for next yr
exciting talk I Cup
entitled hell to talk to the press and us even
CAS welcome I want that
sees maybe he readers about say 10 times and the people who came to this
topping the first gave it the last a conference h2k to and because they did
it was a
well as through track and conferences and I think about look for people's
my sissy more people here the reason why I did the talk
a.m. was because im in the course my work I end up talking to a lot of people
about a lot of technical subjects
and I even also a policy subject to load BusinessObjects
and people tend to make the same errors over and over again
and they really couldn't make it much better fist up getting their point
across
getting into print which is what I do on to broadcast which other people do
if they understood maybe a few the rules and understood some of the
expectations what journalists do and how stories get formed
and and so on so I write for IEEE Spectrum magazine which is the flagship
publication are them
the IEEE to arstan is work to do a lot of
and just regular supportive engineering publication work
and it's pretty good place to work for because as a non-profit
we can and as an international non-profit our internal organization
half as many different views were not locked into one corporate view
we often have a lot of people would really do care deeply about making the
world a better place to technology
so I found a good good place to work our current issue is a
is this one says our nation which has a nice story about
Vernor Vinge about what it's like a legitimately to live in a and a
completely surveillance
a society where everybody has got it sensors a low themselves everybody's
experience reality is mediated cell anybody want to copy of that a few
appear so course I'm here to tell you that really tell your friends
when well we all know that the impact the truth is that we're not your friends
many times how many people here have seen an
at the movie almost famous okay
what are they called the press in that movie the enemy they I S right they
always refer to as the enemy
and when people for Ghana that the press this post for the enemy
that's where people start getting hurt and feeling betrayed and there's all
this back and forth
and journalists are not your friends when a journalist comes to that may be
very nice to be very charming
they may be very pleasant they may be a pain in the ass whatever it is
but they have a very specific agenda they want to be able to write the story
that will interest to readers AST now on a story means very specific things
they're not there to not their scholars not running academic histories
not there to write your biography they're not even their necessary to be
activists and take up your cause
you tell them they're looking for a nice story that they can tell
stories of intent have narratives so they're looking so
day maybe a hundred things there that are into it at Nichole interesting
they're really looking first at something and they can play a
international package
has a beginning a middle and an end has nice characters all our stories don't
fit that mold
are well a lot of things the real world up don't fit that mold
you really mean you're talking to a journalist try and think
you know I might am I giving a story here am I telling things the story
or am I just basie tell the kinda stuff that's more appropriate to
a text book or a chapter you know in some
academic report generally speaking journalists are looking for a story
if you can help them find a story you'll go very much the top of the list of
things that they're going to write about
am your point about this again is expectations
I've had I've talked to people to bring them up to talk to
15-30 minutes which is about the normal time you talked some night this
and they they come at a very know it to find mild you know
I did they weren't in the article at all all the recorder for couple clients
a.m. most is the time to point at the interview is not about
you journalist talk to you for two reasons usually
one is they're looking for a quote a reaction a comment
this usually only applies if you're in an organization which is reacting to
something
so happens a journalist will call you up some event has happened
the journalists will call you up for reaction and you give a couple of lines
and those lines per usual pre-match appeared to be a
and that Jerry the only happens assay with large organizations who are already
involved in ongoing
usually mature story where they really just do what the couple the lines the
quick response
most the time and I suspect most people in this audience are being interviewed
the journalist is not looking for that what they're looking for his help
understanding a topic they're doing
research so the more you can help them understand a topic
the better even if you know your words don't appear necessary imprint
when you look at a news story are a feature story and you see
all these particular fax it to mention this story will not get something for me
information anecdotes they're not necessary attributed to anybody
chances are the journalists got that because somebody told them
but yet not everybody is quoted not everybody is attributed
generally speaking they're only going to want
you know the handful a coat a really interesting that really pic added detail
and in a story the reason for this is because journalists are supposed to be
loyal to their readers before their sources
and again this comes back point journalists are not your friends
they're not supposed to be it's a journalist is your friend over be over
over
your loyalty jules is loyalty to you over loyalty the reader that's not a
journalist were tweeting
they're not supposed to be your friends when they do cross a line when that we
start and that's when you start hearing stories about your patrons
all they wouldn't write something about that person because they know that
person their friend if that person
and that's when you as a third person as a reader you get annoyed about that
that journals yet the fact remains is when your source in that happens you
don't see anything wrong with it and you
back you can't expect because he's your friend so that's not the point
