Tips for talking to a reporter, part 2

When it comes to being quoted in the newspaper, there are many versions of what you said: what you actually said, what you think you said, what you meant, what you would have said if you had had more time to think about it, what the reporter heard, what the reporter thinks you said, and what the reporter wishes you had said.

Some newspaper reporters use recording devices for interviews. I don't know how much that has changed in the years since I was a reporter, but most reporters who have been at it a while don't like them. They don't have the time to go back to some quiet place and patiently transcribe you word for word. They scribble the best sentences (in terrible shorthand) in their notebooks, then endeavor to reconstruct your quotes when they are actually writing the piece. It's a skill that you get better at with experience.

The truth is, 9 times out of 10, if they transcribed you exactly as you said it, you would probably sound stupid. Most people do not realize how many incorrect words, pauses, and bad phrases they use when they talk. As a reporter, I would frequently "clean up a person's quote" so they didn't sound idiotic.

Example, of what you really said:
"People don't get that we don't always mean to give them the wrong information. I mean, it's difficult sometimes with all that's going on, saying the right thing and the public getting the message wrong."

What my article would say you said:
"We don't mean to give the public the wrong information," he said. "Sometimes, it's difficult with everything going on to put out a clear message."

Yeah, send me a thank you note for that one, buddy.

In journalism school, we argued a lot about whether this was ethical. Clearly, I felt pretty comfortable making people sound more intelligent. Plus, it made my story readable. Occasionally, if I thought someone was an ass, I'd put his or her quote in verbatim and let their inability to speak come through in the article.

If you want to be quoted very exactly, you have some options. You can ask a reporter to submit his or her questions to you in an email. Doing this ensures that you have a record of exactly what you said. Some reporters are OK with this method, and others hate it. They'd rather have a face to face conversation. You might try a hybrid of this method if you're being interviewed for an article about you. Ask the reporter to send you a list of questions beforehand, write back answers, and then sit down for a face-to-face to fill in the blanks. Most celebrities do it this way (sometimes with the face-to-face first, then emails afterwards).

You can record the interview yourself. Many mobile phones now have the capability to record a conversation, either on a phone call or simply as a tape recorder when you're standing in frnt of someone. If you are recording a phone conversation, be sure to tell them that you are recording it. I think that's a law in a lot of states. I don't advise making comments to reporters by text message.

In some cases, if you know that the reporter is going to use a specific quote in an article, you might ask if you can review that one quote that he/she plans to use in an article. Reporters will almost never run an entire story by you for your input (it's a pride thing), but one quote is usually not a problem. I would sometimes do this with sources that I spoke to frequently. It helped to build trust. But, if I didn't like the person, I would never allow it.

Until you know a reporter, hold back and talk less. A student reporter who is new to this will try to scribble down every last word you said. That's really annoying. You're trying to have a conversation and they are slowly transcribing the sentence you said 2 minutes ago and asking you to repeat it. (Ugh!)

Speak in shorter sentences, get to the point, and don't go into lengthy explanations. Keep it simple, and there's less chance for it to be screwed up.

Tips for talking to a reporter

A couple of brief thoughts this morning about three ways you can share information with a student newspaper reporter.

"On the Record" means that everything you say can be used with attribution directly to you. Absolutely anything you say on the record can be used. That doesn't mean that the reporter has an obligation to use any of it, or that what you say will be used in a way that you like. He or she might pull a quote that you think is completely stupid... but they can do whatever they want. The reporter's obligation is to quote you as closely as possible.

Example, you could say: "On the record... It's the position of the student government that the administration could do more to help financially struggling students during these tough economic times. Personally, I know many students who need help quickly."

"Background" means that they can use what you say, but will not attribute it to you by name. Ever seen news stories where they attribute information to a "top White House advisor"? Yeah, that's probably Condoleeza, but she didn't want it attributed to her by name. It's a way to get information out that serves a purpose, without putting your butt on the line. It also doesn't carry as much weight as an attributed quote. This is best done with a reporter you trust not to hang you out to dry.

Example, you could say: "This is background, and you can attribute this to a student government senator, but not to me by name. The administration has not been forthcoming with the SGA about its plans for emergency financial aid, and until they start speaking honestly with us, our hands are completely tied."

