The Other Side of Media

It’s always interesting to see how journalists themselves handle being interviewed, especially when under duress.  Take Tim Page, music critic for the Washington Post who recently wrote an angry email to D.C. Council member Marion Barry’s aide asking to be taken off their PR email list.  Among other things, he wrote “Must we hear about it every time this crack addict attempts to rehabilitate himself with some new — and typically half-witted — political grandstanding?”  Oops.

His email went public and Page became interviewee for once, not interviewer.  Check out Howard Kurtz’s column for the full story.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201906.html. 

Okay, to be fair, this wasn’t an interview — it was a leaked email to make Page look bad.  But in this gossipy, media-saturated world, emails can and do go public, especially the controversial ones.  In his apology and actual interview, Page sounds duly contrite.  That’s good.  But it’s hard to undo the damage.  A reporter of all people should know this.  

In response, Barry ranked equally high on the anger scale.  I don’t blame him for being incensed, but he had to know that going public with his outrage over Page would result in yet more copy about his six-month prison sentence for smoking crack cocaine in 1990.  Does he consider that good PR??

Page and Barry let their anger take over, to their detriment.  Any good media trainer will tell you that positive emotions, such as excitement and passion for your topic, play well in interviews.  But uncontrolled anger will get you nowhere good.  Journalists pick up on angry name calling in a heart beat because they thrive on conflict and controversy. 

And it gives bloggers like us something to talk about.