journalists are not supposed to be loyal to you this post be loyal
to the readers they're also loyal to another or to another group and that's
our organization
it's right and this is why put their palms media consolidation is unfair to
expect
journalists to write stuff that are going to get themselves farkas just
doesn't happen and expecting that a journalist is going to do that is an
unrealistic expectation
that's why it's important to have lotsa voices in the media
because everybody has a blind spot their clients by disorganization
I work for the IEEE what are the chances that I am going to write an article that
says technology is bad
very very very slim now I have applied technology I personally think it's a
good thing but even if I didn't
because I'm ready for the IEEE they're not going to be too true if I if I start
me up
writing articles that say electoral technologies evil
and we shouldn't use emotional go back to you know planning firms Michael last
for long nap take their job
every journalist has a blind spot it's their own organization should beware
to when there when they're talking them and all this comes back to
the main point of this article which is you need to tailor what you're saying
to the person you're talking to and also to that person that they will be talking
to
ultimately to their audience so why should bother talking to us what I've
you know to claim is really a 0.2 Schmucks people who will listen to you
who will
betrayal to target your trust apparently betray you
the write articles which you know have various you know
non objective blind spots why bother
well the press is a really good we're getting your message out to a lot of
people
and and that's why that's why we get that's why press people get privileges
even this this conference that's why they get free entry that's why they get
my seats because the idea is
through journalist you can reach a much wider audience than you could
talking alone and to a journalist you reach a different audience
many people say well CNN it's great we have less serves
we have web pages we can reach people that way
well no because unless people have 10 have to come to you
most journalists are working for systems that they're they're basically push
systems
I write a magazine echoes at 380,000 people worldwide
people who would not necessary even know about your website to go to
so that's why it's worthwhile talking to people
I should also say that you know a lot about things are said about the media
a lot about justified but don't think that the media is among us
the tends to be BP the situation whereby people say
the media and then the image that popped into people's had a system
Bazaar amalgam of Rupert Murdoch and CNN and cable news and
all this kind of stuff there are many media outlets
even some the mainstream that you can get a fair shake it
a good example of this which was always price people until they really readers
The Wall Street Journal
la pena The Wall Street Journal is very if you look at the op-ed pages
Michael oh my this this is more ideologically driven and say
you know Fox News or something like that if you look at the op-ed pages which is
for a lot of people will do to get the time magazine
but if you actually read the journalism that goes into the rest that paper
I have to say Astley is among the most insightful and balanced reporting
around it really is worth so there's no an example of an organization we hear
Wall Street Journal
and you you have a certain image of them but actually they're reporters
really good reporters there editors really good were editors
they often do surprisingly you're bound story surprisingly inside the stores
but not in a venue you would expect so even if you think that journalists
schmuck
even if you think they're working for schmuck your organization it still offer
worth your while
talked a.m. there are also different types adjourns that should be aware of
in terms of who is worth talking to
there featureless and their sure general journalists
general journalists will often be you know you people working your daily
newspaper they may not know an awful lot about a particular subject
they might cover you know yes it might have been covering you know
Mayor Bloomberg cigarette banner simple and today they're covering you know some
technical event
they offer a car that more had her helping but again they do get to general
magellan's the other types of journalists would be are feature lists
you know these are often people who try to specialize in an area
and and get involved in stuff but again they often tend to write more
specialized
publications themselves am when the crash is a PP people ask it last time
and it did this is how you get a journalist attention am
first up never send an email I cat
you know twenty or thirty press release today
and that's including you know plus the ones that actually subscribed to an
action want to get the press releases
you know it's just it just never hits noise filter in fact most the time you
know my my
then mail filters were just filter I was joking I don't even see it
don't send a press release your best thing to do if you want to get a
journalist attention is to snail mail a letter
and this action boss you doing research if you have a point of view you want to
get across re-invent
or you're annoyed about something and you think something has gone terribly
wrong
and you want to bring some attention to it too little bit of research have a
lock
at you know what what organizations career that and then go
and use their go to the web-sites a little research and find out what
people cover that and then write a letter
to that particular journalist you know dear jim: blogs I know your story on
you know great computing aware happens to be you might also be interested in
this
and here's include press release so really
and I get so few physical letters when I get a physical letter for sockets
persistent sits on my desk
that letter gets so much more tension
any kind email would get email really is is
unsolicited e-mail sir is really dead sir
faxes of what slightly better than the male slightly better in the mail
but again I get a whole bunch of access and I sit there and I go to my go to my
