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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.
