“You don’t really need us”…Us, according to Kevin Gregg of the Boston Red Sox, happens to be the media relations people associated with any sports team…It says here nothing could be further from the truth…But while twitter and other social media sites have opened access to athletes, the P.R. types are still your best source of contact with the players…
For students who’ve never been in that locker room setting Gregg and Eric Tosi of the Boston Bruins had valuable advice at the just recent Boston University Sports Journalism Seminar….”If you’ve been given the opportunity to cover a team, you have a lot of talent, said Tosi, also the Executive Producer of the Bruins television show “Behind the B”… That’s pretty high praise at any point in your career…
Media Relations types were, for a very long time, the sole source of team and player information…What these very same teams found out was that they could “break” the news themselves without first dishing it to the local media outlets…It started with faxes but as much as that spread the news, the teams didn’t have direct access to the fans….Enter the website, enter Twitter…And make no mistake, it had an affect on the local stations (radio and t-v) who found themselves being scooped…”What you’re seeing now is that more teams are controlling their own news and they are becoming their own news outlet”, said Tosi…Maybe that opening line should be reversed, at least as far as disseminating information goes, “We don’t really need YOU!”…..
But of course they do…Teams still need to get the story out …They rely on the people who cover the team to keep them in the public’s attention….
At some point in every sports journalist’s career there comes the point where you’re want to cover a game, a game perhaps outside our regular beat…And you’ll need the access to do it… Gaining that access means calling the “keepers of the gate”…As you might imagine, Gregg gets many calls to cover the Olde Town team and it’s not always possible for him to say yes, especially for people he’s never met, “I would do some research on my own to see what they have written, check any references that are available. I would be protective of the clubhouse (however). I may arrange for something away from the clubhouse, you want to avoid people being in there who are unfamiliar so the players are uncomfortable. And, oh yes, no pictures with the players!”…
Tosi and Gregg can be your best friends, your worst nightmares…”Be approachable, if you build a relationship based on trust with these guys, that’s the main way to succeed”, advised Gregg…Tosi added, “You don’t want it ever to be adversarial. There are going to be times when we tell you no. But that’s just the reality of it”…
We spent a lot of time this semester introducing you to issues and situations you’ve perhaps never experienced, never thought of…hopefully your “media relation-ship” is a good one….
15 Comments
Conor Ryan posted on April 27, 2015 at 12:29 pm
We may not be very seasoned as sports journalists, but a majority of us have already had to deal with individuals in sports media relations.
Whether it be setting up interviews with athletes, getting access to practices or even something as simple as getting press passes, some of us have already dealt with some of the hurdles — if not frustrations — of working with this sect of our industry.
We’re going to have to get used to it.
It can be easy to get flustered at times with media relations staff and their tight-lipped ways, but rather than get bogged down and irritated at the fact that we might not always be able to get that interview or access that we want — we need to instead be focused on using these people as a resource.
Most of these individuals have had a multitude of years in their profession, and with those years comes both experience and a wide swath of tools for us to utilize.
Yes, most of the times, these people are forced to act as “gatekeepers,” but we should not look at them as our adversaries by any means. They have a job to do just as we have a job to do. Middle ground can certainly be found somewhere in that mix.
Gregg noted that the biggest shortcoming that he sees for most new reporters entering the market is that they all tend to exhibit a “do-it-myself” attitude. Confidence is certainly a big asset for all of us, but it’s totally fine to use these people as a means to help with wrapping up a feature or video reel. If anything, just introduce yourself to the media staff and stay on friendly terms. Gregg said that he still doesn’t see a simple gesture like that as much as he should these days.
There will be times when media relations staff will be a huge thorn in our sides, there’s no doubting that. But burning bridges would prove to the final nail in the coffin for all of us if we ever wanted to take that route.