you know pigeon holes I pull out my mailing your must scrap
and iPod out I got a whole bunch a fax crappy fax paper
and you know looking under any I very quickly make a decision if you write
a letter you know address that person they will guaranteed said to me the
whole thing
whereas if I get something looks like a presley's I will usually skim the first
couple lines
and that and then my decision is made often just just literally within five
seconds
recycling urgently read the whole thing right down to the your sincerely
am your thing you should do when you do send a press release
is make sure you have contact details it's really nice to be do you have a
website
as a measurement that the Hannah thank you have high quality high resolution
photographs that website
that's great because oftentimes the deadlines are approaching your tractor
needs and copying they need to photograph it's great if the
if they have your photograph to use because it well first off that they're
difficult to contact you see three know that
they're covering your your subject and secondly it's your photographs you've
gotten your choice
a viewfinder across this photograph should not just be high resolution my
lawn lamp when I first set this I said he lied
you could forecast that doesn't just mean you know 300 dots per inch image
that actually means good photographs and not everybody who can operated digital
camera knows all the submenus and
you know her hook it up to turn to webcam is a good photographer
and you know you really if you're going to if you're seriously gonna sir
publicity campaign
find someone really does good photograph talk be work maybe two student
your friend in he's actually doing in congress something that might get them
to your photographs
for you and because you know if it's gonna get big flashing red eyes or it's
washed out
UK camp used but if you give if you can't give
a news organization something they can use that's relevant to them
they'll be more than happy to use it like a a picture's worth 1000 words
am
again also another thing that that journalists are interested in
is to really try to help them put a big pot you know what's the hot across the
big picture
you know if you could write up a new cat lol we're having this big protest
against
you know the DCMA I'm wearing his big protest a freak event
well you've gotta tell 'em a little bit more than that why is it important
and if you can although it is often a lot of work you might want to do this in
in the letter to the Presleys
tell tailored specifically to the organization if there was somebody
writing for The Wall Street Journal you might want to emphasize well
we're protesting and suffer patents because we think suffer patten's retard
innovation and review means we lose out to the europeans because they've decided
not to suffer patten's
and you know discrete problem for us that's a good thing to talk to them
if you're talking to another organization other newspaper Village
Voice or something maybe it's some maybe not there then you stress what this is
about first amendment rights
is gonna take away this particular law this particular stage is gonna take my
summer freedom of expression give them the big picture
because they're not going to understand it if it if their bid beat reporter
they might be able to connect the dots you can't assume they're gonna do that
you need to give them the context need to tell them for some reason
why they should comment cover your story another twenty other news releases that
they've gone that day
what are the other beyond stories that are clamoring for attention
is really a pressing problem now last couple years have been really bad years
for certainly the print industry I think probably general broadcast broadcasting
as well
mine agassi has gone down from eighty pages have editorial 240 pages
editorial so the competition to get in to get a story and when those pages has
effectively double you know it's really tough to get in and that's across the
board
so you know York you are competing against a lot of people you have to tell
them
don't think they're just gonna know you have to tell them why
the covering your story as well as the details your particular
story am when it comes time to
actually you know you've got the journal's attention or maybe something
is happening they're called you out of the blue
which sometimes happens am you should prepare for it to you
again make sure you know the journalists working for a lost their audience
you know i'd AP reporter general poorer the writing for you know
Wired magazine or the writing for newsweek or are they waiting for the
local
xem down the shop so the writing for you Springfield community shopper
find out because that's going to that showed affect how you deliver
your particular message take time take your thoughts before an interview when i
call someone up
I'm unless it's like a press flack or so is really experience or someone I know
I've dealt with before
I always really surprised when a just while on straight into the interview
because I never
do that and most I think that nobody else that I know does that I call so we
have to make an appointment for an interview
because I like it when it had a little bit I'm think about a subject
and they prepare questions however some people just while Argentine into
don't do that because sometimes it there if especially if they if they have it
specific idea what they want to extract from you
I did a much more sometimes you come into a story you say well I wanna get
this kind a quote from this person I get back on both numbers
and if they're not really engage with the subject maybe they've got the wrong
ideas
and maybe they want to extract from you because that's damaging
or quote that feeds into a stereotype the donating
prepare perpetuate what you should do is you should say well I'm really busy
right now
or a gotta do this one thing could we talk tomorrow could we talk in 10
minutes time
ask the phone number to call you back in 10 minutes after I finish that
when it comes to thing wanna give you a better time to talk tonight other phone
number
to go his column back a little later if you if you really have to what you
should do then
