On the record or off the record?

I was having lunch with a veteran reporter when we began discussing whether journalists actually honor the notion of going “off the record.”

The lunch itself was off the record, so we were both free to expess our opinions openly. It was the reporter’s position that going off the record is an essential part of news gathering, that any reporter who would violate the trust between reporter and source wouldn’t last long in the journalism business. I agreed.

Still, should you ever go off the record with a reporter? It depends.

The question is more about  relationships and relationship building. If you know the reporter, if you’ve worked with the reporter before, you’re probably on safe ground. That is, of course, if you both agree to what it means to be off the record.

If you don’t know the reporter, then common sense says to be careful.

For the uninitiated, going “off the record” generally means exactly that. The comments you make will not be used in a news story. Sometimes, and it depends on the reporter, it means the reporter will not attribute either remarks or information to you in news stories. Going off the record allows reporters to gather information without compromising their sources. Sometimes, reporters will find somewhere else to attribute the information. Or, if their editors allow it, they will use your comments anonymously. Either way, it’s a useful way for reporters to follow a story while allowing you to share information without getting into trouble.

As long as you trust the reporter.

There are variations on going off the record. One, “not for attribution,” means the reporter can use the information as long as it is not attributed to you. Another, “deep background,” means  that while you will give the reporter the information, he or she must find another way to confirm it and must not in any way reveal you as the source. Then there’s simply going off the record. In any case, it’s best that both of you understand the ground rules of the interview before you proceed.

 But you have to be wary. Most reporters are honest, straight-shooters who won’t go out of their way to hurt a source. Yet you always have to remember that it’s a story they’re after, and they’re going to do what they can to get what they need. They’re not your friend; they’re a partner in what is essentially an information transaction.

The real question is not whether you should ever go off the record. It’s whether you trust the reporter to keep you out of the story even if you’ve provided key information.

There are certain times when you should avoid it altogether. For example, when the camera is rolling, going off the record is a very bad idea. You can’t take it back once it’s on tape. The same goes for times when the  reporter is recording your conversation.

In general, going off the record is a good way to giving a reporter information while protecting yourself.

As long as you can trust the reporter to protect you.

Welcome to Zaferos Communications

So why start a public relations business in the middle of a recession?

Because everybody needs public relations.

Because businesses are laying off their PR staffs and are looking for low-overhead alternatives to staff positions.

Because without PR, life itself would not be the same.

OK, so maybe that last statement is a little over-stated. But the point is the same. 

There’s a perception in business that PR is something that can be done without during hard times. When the budget gets cut, PR is often the first thing to go.

That’s because most people don’t understand how public relations can extend their advertising dollars. They don’t get the idea that it’s “free advertising” that can increase their company’s visibility and, yes, even sales.

Just think of how candidate Barack Obama used PR to become President Barack Obama.

But it’s not just PR. There’s government relations, media relations, media training, you name it.

So recession or not, there’s business out there. Lots of it. That’s why Zaferos Communications was launched.

Over the next few weeks, months and years, we’ll take a stab at showing just how PR can work for you and, more specifically, how Zaferos Communications can do it.