Keiko Talley posted on April 28, 2015 at 11:16 am
I guess because I grew into being a “digital native”, I never realized that social media has really taken over as the place to get your sources. Just yesterday I tweeted at Jim Armstrong asking for an interview on his coverage of the Tsarnaev trial, and he responded quicker through a tweet than most people do through email. But when it comes to wanting to interview a major league player, media relations people are going to be your best bet, its very rare you can get around the,-I know because I’ve tried.
As a new journalist, it’s frustrating that we aren’t given the same opportunities that other “seasoned vets” is, but that’s the nature of the game. Johnny Manziel didn’t just walk onto the field and start right away for Cleveland; he had to prove himself off the field, as new journalists were really no different. But its important not to do what Johnny did and tarnish our reputations. As reporters its up to us to make nice with the other people in the business because as we’ve been told many times throughout this seminar you never know who knows who.
When I met with some of the media relations people for the Celtics I made sure to talk to them not just about what I wanted to know but about themselves. I wanted to build a relationship because I knew that there was a chance that I could possibly be needing them in the future. After the event was over and I had put together my package I made sure to send out a thank you note with the piece I did attached. I have no idea if they’ll remember what I look like or what we talked about that day, but I am sure that I made a good impression with them and let them know that I am not just a story hungry journalist.
I haven’t had the pleasure of working with a media relations person who gave me the round about (like Alex had mentioned happened to him in class) or someone who denied me something that I wanted (like Kevin had said he sometimes does to people he doesn’t know). However, I am sure that I too will be able to go through such experiences. But thankfully with the advice from Kevin and Eric I feel more confident on how I would deal with it.
Karly Finison posted on April 29, 2015 at 10:46 am
The media relations seminar has been one of my favorites of the semester, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I first think of media relations professionals, like Connor mentioned, I think of them as “gatekeepers,” a barrier between the media and players themselves.
Yet after this seminar, I’ve realized that professionals like Kevin Gregg and Eric Tosi are there to help both reporters and players as need be. As Tosi said, he’s the “liaison between players and press.”
What I found most interesting was the backstories behind both Tosi and Gregg. Tosi attended Holy Cross, and though Holy Cross didn’t have a specific sports journalism undergraduate program, he covered sports teams and held jobs within the athletic department to gain sports media experience. This shows how important extracurriculars can be in finding a future career path. Gregg on the other had leveraged a connection with the Philadelphia 76ers that ultimately helped him enter the sports media world and eventually switch from covering basketball to baseball. Gregg’s story reaffirmed how important networking really is, but also made me feel very lucky to be part of such a strong journalism program that’s providing me with skills other students won’t have right out of college.
Probably my biggest takeaway was not to ignore people like Gregg and Tosi. As numerous professionals have advised us all semester, saying “hi” can go a long way. One of the worst things we can do as young reporters is to think we don’t need, or will never need help; ultimately, this reveals naivety in the business more than anything.
Katie Peverada posted on April 29, 2015 at 5:49 pm
This was one of the seminars I was most excited for because I’ve been on both sides of that gate we’re all talking about. I’ve been the writer trying to talk to players, and I’ve been on the team and player side of things (maybe not necessarily the person opening/closing the gate but at least observing closely). Both men also have somewhat similar backgrounds to me in that they didn’t have any direct experience in media relations, but they learned quickly. I enjoyed asking them both how much storytelling they still got to do, and they do some. Which brings up the point of teams taking away stories from journalists. However, Eric Tosi said it multiple times: “One of our jobs is to help. We’re a primary resource.” And “We’re a resource for the media.” All of that is true and all of that is what I believe in as I look in to that line of work. And as much as I’d like to give everyone who wanted access some access, I know that’s not plausible. So this seminar was great in seeing different strategies to decide and weed out. Gregg talked about what makes him want to work with or give access to a journalist. Simply, it depends. I personally feel is it really depends on the organization you’re trying to work with, the particular sport, how you ask for the interview, the player you’re trying to access, the day you ask for the interview, what time, etc…What I mean is, it really depends on a lot of things. It could even depend on how the PR/SID/Relations person feels about that particular player in that maybe they’re more protective of certain people. It also depends on how you represent yourself at ALL times. As the blog says, Gregg does research and checks references. To me that means what I wrote five years ago or how I interacted with someone two months ago could affect what surfaces when Gregg looks in to me. I think another obvious factor is the prestige of the sport/team. I don’t mean the level, in terms of professional or amateur, Triple A or the SPHL because I think getting an interview with the starting right tackle of the Crimson Tide is probably more difficult than getting an interview with the starting central midfielder of the women’s professional soccer team in your town. One is an amateur and one isn’t, but one is probably easier to get to than the other.It was also interesting to see how to deal with difficult players on your own team (ex. “When you don’t talk, you’re making the 24 other guys in the room talk about it.”)
