Comments on: How Not To Deal With The Media http://davefleet.com/2007/12/how-not-to-deal-with-media/ Exploring the intersection of communications, marketing and social media Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:45:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Josh Turner http://davefleet.com/2007/12/how-not-to-deal-with-media/#comment-56 Josh Turner Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:22:34 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=74#comment-56 Hi Dave...A good posting that I'll show to others in the future. Getting into a fight with anyone on email is never a good idea whether that person is a journalist or not. Email just has that nasty tendency to show up when you least expect it. Here's something I'll post on my site. It is by far the worst case I've seen of handling the media. Have a look: http://www.myragantv.com/video/?d=299 Josh Hi Dave…A good posting that I’ll show to others in the future. Getting into a fight with anyone on email is never a good idea whether that person is a journalist or not. Email just has that nasty tendency to show up when you least expect it.

Here’s something I’ll post on my site. It is by far the worst case I’ve seen of handling the media.

Have a look: http://www.myragantv.com/video/?d=299

Josh

]]> By: Mark Grabowski http://davefleet.com/2007/12/how-not-to-deal-with-media/#comment-55 Mark Grabowski Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:40:44 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=74#comment-55 Good post. As a former journalist who now works as a communication professor and runs a PR agency, I concur. I would add: People, especially government officials, need to remember that a journalist's job is to write a story. That doesn't mean s/he has to write *your* story. For example, say a community decides to install parking meters. A journalist could lead his story by discussing how community members voiced their opposition to this, calling it "slimy" and "greedy." On other other hand, a journalist could lead with, "To avoid a budget deficit without raising taxes, town officials will install parking meters..." The first lead seems negative and the second lead sounds pro government. But neither is factually inaccurate. Yet, as a journalist, I've encountered government officials who would go as far as attempting to get a reporter fired for writing a lead like the first one. Such reaction is absurd and, in the end, the government official only looks bad. You should never make enemies with the press because you can't win that battle. Of course, if there's a factual mistake, you should seek a correction. The vast majority of journalists strive to be accurate and objective. But, as you advise, be reasonable, don't take things personally and don't look for trouble. Good post. As a former journalist who now works as a communication professor and runs a PR agency, I concur.

I would add: People, especially government officials, need to remember that a journalist’s job is to write a story. That doesn’t mean s/he has to write *your* story.

For example, say a community decides to install parking meters. A journalist could lead his story by discussing how community members voiced their opposition to this, calling it “slimy” and “greedy.” On other other hand, a journalist could lead with, “To avoid a budget deficit without raising taxes, town officials will install parking meters…”

The first lead seems negative and the second lead sounds pro government. But neither is factually inaccurate.

Yet, as a journalist, I’ve encountered government officials who would go as far as attempting to get a reporter fired for writing a lead like the first one.

Such reaction is absurd and, in the end, the government official only looks bad. You should never make enemies with the press because you can’t win that battle.

Of course, if there’s a factual mistake, you should seek a correction. The vast majority of journalists strive to be accurate and objective. But, as you advise, be reasonable, don’t take things personally and don’t look for trouble.

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