This is in response to "I was just contacted by the media," but I thought it deserved it's own thread.
I used to work as a reporter (radio and newspaper) and I have a degree in Journalism. I'm also a shooter, instuctor, and RKBA advocate, so I have a different perspective then most of you.
You guys seem focused EXCLUSIVELY on the risks that the reporter will "twist my words around" and that he's basically "out to get you" so he can write an anti-gun story.
Yes, that can and sometimes does happen. But, if you just focus on the worst-case scenario, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities to get out the pro-RKBA message.
If you are just "Joe average" gun owner, you can always decide to never talk to reporters, and nothing much is lost. But, if you are the president of your local club, or very active in local RKBA politics, or own the local gun store, or are a local instructor, you may be approached by a reporter and if you can get across a pro-RKBA message, you should.
There are ways to manage the risks and ways to get your message across at the local level. If you can develop some relationships with reporters at your local newspaper, radio, or TV station, you can become their "go to guy" when they need someone from the pro-gun side for a story. That gives you many opportunities to get out a pro-RKBA message even if it's just by coming across as a credible, intelligent, person who is a "good face" for local gun owners.
First off, at the local level, the biggest problem isn't with "reporter bias" it's really with "reporter ignorance." Most reporters have no first hand knowledge or experience with guns and only know what they've learned from the movies, TV news, and other mass media. (The national level media is a whole different thing and there is, obviously, a culture of disinformation for pro-gun control purposes at that level).
If a local reporter wants to talk to you, this is your opportunity to actually educate them on the realities of firearms and gun ownership. If you do it right, they won't even realize what you've done.
The key is to be accessible, be personable, stay on message, and realize that your goal is to just get across the factual info and be a good representive for gun owners, not to try to "win the argument."
In most cases, a local reporter is just looking to get another source or perspective for his story. He's not looking to do a hatchet job on anybody or deliberately try to make anyone look bad. Mistakes in the final story are going to be due to ignorance or misunderstanding, not malice.
One thing to realize is that not everyone is going to be comfortable talking to the press or be able to do so effectively. You do need to be reasonably confident and articulate and willing to take the risk that you might look bad in the end.
Here's some tips for working with the press:
Be polite and professional. If nothing else, present yourself as a good image of how you want gun owners to be seen. This may be an opportunity to challenge any sterotypes or preconceived notions the reporter has. (Leave the camo at home, unless it's hunting season and your talking about hunting).
Be personable. Not everyone is "warm and fuzzy," but you want to come across at least as "friendly" not "prickly" or "paranoid."
Realize that EVERYTHING you say, even in casual conversation or as a joke, is fair game to the reporter. It's NOT "Nothing counts until the OFFICIAL INTERVIEW starts." Instead any part of your conversation can be used from the time you first talk to them to arrange the meeting until the last time you talk to them before the story is written. This is what can trip you up if you aren't careful. Just be aware you are "on camera" the whole time and don't say anything you wouldn't want repeated in the newspaper the next day.
The only exception is if you specifically say something is "off the record" and the reporter agrees. Really, I can't think of any time you'd need to go off the record in most circumstances. But, those are the magic words if you need to tell them something that you don't want in print.
Treat the reporter as a competent professional. This is where the ideas of "taping the interview for your own safety" and "asking to see the story before it's in print" can bite you in the ass.
If you tape the interview, you're just telling the reporter that you don't trust him and are lookng for something to use against him if you don't like the story. It comes across as kinda paranoid, and that's not the impression you want to give. Even if they misquote you, what are you going to do with that tape anyway? Sell it to the local TV station? Not likely. Even if you think it would help you win a libel case, the odds that they misquoted you to the extent that it's libelous are so very low.
Asking to see a copy ahead of time is not as bad, but still questions their ability. Most reporters won't let you see it anyway and most newsrooms have a specific policy against it as well.
What you can do is say something like, "You can see what a complicated subject this is. Did I do a good job explaining XXXX?" and then go over the main point you wanted to get across in slightly different words. By rephrasing the topic slightly you give the reporter another chance to understand the message.
Let the reporter know they can contact you when they are writing if they need to clarify anything you said. Make it sound like you didn't trust *your* abilty to communicate the info, instead of questioning *their* ability to comprehend the info.
Stay focused on the topic and on the message you want to send. Don't get sidetracked or digress on other issues. When the reporter contacts you, ask what the story is about. Then when you talk to them, stick to that topic.
If you are the club president of a campus firearms club, talk about the club and it's members how it fits into the campus scene. Don't talk about the DC vs. Heller court case or a new AWB or the Virginia Tech shootings.