Finally, I’d like to point out that once again the topic of building relationships is ever prevalent. I’ve personally been harping on this in about 50% of my blog posts this semester.
Be personable.
As Gregg said, “Making a connection with people will put you a long way.” And that’s not just in terms of gaining access to a team for the long haul. As I mentioned above, Gregg and Tosi look in to the background of the person asking for coverage. If they know a media relations person who you’ve worked with, there’s the possibility they’ll talk to them. Hopefully, that connection you made long ago will put you a long way with this new media relations rep you’re working with.
Pat O'Rourke posted on April 29, 2015 at 5:54 pm
While I missed the seminar, I think media relations is a very important component of the sports media industry. It allows the press to get in contact with personnel within organizations while giving the organizations a filter as to what gets out and what stays private. While dealing with media relations can feel like a pain at times, it gives members of the media a guide when it comes to accessing athletes. We have someone to go to if we want to talk with an athlete, coach, or front office member as opposed to chasing them ourselves.
Covering BU athletics, Brian Kelley, Kevin Edelson, Laura Devine, and Scott Ellis have been great in terms of getting me access to games, players, coaches, etc. I understand what they’re jobs are — to serve as not only the liaison between the school and the media, but also the ‘gatekeeper’ of what goes out and what stays in. Meanwhile, they understand what my job is and why I’m there. In my opinion, that’s the working relationship the media should strive for with media relations staff.
I also understand their side because I worked in media relations as an undergrad at Western New England University, serving as a student assistant in the athletic communications office. My main duty was being in charge of the WNE Athletics YouTube page. The page featured highlights, post-game interviews, and features on athletes and other areas of the athletic department. The goal was to make the school look good and sell the program to prospective recruits. When I cut highlights, it featured mostly good plays made by Western New England players. When I did interviews, I framed questions that would garner a positive response. It was getting a peak inside, but not too far inside — not that there was anything negative to report.
It’s a situation not dissimilar to Behind the B, which is run by the Bruins and Eric Tosi is the Executive Producer of. Yes, the show is transparent, but it’s certainly filtered. And rightfully so, the organization should want to make itself look good, and should sell itself to fans, free agents, advertisers, etc. For instance, the viewers were taken into the war room in the first episode when they were discussing the possibility of trading Tyler Seguin, which ultimately happened. The hockey ops personnel were blunt in their evaluations of Seguin, who was coming off a disappointing postseason, but was directed more toward his on-ice struggles as opposed the his off-ice behavior, which I highly doubt the organization wanted to be associated with. Again, you get a foot in the door, but not both feet.
The media and media relations work hand-in-hand in an ideal world. The media members are there to give the fans what they want, don’t know, or should know. The media relations work to make that reality, giving the media what it needs to fulfill the criteria I just listed. But they also filter out what the organizations don’t want the fans to know, which every competent organization would — and should — do.
Christina Patracuolla posted on April 29, 2015 at 6:06 pm
It is easy to overlook the PR and media relations department when you are looking for a story. When they do come into play, I am guilty of thinking of them as a barrier between the source I need and myself. Gregg and Tosi opened my eyes to the fact that they are not just there to protect and hide the players, but they are the ones behind the lines convincing the players to speak with us most of the time.
