Assume You Are On The Record When Talking To The Press

Media Relations

By Bob Weiss

November 2003: Many professionals do not understand the rules that govern giving information to the press. If you have sensitive information you want to confidentially convey to a reporter or editor, we recommend you get an experienced media relations professional to help you do it. If you don't have the funds, or time, to do that, here's how Editor-in-Chief Aric Press of The American Lawyer recently explained "on the record" versus "on background" versus "off the record" conversations with reporters. Prior to being named editor-in-chief of The American Lawyer, he was a senior editor at Newsweek.

"When I talk to one of your lawyers, I assume everything's on the record. It's no good calling me two hours later and to tell me that everything was 'off the record.' This happens all the time. If you establish up front that we're talking 'on background,' this means the reporter can use the material but not attribute it to you. If you're talking 'off the record' it means they can't use the material unless they discover it through another source. But the assumption is that, like in a court room, everything is on the record."

ALYN-WEISS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
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