcting these corrections. Sometimes it's a real fight. I once got into serious trouble over a misspelled name caught by a fact-checker. But I was using the spelling given by the person's partner.

After that I always ask to see the name in writing on a press release or business card. (We don't rewrite releases, but we do use them for accuracy.) Remember that space in print publications is a limited resource. It's an article, not a dissertation and there are seldom footnotes of any kind. Reporters have deadlines and will talk to other people on the same subject.

Finally, a reporter is not your enemy and can be your friend. You can become a trusted source. LIncoln Stephens, when he was paid by the column inch, developed the habit of going back for comments to people he had previously interviewed. That made him the highest paid reporter on the paper until they caught wise and put him on salary.

Be kind especially to young reporters and freelancers. They tend to have long memories.

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