When I used to think of media relations for a team, I would think about instances like the stories Professor Shorr told us about his relationship with Tosi. Before the seminar, I thought about it in a completely different way. The anecdote where Professor Shorr asks Tosi to confirm or deny information made it seem like Tosi was making it more difficult, when reality he was doing a huge favor for Shorr based on their trust based relationship.
After the seminar, I thought about how hard it must be to straddle the wants and needs of the players and team as a whole while maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with the media. Could I do that job? I feel like PR people get the rap of having a semi-easy job because as Gregg said, “You don’t really need us.” However, having the self-control to keep important information and secrets for people from friends and the public is a powerful position to be in. Not everyone could keep that kind of stuff to themselves.
Either way, it is clear that the best way to do it is to be on their side. Gregg explained how he will be more hesitant in helping those that blow by him all the time without saying hi or making any effort to interact with him which makes sense. In any situation nobody wants to be treated that way and it will only cause you to isolate yourself. After all, journalism really is about putting yourself out there and being comfortable with the uncomfortable, whether it be asking tough questions to the players or trying to create an interpersonal relationship with someone that has the power to hurt or help you in so many ways.
Many of the past seminars have got me thinking about the other branches of sports journalism and while they’ve opened up the idea that I could try and look into other areas, media relations was actually the most appealing to me and after speaking with Gregg at the end about the possibilities, I fully plan on looking into that area of the business.
Kelly Landrigan posted on April 29, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Like many of the other students, I also really enjoyed the Media Relations seminar. Also, like Katie, I’ve been on both sides of the fence. While I primarily act as a journalist, I’ve also acted as the sports information and media person when I interned with the Boston Blades. Having been on both sides, neither job is easy, but working together makes both jobs easier for everyone involved.
It’s extremely frustrating when you work with a “difficult” media relations person, but I understand where they are coming from. As a journalist, you have to realize that you’re not the only person asking for information, interviews, photos, etc. I think something Kevin pointed out that is really important to remember is that time plays a big role too. If you want to interview the star player of the team, don’t expect to get him or her the day after you ask. While it’s not always easy to plan out stories months in advance, even just a few weeks notice will give you a better chance.
I think the biggest takeaway though is establishing a relationship with each media relations person. Having “face time” with someone goes a long way, especially if that person needs to go to bat for you. You’re most likely going to work with this person more than one time, so it’s better to get off on the right foot immediately. Fortunately Kevin practices what he preaches – I reached out to him after the seminar to thank him for coming and to inquire about a player interview request. While he couldn’t guarantee that it would happen, he put in the effort on my behalf. That meant a lot to me.
I also thought Eric brought up some interesting points when it came to team-generated content. I think over the last few years, teams have really stepped up their games when it comes to having an online presence. The Bruins in particular provide great social media content to fans. I even downloaded their iPhone app, and I have to say, it’s one of the most informative and fun sports app I have. It was interesting to see how easily our journalism skills translate over to the team side, but it was also nice to hear that the teams aren’t trying to beat journalists at their own stories.
Josh Schrock posted on April 29, 2015 at 10:00 pm
The media relations seminar gave all of us some valuable insight into a profession that most of us will have to deal with on a daily basis during our careers. The most interesting aspect of this seminar to me was hearing Kevin and Eric talk about how they deal with the various requests for credentials and interviews from journalists. As Kevin said they can’t grant everyone their request but most of it comes down to how you have handled yourself in the past whether with their team or another organization. Kevin discussed the importance of being professional and sticking to the parameters you discuss with the media relations people. If you tell them you need a player for 10 minutes for a certain story, stick to that time frame and that line of questioning or you risk not being in the good graces of someone who you want as your best friend. Another interesting topic that was brought up with Eric was the potential conflict of being a media relations person who also has to create content for the teams website or show. We know how the jobs of newspaper and television reporters have quickly evolved as those positions are now expected to have skills that were once reserved for different job titles. I am interested to see how the media relations position evolves if at all with organizations placing more on an emphasis on breaking their own news and creating content. Finally, as a few others have mentioned the importance of networking is once again prevalent in a seminar. It’s important to remember that there will come a time when you need to the media relations liaisons help, so always introduce yourself to them if you are new on the beat, and never forget how far just saying “hello” can go.
