Students get "how to's" from Hill press secretaries
By LeAnne Gendreau and Anna Stechert
The student reporters of the Boston University Washington News Service wrapped up their second week in Washington, DC. by gathering tips on working with Congress from Boston University graduate Mike Waldron (COM '97), communications director for Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). |
From left, Lawrence Pacheco, Make Waldron, and Taryn Fritz, joined by Director Linda Killian, talk about the relationship between press secretaries and reporters.
-Photo, White
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Along with Waldron, Taryn Fritz, communications director for Rep. Henry Bonilla, (R-Texas) and Lawrence Pacheco, communications director for Rep. Mark Udall, (D-Colo.), shared their Hill experiences in working with reporters to get the students started on their semester of covering politics as Washington correspondents for New England newspapers.
They advised the students to start off relationships by being friendly but professional. Press secretaries and reporters sometimes need to work together for years. They also stressed the importance of setting ground rules for what is "on the record" and "off the record," asking intelligent questions that show you have done your research and just getting along.
Set the rules of the interview to avoid destroying the relationships you are building, they advised. The terms "off the record," "background" and "deep background" are ambiguous, so define or clarify them with each person you work with. Keep the rules solid and confirm that what is said is on the record unless they say otherwise.
Sometimes reporters will need to interview people who are not well versed in working with the media in order to understand an issue and get all the facts straight. Congressional offices often have strict rules, so go through the press secretary to arrange the meeting.
Printing inaccurate information or making personal attacks are the surest ways to get on the bad side of a press secretary, they said. You may get a return call from the press secretary but chances are they won't race to put their boss on the phone with you - maybe ever again. |
Photo, White |
They also recommended communicating with the press secretary in the manner most convenient for him or her and think ahead to handle several stories in one interview if possible. The staff is as busy as the members and quick, organized communication should be the rule with anyone you interview from the Hill. Also call to see what is going on to keep up on the Congress member's agenda.
Know the personality of the member to make the interview as useful as possible.
And of course, keep the story fair. We are not writing public relations pieces, we are writing news. Make sure to explain an issue in context.
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