"Off the Record" means the reporter can't use the information in an article. Usually you tell a reporter something off the record, and then it's up to the reporter to go corroborate the information somewhere else if he chooses to. Reporters don't love "off the record," but will take it if it's all they are going to get from you. This is really tricky, because many young reporters don't know how to use "off the record" information and get pretty fired up about juicy information. I have known people who have lost their jobs because they thought they were giving a reporter "off the record" information, and then the reporter divulged the source. Just give it some thought before you go this direction.

Example, you could say: "This is off the record. You can not use this in your article. The president's discretionary budget is up over 30-percent this year while students are struggling to buy books. You should check into that."

People give reporters off the record information when they want to move a discussion forward and know it's going to piss someone off. But, it's dangerous.

If you are not experienced at working with student reporters, you should only speak on the record and be willing to put your name behind what you say. "Background" and "off the record" are tricky, and you need to be pretty wise to use them correctly. Also, you should not assume that a student reporter understands these terms, so be clear what you mean. If you're worried, tape the discussion yourself. I just downloaded a cool audio recorder on my iPhone that would work great for this purpose.

Don't assume that something is off the record because you're saying it at a party, or because you think the camera is turned off. Whenever talking to a reporter, be sure you both understand whether your comments are off or on the record. The default is "on" and many people have screwed themselves thinking they were chatting off the record when the reporter thought differently. As a former reporter, I was always "on the record" unless told otherwise.

What is your student government doing for students in financial crisis?

The economy, gas prices, and the dwindling availability of credit will put a big pinch on many students returning to campus this Fall. If you are involved in student government, one of your first topics in the Fall should be, "What are we doing for students in financial crisis?"

Many students – especially those who are non-traditional – struggle mightily with financial issues such as hunger, child care, transportation costs, and coping with the costs of higher education. Up until this year, many of these students would simply take out loans or credit cards to buy books or to cope with other financial demands, but now those resources are tightening or disappearing altogether. This Fall, there will be many more students who are under tremendous stress to pay for the things that make higher education possible.

The Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU - their student government) has a number of committees that deal specifically with these issues, helping students in need. Their "Social Resources" committee operates several programs that deal with child care, hunger, and health care. If your student government does not have a committee specifically geared in this direction, now might be a good time to think about creating one. The need this year is going to earn some press, and this is a chance for you to be proactive.

Whether your student government has its own resources to help, or can get active to lobby for assistance from the university or another source, you will help to build greater appreciation and loyalty to your organization by putting it to work on these important issues. Serve your constituents. In times of need, there is no greater work your student government can do.

Greek Housing = Binge Drinking?

Discussion Starter

College students who live in Greek housing are more likely to binge drink (58.7%) than those living off campus (45.0%) or in a campus residence hall (31%).

Source: CASA 2007

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, Oct. 19

Have you heard of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week? It's always the third Sunday in October through the following Saturday. Started by the Inter-Association Task Force in 1983, the observance was meant to draw national attention to issues surrounding alcohol abuse in the college environment.

NCAAW is a great opportunity to do some programming that emphasizes not only the poor choices many studens make, but also the fact that most college students make HEALTHY choices about the use or non-use of alcohol. Don't just focus on the problems -- focu on the good things that many people are doing to keep their friends safe. Promote ideas like being the designated driver, for example.

NCAAW officially begins Oct. 19, 2008, but many schools choose an alternate week when it conflicts with Homecoming or other big observances. The BACCHUS Network offers a bunch of promotional items that can help you create some awareness on your campus.

New CAMPUSPEAK catalog available for download

The new CAMPUSPEAK catalog is at the printers, but as usual, we've posted it on our company website for early download for those who can't wait to see what's new and exciting. To download a PDF of the catalog, go here.

We've combined our speakers catalog and our interactive workshops into one document. We have eight new speakers. And the biggest news of all is that our speakers are offering "added value" items for those who book them – everything from free CD's to gift certificates and more. It's pretty cool. Just our little way to usher in our 10th anniversary year.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

I'm not here to make friends...