Lee Altman posted on April 29, 2015 at 10:44 pm
The media relations members of professional organizations are invaluable sources for journalists to utilize. While some journalists might view the media relations members as deterrents, they are actually quite the contrary. Not only are they journalists’ allies but they are also our champions. The media relations people serve as a bridge to connect players to journalists. As Gregg said, some players (i.e. Marshawn Lynch) just doesn’t want to speak to the media. There is a chance, however, that someone like Gregg can persuade these players to change his mind and speak to reporters. This is important to remember when interacting with the media relations members. You may not need them in that moment, but they may just save the day somewhere down the line.
In addition, many journalists resent the evolution of media relations departments from player-reporter liaisons, to distributers of content. It is clear that the trend is changing from third-party media to in-house production. The Bruins for example package their media relations, social media, and website production under one umbrella category: “Communications.”
I personally experienced the challenge of competing with in-house production this past week. I was working on creating a package about a Boston College baseball player and contacted BC media relations to get a credential for the Beanpot Championship at Fenway. The PR woman asked me what my story was about and I told her that I was doing a profile on this specific player. Two days later, I was doing research on the player and was surprised to see that the BC communications team had beaten me to the punch releasing their own profile on the player that day. I went ahead and created my package anyway but made sure to give it a different and distinct angle.
I do not blame BC communications for taking my idea and running with it. In fact, I completely understand why they did it. As a Mass Communication major, my classes have taught me the importance of versatility. It makes a lot of sense for professional and collegiate organizations to break stories on their own websites because as Tosi said, it drives views. Views increase the profitability of advertisements, and advertisements generate money. At the end of the day professional and even collegiate sports are a business, and everything comes down to the dollars and cents. Instead of resenting it, journalists need to embrace the change and figure out how to supplement it. I for instance, decided to cover the same player in a different light. There is more than enough information and stories to go around. The sports world is an open buffet and everyone can and should have a chance to eat.
Katharine Huntley-Bachers posted on April 29, 2015 at 10:58 pm
After being in the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics locker room and media rooms multiple times I truly was able to understand the importance of getting to know the media relations staff. Jeff Twiss who came with Marcus Smart and talked to our class, I observed how he was very watchful of everything going on around Marcus. It was almost like he never took his eyes off him. Then after my times in the Celtics postgame pressers and locker room interviews, I consistently noticed that Jeff was never more than a few feet away from the players/coach while they were being interviewed by the media. This really helped me to understand how the media relations people truly hold the keys to the castle you could say. To add on to this, I noticed in the Celtics broadcasts Jeff was always sitting in the row behind the bench, most near Brad Stevens. Always in the background, always making sure the coach and players were treated and conducting themselves in an appropriate way.
it’s easy to see that if a young media member who is new to a market wants to get into the business that he or she has to first get to know the media relations person. If they trust you, then you can gain quicker access into the locker rooms. Just like how Kevin Gregg enforced the idea that if you’re a newcomer he wouldn’t be very forthcoming with player and locker room availability. Ultimately, if a media relations person admits a person who doesn’t obey the rules of the locker room or asks inappropriate questions, it’s just as embarrassing and awkward for the player and media member as it is for the media relations person.
