Did you know that there is etiquette involved when dealing with the press? I learned some of that etiquette while I was attending The Protocol School of Washington in Washington, D.C., but have learned much more over the years.
Since my initial training in 1999 as an etiquette and protocol consultant, I have had the opportunity to deal with the media as an interviewee, as a contributor and now, as a weekly columnist for the Ft. Wayne News Sentinel. One of the people I have had the pleasure of meeting and be interviewed by is Cindy Larson, Feature writer and Restaurant Critic for the Ft. Wayne News Sentinel.
Cindy graciously allowed me to turn the tables on her and responded to my questions for this blog piece. I think you will find her responses interesting and enlightening.
I thank you Cindy, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to contribute to my blog.
Below is a link to a recent article Cindy wrote that stirred up some controversy…
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120224/LIVING/302249994/1008
You can reach Cindy via email clarson@news-sentinel.com
and follow her on Twitter @clarson007
Q.1. What is the greatest misconception people have about journalists? What are the ethical guidelines good journalists follow?
A.1. The greatest misconception is that we are all biased and that we are all left-wing radicals. Everybody blames the media, especially when they hear something they don’t like. Sometimes I think it’s a case of “shooting the messenger.”
Our professional association, the Society of Professional Journalists, has a code of ethics based on the premise that “Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.” When a journalist interjects his or her opinion into a piece, it should be labeled as a “column” or should be on the opinion or editorial page. Journalists should test the accuracy of the information they get and not distort the facts. Using anonymous sources is strongly discouraged. Accepting gifts is forbidden in most newsrooms. Journalists should avoid imposing their values on others.
Q. 2. What are the guidelines for you, as far as, accepting gifts from people you interview, etc.?
A. 2. In our newsroom we are not allowed to accept gifts from sources. In the Features department we get lots of sample CDs, gifts, gadgets, gizmos, books, etc. Everybody’s hoping we’ll write about their music, movie, book, product, whatever. If we think the CD, or book, or spice sample, or whatever, would be of interest to our readers we may write about it. But we are not allowed to keep any of these samples. About twice a year we gather them all together and hold a newsroom-wide auction, donating the profits to charity.
Q. 3. Where do you look for story ideas today; blogs, web sites, press releases, etc.?
A. 3. In Features we cover many cultural events in the community, so we rely on news releases to get started. We also get tips from the public; sometimes those make the best human-interest stories. Blogs are a good source for story ideas, but the new arena is social media. Facebook and Twitter are great places to come up with tips.
Q. 4. As a feature writer, what story angles do you look for?
A. 4. I always ask myself, what is the most interesting part of this story? If I were talking to a friend, how would I start telling him or her about this story? Usually that helps me write my lead. Of course we always try to put a human face on any story. If you’re writing about a health issue, for instance, try to find somebody in the community who is dealing with the health issue you are writing about.
5. What stories do you think have the greatest appeal for the public?
A.5. You’re not going to like the answer, but probably crime stories. I’m not sure the word “appeal” is appropriate, but I do know crime/accident/fire stories get big hits on our website. People complain about news always being “bad,” but let’s face it, often news is “bad” by its very nature. If it rains it’s not news. If a tornado destroys property, it’s news. News-Sentinel readers also love sports stories. Oddly, people read marriages, divorces and births a lot — at least they get a lot of “clicks” online. Guess people want to read about their friends, neighbors and acquaintances. People love great human interest stories.
Q. 6. Print media seems to be shrinking by the minute; do you think it will disappear totally?
A. 6. That’s hard to answer. Don’t know what technology will bring in the future. Most of the people I know still enjoy reading a book or a newspaper vs. reading something online, or on a laptop, tablet or phone. I’m not sure that can be said of youths! I’m sure print will continue to be replaced by electronic media, but perhaps not totally abolished.
Although you didn’t ask, I’d like to explain a few things to those who don’t deal with the media. I don’t want to sound harsh, but here goes: Our job is not to make a person or organization “look good.” Nor do we try to make anybody “look bad.” We write stories based on what we learn about an individual or organization. In other words, we’re not here to do P.R.
Please don’t talk to us for a half hour and then tell us we can’t use your name. We rarely use anonymous sources. Also, we don’t let people who we’ve written about “proofread” or OK our stories. You have to put your trust in the reporter.
And last … the best compliment I’ve gotten as a reporter is when somebody says I was fair in my reporting.
Enjoyed Cindy Larson’s answers. So much detail. Thank you for giving us the perspective of the editor.