What would you say is the biggest reason students join organizations when they get to college? To make friends, perhaps? Well, if so, they aren't getting that message from today's reality TV contestants.

This video is absolutely hysterical. Wouldn't it be a hoot to show it at the start of new member recruitment and ask potential members, "Are you here to make friends?"

Enjoy.

Go easy on us, Headbanger

This posting was originally run August 2007. Re-running by request. Enjoy.


OK, so you've had a great summer. Maybe you attended UIFI, or your fraternity/sorority leadership event, or some other summer conference. Your entire perspective on leadership has changed. You have a notebook full of ideas, and you can't wait to whip your group into shape the minute school starts.

Oh, God. They're going to hate you.

Imagine a guy who went to three concerts for the same band this summer. He's become a disciple. He comes back to school, and all he listens to are CDs for that band. He wears the t-shirt every day. All he can talk about is how amazing a time he had at the concert. Over, and over, and over. He thinks anyone with a shred of taste should be "into" this band. He's constantly bugging you to buy the CD, go to a concert, and share his enthusiasm. He's become a headbanger, and he's driving everyone nuts.

Yeah, don't be that guy.

Take some time before school, and think of the best four or five ideas you gained from your leadership experience this summer. Which ones are simple fixes, and which ones will require a lot of sales, nurturing and politicking? Then, enter into the new school quietly, and let the ideas for change emerge gradually. Don't overwhelm everyone.

If you've "seen the light" this summer, your job isn't to shine the light in their face. Your job is to help them find a match so they can build a small fire and find some of the light on their own.

It doesn't matter what you meant to do, it matters what you did

When you're a parent, you say certain things to your kid over and over. Some of these mantras you learned from your own parents, and they get passed on from generation to generation. Some come out of your mouth, and you're not sure where the hell they came from. When you get a nugget of wisdom that works on your kid, you tend to stick with it.

When my son lectures his children someday, here's the one that he will recycle from me. I've used it about a thousand times on him:

It doesn't matter what you meant to do. It matters what you did.

Not sure if I stole that from someone, but man, I have gotten some serious mileage out of it. Isaiah would do something wrong, and he would go to great lengths to try to excuse his behavior. He would tell me why didn't mean to do something wrong. How he meant to do something entirely different. How he meant to just do this, but then this other thing happened.

It doesn't matter what you meant to do. It matters what you did.

Just as the ends don't justify the means, the means don't justify the ends. When we do something wrong, we can't explain it away by what we meant to do. We have to stand up and apologize for the outcomes of our behavior. Yes, perhaps intent can soften the hurt feelings, but it doesn't excuse the result.

I understand that you didn't intend to crash my car into a tree, but you did, and now we have a situation. I understand that you meant to replace the $20 in my wallet that you borrowed without permission, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you took it.

Try it in the context of student affairs. I understand that you meant to turn in that form and it was a stressful week academically, but you didn't turn in the form. I know you didn't mean for anyone to get hurt at the party, but someone did. I know that you meant to pay your dues, but then that emergency car repair came up. Honestly, I'm very sorry, but:

It doesn't matter what you meant to do. It matters what you did.

Feel free to print it on a banner and hang it in your office.

Last night, I was in my office at home, and I was passively watching the finale of The Bachelorette. Actually, it was the "After the Rose" show, or whatever they call the post-game analysis. Pretty hysterical, and yet nauseating at the same time.

My son walked in during the segment where the woman and the guy she didn't choose have a little confrontation and share their hurt feelings. Great stuff. DeAnna Pappas is telling Jason (the Abercrombie model) why she chose the other guy (Jesse, the sensitive, needy snowboarder). In the typical tearful explanation, DeAnna tells Jason how she never meant to hurt him.

"Yeah, well," my son says out loud, "Doesn't matter what you meant to do. Matters what you did, Lady. Guess you shouldn't have gone on a reality TV show where you'd be breaking guys' hearts, should you?"

It was a proud moment in this parent's life.

The Urge to End It All

There's a really, really interesting article in today's New York Times Magazine about the impulsive nature of most suicide attempts. If the topic of suicide prevention interests you, I recommend you read the article. I found myself very surprised by some of what I read there.