in a little bit I'm you taken again pick a time that's convenient to do you a
lesser like really there's some really underlined
are you really experience that you can likes this you sit down and you think
after spiel you know what is it you want to get across the only gonna have time
really even it 30 minuti which you might think it's a long time it's not
you really only going to get a few points across do you have any
explanations that you need to make a talking about something technically
talking at latest hack
our latest security exploited in you know Internet Explorer
well how does that actually work in programs that tend to think in very
abstract art com
terms you need to recap some very concrete analogies
because and if you can do that that's a real help to the germans because you're
really trying to do at this stage is educate the journalists
you try to help them in their research they can write and I story if you do
that not only does lead to a better story
for you get known as somebody who's good is a good X
use a good explainer somebody who you can go back to later
I mean people always say you know Carl Sagan France's use again of like
briefing
we finished our me communion and fine when used in the physics community
and cool their places because Joseph bring them up asked their opinions on
things
normal yield the winer would you call Carl Sagan to talk about you know
just any signs topic they would bring him up and they would ask mister
another side to get annoyed you know Carl Sagan is not universal expert
know why to see why do I every time I read a size paper did is dis
Carl Sagan opinion matter well the reason Carl Sagan got to that point was
caused because Carl Sagan really thought you had to explain things
and so is journalists were faced with a difficult topic to understand
they knew they could bring up Carl and Carol would give them and I still sound
bite that they could then use to explain
the topic if you can get that level what you need where you can really explain
something it's really that teaching something
to somebody who is not necessarily expert in your field you can you really
matters
to do something am you know I P reporter i cover computers in space
I like to think I know a reasonable amount of topics be still would never in
a million years
ask me you know to write a compiler I'm so ugly need help
understanding certain things even though I know what a compiler does even though
you know
I'm not write a script every now and then to this day
and still tony La to help understanding of these very technical details
so what you need to do is we think how am I going to explain this is some
is regionally the Ripper he's not really into the internals
you also should set up establish orkut conditions free to
do you have any time constraints as a journalist have any time constraints is
renting you're not going to talk about
and don't be weird with your conditions though don't do don't 282 said don't do
yes Tom yes tom is famous for saying if you want to do with them you gotta use
you know the new the Knicks on this kinda stuff like this
and you get a certain men into I went out that but you know any getting an
adept any
you know he does he starts putting in these conditions the reaction to that
while there are three types adjourns
those who understand the whole canoe the next thing and you agree with him
and so they're going to do anyway those who understand and disagree with them
which case no matter I can he's going to convince them to said they should call
it
inlex and those who don't know what the hell is going on I think this is weird
and don't want to get into because they don't want a a very wary because now
they bring us right about stuff they don't fully understand
so you notice he doesn't get a huge amount oppressed and that's why because
he tends to set up
some conditions now I could be wrong but that's that's impressed their people
have given so don't just get don't do weird sure if conditions like you're on
a talk with stuff for
you know you can't use the word occur in a bad way and so on
you really just got it by yourself get across the idea that you're trying to do
during into assume you're being recorded am
yield state law varies from place to place and in New York State for example
it's isley perfectly good record if one person knows
that the recording is B is being done am i wanna cry the conversation yourself
generator shacking by six dollar induction
telephone pick up and you can take you taped the conversation if you do not
tell journalists you doing up
and you have just helps to keep everybody honest also even though I just
you know
told you how little love what you're actually Cesar appear in print s you
everything you say is going to stay in print
a.m. so what you wanna do is you don't want to you know
say something that you would regret seeing in print and again this is what
the spill is about because when you when you think
for the interview you think what don't I want to say i three
things are really want to avoid saying
and other don't still talks were noisy you know sometimes I kept these calls in
people's oh no problem I'll call you from the phone a great what do the
interview was I'm going to the airport
and I can hear maybe one word in 10 because you know he's driving down you
know
by 95 and car horns are blaring and stuff like that
or their car or the carbonyl the conference Florence always increases
don't use speakerphone sometimes I do that and it's cuz the kind you'd get it
is weird creepy feeling if you're on the phone and then they're on speakerphone
first of next hard to understand the person and they also tend to
at do this conferring on interview it's really irritating the top seven you guys
and you say you can you all see says part it is safe
and they go well I think Trish
yes it's perfectly safe you know you really not establishing a huge amount of
credibility there
at don't stray too far power from the subject at hand which means that where
you really should do you should let the journalists guy the conversation
but don't you know start well that reminds me of a strange story one day
when me in CAM cruncher
you know try and stay try and stay on topic also don't let the journalists