If you *are* the president of a college gun club, and the reporter asks how you can promote guns to college students after Virginia Tech, just say something like, "That really has nothing to do with the topic we are talking about. Our club is about the safe and responsible use of firearms" and don't let them sidetrack you.
One of the best ways you can develop some good relationships with reporters and get your message across is by contacting them first. If your club is hosting a special event, say a Youth Shoot, or a Women on Target event, try to get some media to attend. Send out press releases ahead of time and follow up by targeting some editors and reporters individually. Events like these are really the best chance you have to get some pro-RKBA publicity.
If possible, try to get the reporters to shoot. We had a female reporter shoot at our last Women On Target event and even though she wrote that she was "Scared of guns" the article was pretty positive and got us some publicity. I've had people tell me they plan to attend our next event just because they saw the article.
If your an instructor, invite a local reporter out to your class sometime. Look at the features section for ideas of who to contact or contact the features editor.
Now, there are times when you don't want to talk to reporters. The most obvious one is when you *know* this particular reporter is rapidly anti-gun. I wouldn't return a phone call to Mitch Albolm, for instance. Another example would be right after some tragedy involving a firearm. If your a self-defense instructor, then maybe, but if you're the president of your local campus shooting club or you own a local gun shop, I'd stay out of the press in those cases.
The last thing I'll say is that you really have no control over how the final article will appear. All you can control is how you present yourself and what you say.
If there are honest mistakes, contact the reporter privately and point them out, if they are worth mentioning.
If the article was factual and fair, even if you disagree with some of the viewpoints, contact the reporter and thank him for doing a good job. He'll be likely to remember you the next time.
If they distorted your words or took them out of context in an obvious effort to make you look bad, complain. Contact the editor and explain that you were manipulated, misrepresented, or lied to (whatever is appropriate) and ask for a correction or clarification. No matter what you think, there are professional ethics in the newsroom, and outright distortion is a violation.
Remember, your local newspaper and other media are you best way to reach the majority of the people out there who are really uninformed or unengaged in gun related issues. It's those undecided folk in the middle who we need to tilt our way.
If all the pro-RKBA people are too scared to talk to the reporters, the only messages that are going to get out are the messages from the anti-gunners. Don't let that happen.
I used to work as a reporter (radio and newspaper) and I have a degree in Journalism. I'm also a shooter, instuctor, and RKBA advocate, so I have a different perspective then most of you.
You guys seem focused EXCLUSIVELY on the risks that the reporter will "twist my words around" and that he's basically "out to get you" so he can write an anti-gun story.
Yes, that can and sometimes does happen. But, if you just focus on the worst-case scenario, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities to get out the pro-RKBA message.
If you are just "Joe average" gun owner, you can always decide to never talk to reporters, and nothing much is lost. But, if you are the president of your local club, or very active in local RKBA politics, or own the local gun store, or are a local instructor, you may be approached by a reporter and if you can get across a pro-RKBA message, you should.
There are ways to manage the risks and ways to get your message across at the local level. If you can develop some relationships with reporters at your local newspaper, radio, or TV station, you can become their "go to guy" when they need someone from the pro-gun side for a story. That gives you many opportunities to get out a pro-RKBA message even if it's just by coming across as a credible, intelligent, person who is a "good face" for local gun owners.
First off, at the local level, the biggest problem isn't with "reporter bias" it's really with "reporter ignorance." Most reporters have no first hand knowledge or experience with guns and only know what they've learned from the movies, TV news, and other mass media. (The national level media is a whole different thing and there is, obviously, a culture of disinformation for pro-gun control purposes at that level).
If a local reporter wants to talk to you, this is your opportunity to actually educate them on the realities of firearms and gun ownership. If you do it right, they won't even realize what you've done.
The key is to be accessible, be personable, stay on message, and realize that your goal is to just get across the factual info and be a good representive for gun owners, not to try to "win the argument."
In most cases, a local reporter is just looking to get another source or perspective for his story. He's not looking to do a hatchet job on anybody or deliberately try to make anyone look bad. Mistakes in the final story are going to be due to ignorance or misunderstanding, not malice.
One thing to realize is that not everyone is going to be comfortable talking to the press or be able to do so effectively. You do need to be reasonably confident and articulate and willing to take the risk that you might look bad in the end.
Here's some tips for working with the press:
Be polite and professional. If nothing else, present yourself as a good image of how you want gun owners to be seen. This may be an opportunity to challenge any sterotypes or preconceived notions the reporter has. (Leave the camo at home, unless it's hunting season and your talking about hunting).