This article would be a great "staff reading" for those in residence life, counseling, peer education, and more.

The beauty of ad hoc committees

The "ad hoc committee" is one of the very best student leadership tools you're probably not using. Most organizations have a provision which allows the formation of special short-term committees to address specific organization challenges. If your constitution doesn't mention ad hoc committees, and there's nothing specifically prohibiting them, then you should experiment with them this next academic year.

OK, so here's the idea. Let's say that you're having a terrible time finding a chapter advisor. Create an "ad hoc committee" of selected members, and charge the ad hoc committee with working on the problem. You can create a committee to work on almost any problem: member retention, housing, public relations, constitutional revision, safety issues, whatever.

When you create a committee, you should specifically designate the amount of time that the committee will exist – usually a semester or less. Make the ad hoc committee's job a very specific one.

Why would you use ad hoc committees? Perhaps there's a chronic problem in your organization and you want some energy focused on solving it. Or, perhaps you have an issue that is very controversial and requires a lot of input from the membership. In this case, you can turn it over to an ad hoc committee instead of burdening yourself as an officer to get it resolved.

Ad hoc committees are also a great way to give someone something to do. Let's say that the person who ran against you for president (and lost) now has nothing to do. Maybe this person is now causing problems, or is simply drifting away from the organization. Putting this person in charge of an ad hoc committee to address a real problem might pull them back in and give them something meaningful to do. A lot of groups use this strategy for past officers.

An important note... if you're going to create an ad hoc committee, you need to give it some actual authority. Give the committee a real problem to solve. It's a very bad idea to have an ad hoc committee do a bunch of work, then you and your executive board come along at the end and change everything or veto the committee's work. That will just annoy everyone.

If you're going to create an ad hoc to tackle a problem, let the committee and its leaders do their job and respect the work they do. For those of you who are control freaks, this might be pretty challenging!

24-hour help available for gay and questioning young people

Our society and our campuses are a lot more gay-friendly than they were a decade ago. People are used to seeing gay characters on TV shows with regular frequency. Most college students say that having gay friends or roommates is not a big deal.

But, we forget that coming out is still a relatively brutal emotional process for a lot of college students. We can't confuse the improving environment with the still difficult individual journey.

According to a 2005 study done by the Massachusetts Department of Education, youth who think they might be gay, lesbian, bisexual or have gender identity issues are four times more likely to seriously contemplate suicide than the average teenager. Every year, I hear about students who have committed suicide on college campuses after struggling unsuccessfully with their sexual orientation. Others turn to alcohol, drugs, or other unhealthy choices to cope with their struggle.

I was excited to learn today that the organization called The Trevor Project now has a 24/7 hotline to help young people struggling with their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The number is (866) 4-U-TREVOR. They are getting 15,000 calls a year, which is amazing.

Every volunteer working the hotline receives more than 40 hours of training so that they can help identify resources for callers nationwide. Their website also has a confidential Q&A forum that has lots of good reading for folks who feel most comfortable with that sort of research.

It's important that you let young men and women in your campus community know that there are anonymous resources they can turn to, like the Trevor Project. Do your community a favor and make sure that the hotline's number is plastered all over your residence hall, student center, fraternity life office, athletic department and more. Put it on your student organization's websites, even.

If you are part of an LGBT student group, this is a great resource to publicize throughout your campus. There are many young men and women who might never come to your meetings, but who would make a call to anonymously speak to a caring person.

Kappa Alpha Psi presents Seduction Sundays

Looks like parties involving alcohol and the objectification of women are no longer the exclusive purview of historically-white Greeks. Check out this advertisement appearing all over Facebook for a party being sponsored by the men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., at the University of Minnesota.

The fun starts this weekend. Valet parking available.

Frequently, I hear from NPHC members that they don't need to hear messages about parties involving alcohol. Even if this event is not typical of an event sponsored by an NPHC organization, I think it shows that historically-Black Greeks are not above being involved in discussions of risk management issues. The sponsorship of an event like this has definite risk management implications.

Nice graphic in the poster, too, don't you think? I'll leave you to discuss the taste of that one on your own.