lead you whale
because sometimes maybe you know the journalists ring up talk that one thing
but they really got nothing to talk in the back
back their mind to let them know to a bait-and-switch
you know if they go to craze and this is where also if you've asked for am
if you ask for a little time to think about something you should ask as well
at that point one you wanna talk about
find out what they wanna talk with for had and Dentistry of you can say well we
agree to talk about Exar I had me prepared and
say about actual have to get back to you don't get you know
dolph offer that they bait and switch to have to be you know jerk about you
told me we talk about actual no comment you can just say in a very
easy way there that doesn't lead to any nasty you know comments in print you can
say
well I haven't I was a pair talk by text hem getting ready fuse
I'm just key to express at Suffolk don't get verbally aggressive top insulting to
anybody
any body including Microsoft you know don't kill come in and say well those
Microsoft sir
there Bill Gates is the devil and he sings bonnie is a complete jerk
well issued man Bill Gates personally think in fact that statement don't say
it because
it makes you come across as someone who's unreasonable who's got a personal
axe to grind
and it tends to obscure the point that you want to make
am and I means to anybody you're really keep it cool it's okay to get excited is
a really great thing and so on
but shall you want to keep your cool to come across as a reasonable
rational human being squaring shouting
getting head up does not accomplish that again this goes back to his loss a
jargon
you know try and break things down into explainable terms
you know and you know one man's you know and and really you know
do not use actions if you can possibly avoided XLS a really really
obvious ones that you would have seen you know the with the scene CNN
or the new york times use without explanation really keep the jargon
don't miss don't get into an argument a journalist because on the enough the
journalist has the last word
their writing the article even if you crush them with your
compelling logic during interview they can still go on right whatever kind of
story
they want journalists is not always going to agree with you 100 percent of
the time
that's where it is sometimes a journalist does agree with you but
they're still going to be asking contrarian questions
because they've interviewed five other people and there's a certain point to
view that they need to put across to you
so don't bother you get your brow beating just because you know the
journalist doesn't seem to have become a convert your particular
cars it's okay to give a little bit background-color:
you know you can often times the air the journalists I ask you will have did you
feel when you
discovered such-and-such you give a little bit of been given all that occur
speak slowly and clearly again tailor your answers think about not just a
journalist love compensate
but think about their audience think about what their audience
is interested in hearing about that the journal sky the conversation so again
don't go off on
long rounds put passengers can ask questions
or can follow up on questions keep notes if you not tape recording the engine
interview and even if you are you might want to just keep a little
record what was said this important because later on
it's something awful happens and and one of my colleagues violates the tenants
out profession write something wrong
you are going to have to have some way to backup you know
that you're saying that there are again explain things in concrete terms
be open for follow-up sales you be willing to say to them well you know
if you have any other questions about this or you know related topics for free
to give me a call back
suggests other names that people that they can talk to that's really
a really really good way again getting a journalist to see your will be you can
say well this is great
but you know who else you should really talk to is you know manuel said he's got
to step down cold
we've damn thing is you really at 10 yourself as a source because you become
you've just told you this really help the journalists is gonna think good
thoughts
about you Ashley interview some journalists as he merely signs
journalists
have a policy its first few most journalists don't i mean i i
get laughed at some times by my colleagues insert that straight Press
and you know when I say I by Cape Coast people to check
and budget law science journals will do that if you do have that opportunity
turn quickly
you can usually you're just being asked you did you actually say this
it's possible the time to negotiate you know a word here and there but it's not
an opportunity to rewrite history
and as a chance at the germans however you said originally on tape
so the religious doing at as a courtesy am townhouse the report you know don't
keep coming back
and calling up and saying when is at peace appearing when is a piece
appearing
you promised we'd am I getting the cover you know when is a piece appearing and
it I've had this happen to me and I have been so when Lee that I've been tempted
just
kill a story just to get back up you know just to say no that's right angle
trudeau
you know have happened a lot but I've been sorely tempted
am oftentimes a reporter does not have control
even if I go out right piece the interview people you can get spiked
often for reasons outside my control maybe a better story came up and took my
spot
you know maybe you know somebody else on the higher editorial chain
didn't particularly like that peace and if you give the reporter very hard time
all the time about it
well you know for softer public going bonkers our story got spite
and I don't particularly want to know reveal that they're not your master
their
take your universe to you and another think good thoughts about you
and the whole point of all this is is to accept that
you don't just wanna really do a journalist once you want it like getting
to relate
cultivate a relationship with a journalist to
be willing to accept that peace may not run your way happens
I mean I've written it's very very very very hard to read
