Questions at press conferences

[JackInTheBox]

I cover a big college beat in a fairly big city. At most press conferences, the vast majority of the questions are asked by me and one or two other people. Meanwhile, all four TV stations in town are filming, and various fan Web sites and publications are running stories off of these quotes while doing nothing but turning on a tape recorder. The press conferences are even carried live over the school's Web site while the people in charge never ask a question.

On national football signing day this coming Wednesday, the school is planning to carry the coach's presser live over the Internet...and the whole thing is basically going to be driven by my questions and those of one other writer. Meanwhile, the school promotes its Web site as the official and best source of sports information. :

This is starting to annoy me. The way I see it, why should people be able to log on to the school Web site and watch a press conference driven mostly by my questions? Isn't that sort of an injustice to my newspaper? If no one else in the room has an insightful question to ask, am I justified in being a bit pissed about carrying their water? Am I overreacting?

Thoughts?

 

[Flying Headbutt]

I'm sure you're a regular Helen Thomas or Sam Donaldson.

It's a press conference. If you have to have quotes that no one else can get, you better do a one-on-one. Can't do that? Boo hoo.

 

[Left_Coast]

Don't ask questions.

 

[Clerk Typist]

This happens more and more. You're right to be annoyed. On Wednesday, see how long you can wait before asking a question in the formal part of the news conference. Or do your thing one-on-one once it breaks up.

 

[JackInTheBox]

Don't ask questions.

I've considered that, but I do still have a story to write and bills to pay.

 

[forever_town]

It's part of the game. You'll get used it it or at least over it. If not, you should.

 

[21]

So you feel the school shouldn't broadcast the presser? Because it infringes on your paper's rights??

 

[JackInTheBox]

It's a press conference.

Exactly. The idea being, media representatives know the subject at hand and ask intelligent questions.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Worry about doing your job, not what everyone else is doing.

 

[JackInTheBox]

So you feel the school shouldn't broadcast the presser? Because it infringes on your paper's rights??

Not at all. I'm saying it renders my story a little stale if the answers to my questions have already been broadcast on the Internet. That's a frustrating experience when no one else in the room seems to have anything insightful to ask.

And yes, I've been at this a long time and know how it works. It's just starting to get under my skin more than ever. Not sure why.

 

[JackInTheBox]

Worry about doing your job, not what everyone else is doing.

You've missed the point entirely, but thanks for playing.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

No, your point is just lame and pretentious.

 

[John]

I have to (or get to) ask about 80 percent of the questions at the news conferences for the teams I cover. I ask basic questions with others around, but I pull the players or coaches aside for anything I don't want others to have. No big deal.

 

[EnZona]

This is nothing new. I've been through the same thing before with the TV folk showing up without a clue and just piggy-backing off what I've asked. While it's annoying as hell, there are a couple of ways to look at it. Take solace in flipping on the evening news and seeing the response to your question with the coach looking in your direction, not the cameras. Chances are you asked a better question than any of the fluff bs the TV guys threw out there. Also, it shows you know what's going on. In my case, the SID realized that, and he would go out of his way to make sure I was in the loop on certain things and give me access to the coach not made to the TV people.

 

[spnited]

Read headbutt's 3 posts. Then read them again and again and again.

Then, get over your pompous ass self

 

[Clerk Typist]

While he's made only 33 posts, JackInTheBox's point is clear. He's doing the work for the rest of the room and not getting many useful answers from the questions the rest of the room asks (if any) in return. It happens a lot in one-paper towns, especially those with clueless electronic media and fanboys in the same room.
Again, the way to go about it is let the rest of the crowd ask those questions, then get the useful answers privately. There is always a way to get the better angle.

 

[broadway joe]

I understand what you're saying, Jack. I've been in similar situations. The bottom line is, they have every right to piggyback off your questions in a press conference. Nothing you can do about that. Can you get the quotes you need by getting one-on-ones? If you're on the beat, you ought to be able to get people on the phone or pull them aside for private interviews. I would do that and keep my press conference questions to a minimum. Otherwise, you're just going to have to live with the way things are.

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

I get sick of other reporters or TV people leeching off my questions. If they want to use them, let them get their rocks off by leeching off your work. You know what you have asked and you know that you know the information that you do. Take pride in asking those questions and if they can't ask them or don't ask any questions, who looks superior in front of the coach or the rest of the media?

 

[BillyT]

I am with the folks who think you do your job and not worry.

It's not going to affect the vast majority of your readers.

I think you are taking this too personally.

My opinion.

 

[Babs]

Well, you could start identifying yourself and your paper each time. At least you'd get a plug in then.