Be personable. Not everyone is "warm and fuzzy," but you want to come across at least as "friendly" not "prickly" or "paranoid."
Realize that EVERYTHING you say, even in casual conversation or as a joke, is fair game to the reporter. It's NOT "Nothing counts until the OFFICIAL INTERVIEW starts." Instead any part of your conversation can be used from the time you first talk to them to arrange the meeting until the last time you talk to them before the story is written. This is what can trip you up if you aren't careful. Just be aware you are "on camera" the whole time and don't say anything you wouldn't want repeated in the newspaper the next day.
The only exception is if you specifically say something is "off the record" and the reporter agrees. Really, I can't think of any time you'd need to go off the record in most circumstances. But, those are the magic words if you need to tell them something that you don't want in print.
Treat the reporter as a competent professional. This is where the ideas of "taping the interview for your own safety" and "asking to see the story before it's in print" can bite you in the ass.
If you tape the interview, you're just telling the reporter that you don't trust him and are lookng for something to use against him if you don't like the story. It comes across as kinda paranoid, and that's not the impression you want to give. Even if they misquote you, what are you going to do with that tape anyway? Sell it to the local TV station? Not likely. Even if you think it would help you win a libel case, the odds that they misquoted you to the extent that it's libelous are so very low.
Asking to see a copy ahead of time is not as bad, but still questions their ability. Most reporters won't let you see it anyway and most newsrooms have a specific policy against it as well.
What you can do is say something like, "You can see what a complicated subject this is. Did I do a good job explaining XXXX?" and then go over the main point you wanted to get across in slightly different words. By rephrasing the topic slightly you give the reporter another chance to understand the message.
Let the reporter know they can contact you when they are writing if they need to clarify anything you said. Make it sound like you didn't trust *your* abilty to communicate the info, instead of questioning *their* ability to comprehend the info.
Stay focused on the topic and on the message you want to send. Don't get sidetracked or digress on other issues. When the reporter contacts you, ask what the story is about. Then when you talk to them, stick to that topic.
If you are the club president of a campus firearms club, talk about the club and it's members how it fits into the campus scene. Don't talk about the DC vs. Heller court case or a new AWB or the Virginia Tech shootings.
If you *are* the president of a college gun club, and the reporter asks how you can promote guns to college students after Virginia Tech, just say something like, "That really has nothing to do with the topic we are talking about. Our club is about the safe and responsible use of firearms" and don't let them sidetrack you.
One of the best ways you can develop some good relationships with reporters and get your message across is by contacting them first. If your club is hosting a special event, say a Youth Shoot, or a Women on Target event, try to get some media to attend. Send out press releases ahead of time and follow up by targeting some editors and reporters individually. Events like these are really the best chance you have to get some pro-RKBA publicity.
If possible, try to get the reporters to shoot. We had a female reporter shoot at our last Women On Target event and even though she wrote that she was "Scared of guns" the article was pretty positive and got us some publicity. I've had people tell me they plan to attend our next event just because they saw the article.
If your an instructor, invite a local reporter out to your class sometime. Look at the features section for ideas of who to contact or contact the features editor.
Now, there are times when you don't want to talk to reporters. The most obvious one is when you *know* this particular reporter is rapidly anti-gun. I wouldn't return a phone call to Mitch Albolm, for instance. Another example would be right after some tragedy involving a firearm. If your a self-defense instructor, then maybe, but if you're the president of your local campus shooting club or you own a local gun shop, I'd stay out of the press in those cases.
The last thing I'll say is that you really have no control over how the final article will appear. All you can control is how you present yourself and what you say.
If there are honest mistakes, contact the reporter privately and point them out, if they are worth mentioning.
If the article was factual and fair, even if you disagree with some of the viewpoints, contact the reporter and thank him for doing a good job. He'll be likely to remember you the next time.
If they distorted your words or took them out of context in an obvious effort to make you look bad, complain. Contact the editor and explain that you were manipulated, misrepresented, or lied to (whatever is appropriate) and ask for a correction or clarification. No matter what you think, there are professional ethics in the newsroom, and outright distortion is a violation.
Remember, your local newspaper and other media are you best way to reach the majority of the people out there who are really uninformed or unengaged in gun related issues. It's those undecided folk in the middle who we need to tilt our way.
If all the pro-RKBA people are too scared to talk to the reporters, the only messages that are going to get out are the messages from the anti-gunners. Don't let that happen.