Sara Varela posted on April 29, 2015 at 11:17 pm
I really enjoy every aspect of media relations. Interacting with fans, journalists, and artists are some of my favorite responsibilities, but I also enjoy being able to produce content for social media and blogs. With fan activity increasing on social media, it only seems fair that sports teams would take a larger role in fan interaction, even if it means creating content for their website. I think media relations produced content could give sports writers better chances for hard news stories. If the media team is writing soft news stories and breaking limited injury news, it might help the reporters focus on the scoops that are a bit more hard hitting, and the stories that form off the field or in the office. Journalists are creative and curious people by nature, and I don’t think the media relations people getting involved in story creation will be a problem.
The more involved I become in the media relations process, the more I see how smooth the media relations-journalist relationship can be. I don’t think the way PR professionals and journalist interact is going to change anytime soon. Both need each other to do their job, and each has something to gain from a solid relationship – journalists have stories to write and media people have stories to give. They both understand the meaning of a deadline and how audience demographics are changing.
I hadn’t thought much of what Tosi said about being cautious with new reporters, but the entertainment company I’m currently an intern for recently received a poorly written review for one of its artists on tour. The review didn’t say anything bad about the artist or the show, but there was a huge lack of detail. My supervisor was upset that it was even printed, and I don’t think the writer will be invited to a show any time soon. It showed me how quickly things can change, and how the relationship really is a two-way street.
Nick Garrido posted on April 30, 2015 at 12:13 am
I came into BU thinking that I wanted to be a sports reporter. I wanted to be the classic reporter that goes in front of a camera and just reports on what is going on in the sports world. Over my four years here at BU, I’ve completely changed what I want to do after graduation. I love being behind the camera, choosing which highlights to show, and even editing packages.
However, sports media relations is something I’ve experimented with since junior year. I’ve worked as a SID assistant here at BU for the past two years and I have to say that I have really enjoyed it. I’ve applied for several media relation jobs now in the past few weeks, as well as some jobs as a sports production assistant.
This seminar was important for the class because even if your not considering media relations, its important to know the relationship between the person in charge of media relations of a certain team and a journalist. We can talk about how the relationship has changed all we want, but a good relationship between someone who works for the team your covering and yourself as a sports journalist is essential.
Media relations people have the information sports journalists need and want. It was great for us to get to know someone from the Bruins and Red Sox because who knows, someone in our class may be covering one of those teams soon.
I really enjoyed talking to both Eric and Kevin after the seminar. Their jobs are so different, I found it fascinating how the day-to-day operations of what they do is so different even their job titles are so similar. Its so interesting how Eric is now asked to do more than just do what a classic media relations person does now. Must be why they pay him the big bucks.
Joe Weil posted on April 30, 2015 at 12:16 am
I unfortunately missed this seminar, but I have dealt with media relations people in the past. As much as we can get annoyed with them, they do have a tough job. And as much as they may deter us at times, they’re also there to help. I’ve been lucky at BU in that the teams I’ve covered had SIDs who were more than helpful. When dealing with the BU women’s basketball team, I was accommodated on almost all requests.
But for a team as big as the Red Sox or the Bruins this has to be a very difficult job. They’re there to appease reporters, but they also need to watch out for their players. It’s their job to not put the athletes in uncomfortable positions and as we all know professional athletes aren’t always up to talk to the media. Sometimes they bear a lot of the brunt when a player doesn’t show up, even though it’s not their fault.
I’m seeing from other posts that both Kevin Gregg and Eric Tosi talked about team-generated conduct. While we understand a lot of this stuff is PR driven, it does gives fans more access to their favorite teams. As a kid, I loved when the YES Network churned out a 30-minute show called Yankees Magazine. It showed clips of all the games the Yankees played that month and included player profiles. Sure you could tell it all pro-Yankees, but I still enjoyed it.
Also, I love how teams have a large social media presence now. That’s one way I’m updated on my favorite teams. Just a couple of hours ago that was how I was keeping up with the Nets playoff game.