right piece to opposing points of view am
that both people like I think it's only happened to me really
once am I wrote a story about at 70 using the Sun
his story Yahoo is the Nissan
owns the Nissan dot-com domain name and all the enough Nissan Motor Car
not very happy about this especially when
leuzzi start putting Caroline advertisements on its homepage
and in this whole legal thing came came back and forth in a
I actually met is your day HTK to wheedle story basins
that was the only time we're both losing me sad and Nissan Motor Corporation rang
me up to say
that was nice piece and really show their point to be with the right one
that suddenly wants and tazreen like it happened the point about it is is that
you need to go in
and look did you get your point across what's your point of view for any
represent
if the laws that's great at if it wasn't
then you might want to consider about writing a letter to the editor polite
letter
has a mind to be anonymous honest mistake might not have been
but might have been a mistake AP police that benefit at the desk
also the less aggressive you are in a less insulting you are a letter
less defensive a.m. the last offensive
the the person is going to be about and you know
well-handled complete can actually you know oftentimes
if people get a complaint you get your letter inform you can offer your letter
in a letter to the editor sometimes get a correction and sometimes you can
continue at I love with him that it helps get your point across you more so
than perhaps there is an article did
and so complain plenty to complain if you've been screwed
but do not apply to matter again back it up with some hard evidence
if you possibly can give checked in all this
is that you want to become what's known in the trade as a wise man
wise woman am which is somebody
I've few these people who I can call about a particular subject is again I'm
an expert in everything
but I can call upon I can say any you know what did you think about so-and-so
or there is this particular
you know explain why do you think about that hacker you know %um
subjects which maybe is up 100 percent under special but I know that the best
person
to give a good guess is the people I can bring up and i cant talk to
cheetah fat usually it's on the record am
and they will give me either their point of view other committees for stories
maybe sometimes at the back to the front on-the-record quotes
if you become one of those go to sources if you become somebody that that your
list
you know is happy to take your calls because you know they know you're going
to Houston every time
you can then get point you can bring them up and you can go hey Steve you
heard about this going to be this thing
I think it's important that's great that rules will take your calls because they
rely on you
it's much easier to get a story I'll that way and you also have to endure
costly educating that rules helping to shape their worldview
and so even though you might not get quote every time or the names you get
suggest every time
your worldview is going to filter into that room misperception
and that's a really nice place to be and it's very easy to start their
relationship
again in the interview try and be helpful to the journals
you know yes it is a certain amount of their ask you questions are not your
friend have their own agenda
if you can be helpful an upfront and honest explanatory
and then you know a useful resource
that your little come back to you again again and again
because you know it's hard to find people a good to explain things
technically
and you know were non-experts me all the help we can get
so that's really the goal is is trying to be is try to become rather
the co 2 to go to sources as a final note I forget to mention about
on-the-record an off-the-record can assume everything is on the record
you can sometimes you can go to a journalist again it
generally the more style mission organization that work for the more
likely they are we going to honor rules about off-the-record
on the record but as I like you know journals and Hippocratic Oath
you know where to get thrown out the profession if they if they if they if
they break what's on the record a lot of the record
you can say to someone you can say this interviews for background only
you can say that and that you generally most people are that
gets a bit tricky if you for trying to go on and off the record during an
interview
as people sometimes cloth record that I will explain when they're going back on
their
you should say wanna go off the record you say well i to go off the record here
now
say a piece and then say while gonna go back on the record
most people will Alana that but again some organizations want you have to make
a judgment based on
the research you did in a few minutes while you're waiting you know to get my
car back
to make the kind the judge what kind in organizational who is who is the roads
okay questions
okay well in my life again this is a shipwright the point that I don't
I don't always talk about who might go to sources are because sometimes I
talked about about sense to france II
my other Peters space so they're couple people in nasa for instance who I can
call up
and I can say and they and they know their locker court everything is saying
I can say what do you think about
you know how is how is how is your the Naz reorganization effect you
there a couple people like that there are a few
their offer them in their duty of the people I met a conference is a so
someone can be very something can be
you know summer has a company's their their Weatherston a guy
you know who I can call up I know that this chemical instantly and so on enough
view
if you and you can probably figure out who this is if you do very close now
says
might space later articles but I know is going to make a quote I know it's gonna
be upfront and honest there's a guy sees
he's a top level guy there are the guys who are you know I'd generally like
people who are you really want a journalist loves people who are who have
their hands on we hate it when we call up in your
talk to a PR person ago yes as great a Coe the vice president marketing
that's a terrible person talk to wanna talk twenty engineers I wanna talk to