We all sound like broken records at this point, but it’s an important bit of advice we’ve been told that can’t be hammered enough. Always introduce yourself. Say “hi.“ Interact with people even when you don’t need anything from them. It shows that you are human.
I was lucky enough to cover the Celtics game last Thursday and one thing I regret was not introducing myself to Jeff Twiss (their PR guy we met at the beginning of the semester). Who knows if I’ll ever run into him again but I wish I said hi.
Something to remember the next time I get that chance.
Dylan Haines posted on April 30, 2015 at 12:30 am
I have never been in a professional locker room on the job as a journalist but I picked up tips from this seminar on how to act when I eventually go to a locker room. For starters, ask for help.
The main takeaway from the seminar for me was to not be a stranger to the media relations person in the locker room. The job of the media relations person is to try and help all journalists get their sound bites and quotes from the players they want. These interviews can be arranged outside of game days as well, maybe during practice or some other event. The important step to getting the interview is making sure the relationship of the journalist and media person is healthy. Like the players, the media relations person deserves respect for handling all the reporters’ and players’ demands.
I did not know how tough the process is for getting credentials to a locker room as a budding journalist until I learned during this seminar that relations people are careful handing out credentials for inexperienced journalists. The locker room is almost treated as an exhibit in which the media relations person monitors each and every person that can go in and view the exhibit.
Lastly, and it seems obvious, the media relations person has an agenda and follows rules of the team. As much as they want to help journalists get their stories, they have to be cautious with what they say to the media and what they allow to happen between players and the media. Calling Tosi for a rumored trade will most likely not turn out to be beneficial for the reporter calling because the relations person won’t release anything until the team announces it. So instead of annoying each teams’ media relations person, being patient and doing their own research will be more beneficial for a reporter.
Befriend and be mature with the media relations person. They want to help as much as the journalist wants the story.
Nicholas Picht posted on April 30, 2015 at 1:01 am
I think a career in media relations is one of those interesting professions that can directly make or break a sports journalist’s experience with a team. A good relationship with them can really help a journalist’s ability to get a story. On the other hand, a poor one can obviously isolate a journalist from others in the room who make an effort to get to know the media relations people. And, as we heard from Kevin and Eric, building a good rapport with them starts with (surprise, surprise) a simple introduction. Although I shouldn’t be, I was a little shocked when I heard Kevin tell stories of how young, confident reporters look/walk right past the media relations people, with a clear head to simply waltz into a locker room, mind you one as big as the Sox, and bypass him on their way to the players. Maybe it’s me, but I feel like that’s one of the biggest mistakes we can make as a sports reporter, not to mention extremely rude in the process.
To Conor’s point, one of the most important lessons I learned in working for the BU hockey team was that I had to deal with their sports and information director each and every game, whether I wanted to or not. At first, I really fought his power – who he wanted me to speak to, what questions he suggested I ask, etc. But I realized a lot of his oversight in the beginning was mostly to make sure I was competent at my job. And once I showed him that, and stopped fighting his autonomy over the job, our relationship improved dramatically. I learned to use him for his benefits (BK is actually quite the statistician) and let the stuff I could not control (who I would interview, what I could and couldn’t touch upon) fall by the wayside. At the end of the day, was it the exact job I was looking for? No, absolutely not. That being said, it was still a great experience and part of that was learning how to forge a positive relationship with the most important media relations person on BU’s campus.
The only problem I had with Eric and Kevin related to content creation. Eric mentioned that the Bruins create a lot of their own content now – everything from tweeting out and disseminating trade info to making their own TV show (Behind the B) that’s aired on NESN. I feel like Eric serving as Executive Producer of that show creates a tremendous conflict of interests there. How can he portray information as down-the-middle and true as he can, while knowing he still must look out for the team’s best PR interest. And ultimately, in my opinion, I don’t think they can. Which is why, as much as we need them, they need us, to ask the tough questions and pry for the truth, especially when the team is trying to cover it up.