you now we're talkin as I wanna talk to the person low down the chain
as possible usually because I can get all the other stuff to their vice
president from their press releases from the website so on
I do like hands on stuff because that gives me
unique points-of-view unique Sep which is going to make my story stand out from
the hundred or so other stories are just written from Presley's
so I do I like I like people mister the other questions
I would say she's oversubscribed II in no doubt I'll make phone calls I
should've action action actually said that
don't don't cold call people unless something is really dramatic and
happening or you have already have a relationship managers
once you've talked to a journalist you've been a source than once
then it's okay to call call because they day they know you not reaction up
Technical College case but I do like a lot of your people I got a lot of people
call me up
and it's usually a bad moment could use him in the middle of doing something
else
I call upon a guy like change middle tiers and work out what the Spurs going
on it generally does not
you know I use don't have you know Jerry does not rise level and usually going to
act because
Sam busy I but things to do the best way as they say
really the best way I am surprised people he is a more often is to
right a letter ol fashion later because the terms a signal to noise ratio
an actual letter with a Stampin 100
respect that must go straight to the top of the pop and
you know 2000 miles murder she's sign yourself up for a lot of weird stuff
paper oh my god well you know
I would say you know yeah that's bad I'm not mad at that point either
them but I do get a lot of I did a lot of press releases may get a very cursory
return get checked sir
answer sec that question was use his time in a particular individual is to
reported got to to 3000 emails
are it sorry paper press releases a week
week which is %um it is just too much your saturated
sorry
them
him
and the question was about is a process different if a company is trying to get
your
get the attention I was at the process is no different and I get a lot a
company press releases
every press releases very similar company
XYZ that has a dramatic new product service which will revolutionize
XYZ dead for more details are interviews contact
pure person here and it's really tough
you know sometimes and I have to say sometimes I have gotten good stories at
a press releases
and not a huge amount the time I would say again if your company
find out the specific person in the area that you're trying to cover
if you're running that offer find out who on that particular paper or news
organization or CNN or Alice find out who is the specific individual tends to
do that you can do that now
thankfully with what you love this search on their archive and then
right large them your blog you know dear Joe I saw your story on block
I think you might also be interested black and then tell them why because
this is significant significant advance because where the first person to use
you know as a specific new technology which is gonna become hot new thing:
yes and I'll and then I would attach the press release then its latest press
release
are useful in that they they usually have a lot good contact information to
the goodness
and of it as you to specific like very mechanical things a person needs to know
about
running a story which is what is the full
name up up the organization or person what is their address add a limited
company or the appeal see
all I kinda view all I kind of like you know just it'll be its boiler plate but
its action yesterday player play from a circles
user
share and he's asking about what happens when you know when you qualify as
hypothetically if I was going to hack the White House
I would you know go through pork 25 orders an end you all that get stopped
at becomes if I was hiking the White House I got important fight again the
question comes back to when I was talking earlier about assuming
everything you say can be seen print
also assume the quotation marks can be served moved
back and forth and anchor you
most girls will not most senior most places do manage to maintain
enough stuff not too you know makeup what he said
but they will you know choose the window again so you need to come back and think
about
this goes back to what I don't want to say you my ass in that situation
want to say I don't talk about hypotheticals alright really don't
are you know well that's something I really wouldn't be able to comment on
because
I know how to hack the White House here you know you really
that's something we ought to be careful now again you should consider the person
you're talking to use the Save got burnt
well you might have a journalist who have you have you no
or whose work you for reading you like you might think well at somebody I can
I can trust it does become down to a trust issue as much as journalists are
not your friends near the enemy in are discussing there is trust
the journalists usually is trust me you're telling them the truth
and usually they try to check they're not always able to but there is
a journalist kinda trust me you tell you know you know completely answers or bar
munchausen universe
and you're trusting their gonna report what they say actively but
you have to be thats its not abt that you do have to measure if you're not
happy
with the journalists are you think they've done you'll be sketchy step in
the past and you should know this before you go into into should look at their
website you should look at their publication
then you can say I don't talk about hypotheticals or if you do catch a quote
in such a way that it couldn't possibly be
be distorted against evidence
user
in
yeah actually an actually that's you know that's what was gonna happen
and if you are speaking if they contact you to the company you're speaking on
company time in a company phone number and blah blah blah
if you want to be treated as a private individual they say to the contact you
at work
you could say well I'm at work item that this is a part of my work
we should discuss this at all and again when you're talking about members is
setting the terms in the car
the conditions at the interview it's reasonable that point to say
I'm speaking as a private individual nothing I say
should be attributed as part of my employer's and then you have a base them
for going back if they do say you're speaking for you know
XYZ Corporation you can say no I specifically establish that the
journalist that was not the case
it is very difficult if i if i call somebody yo
in their role as you know a project manager at a particular company I'm
talking the company time
to really distinguish that you might wanna say you know
this is a personal matter I wanna call you after work
you are calling from my home phone and that makes it very hard for the
journalists to
if they are you in if you're complaining outwards to elicit well I thought they
were speaking for the company
when you can go well I told you it was a speaker the company in a major car me on
my home phone
in
min
right
well and then in that case honestly even you should really think twice about
talking to journalist
is going you very very difficult for them to distinguish
a new profession in your employer's gonna think the same thing to be able to
distinguish
your role at you because you can contact us somebody in the company
as a person particular role I copy that's why the talking to in the first
place
is gonna be almost impossible to distinguish them for that between you
and Joe show any and in any case is
it's worthless the journalists if they do that if I just consider you a private
individual I don't catch a few
in any way that you're also happen to be a you know
a researcher at Symantec or whatever happens to be
why my why are you being called in the first place is going to be the top when
the reader comes
so in many case that actually might be a situation whereby if you
you just should not talk two journals that particular case
if you can't talk officially and your position is such that the rules are
going to be
all invariably smeared that should be a case for maybe you should either
talk you are you sure either talk not talking at all
or insist re going to talk to my background or off the record
and then they can use your information in other ways but nah case that should
be a case we should be very wary that going on the press because it's going to
be very difficult for anybody
including a journalist to be able to tell your bills part as it got my
I'd this user
no I mean most the stuff is it so the question was at you know I thought
channel are material to I did out to so many my company that is going to a
central database
no mo submitted material that comes into the country into the company whether
it's
its paper or email you know is usually addressed specifically to me
am somebody might see I will be routed but it's not the jobless idiot or a
assists and someone to make those kinda
I love filtering decisions that's done by me doesn't get into into a database
my email and my email generally you know
my my filters take care a lot about and you know sometimes so I might not even
see it
you can see here's a bunch of stop so to get entered into a database and of the
times that we quickly
I with us I'll I'll make a very rapid decision
reading goes into the trash can or into I had a physical or electronic furs
trash can it's not recorded some presley sources I will record
unified don't read them but these are generally presley's i subscribe to
and that I later on think that I'm going to need to mine for particular
information such as
either the nasa HQ press release feed him I need to go back into that
but as a general rule I don't archive all press release
time for the one more question area
you I think that it would hold one more
one again it's but it's it can it stay no there you need to look to any
indicate damn I've been keeping all the facts you gotta be careful he was he
just saying this fax in december's fax
to them okay with the night in that case in that case
but but fund so the question was there there was a scientist who is taking off
love attribution for something
and other scientists call them on and send the organization with but but but
the fax
and all the organization to set up the account for scientists to know
calling out for it said there's some controversy over the attribution
unfortunately
when you if you're if I'm a final paper are I'm doing my
up onto my my day and I get all this information one person somebody else
calls me up and says
you know I'm often because again school I'm not an expert in the field
I'm often are capable make that determination I'm of non-public not
going to go out
and and call the first guy liar because
you know I'm not in a position i cant I can't vouch for the process that
evidence if the third person comes in and says
you know someone who I know again discuss my source I called my sources
here what do you think that
Joe Bloggs actually do this year was the other guy ago Isles
probably into got then I'm I'm probably more willing to do it we we do we've had
situation attribution people get upgraded and downgraded and suffered a
but in that situation right to people it would be like he said she said
thing and I'll probably just go with you know there's some controversy over the
attribution
effect new little bit more about I might be more willing to go in arguments and
drop out something or some other
again I'm not gonna campaign for you I'm not gonna start going out unlike
running a truth campaign about this particular but this particular guy
because
you that's tangential to my my role is telling optic
story
well that's perfect that's that's even better that there's just okay I think
that's about it again I have copies the hand and if anybody wants copia
I'm specter and he say one thing I am nobody's come up to me as a member the
IEEE
I have a small prize for anybody who can tell me
at what 802 died 11 years okay
alright that's a CZ want them there is OK 1394
alright okay now get 80 2.3
1,003
okay right is you also politics that's too okay now the tiebreaker
754 now
interview said Intel he said
what is it for now now sorry it's it's it
it's a floating floating-point alright their ego okay so
so give you why these
and I can you this one all right thank you very much
again gadget
hating