Bloggers and Media Interaction

Much has been talked about hockey bloggers and access to NHL teams. I wrote about things to consider if you are given access. Most of it is related to the league, teams and players. A large part of how a game night might go will also be based on how a blogger would deal with the other press at the game. I thought it would be interesting to think of this from the mainstream media angle as opposed to the blogger opinions we’ve all been reading. Alan Hahn, current New York Knicks and former New York Islanders writer for Newsday, was good enough to share his thoughts on how things could go smoothly for non-traditional media.

How should a blogger approach other media members before, during and after a game?

Treat it like a party and you’ve been invited but you don’t know anyone, or no one knows you. Don’t make a spectacle of yourself and yet don’t be a wallflower, either. Most of the time beat writers stick within a pack, eat together, talk together. Try not to force your way into their inner-circle. It’s select company that you have to earn and you can earn it by getting to know each on an individual basis (that is, if you’re a regular at a specific team’s games). TV and radio people are usually very approachable, but if they know anything in-depth, they rarely let on.

How far should a blogger go before it is time to back off?

Just strike up casual conversations and don’t try too hard to ask questions that might suggest you’re digging for dirt. It’s happened where bloggers or dot-com writers have taken stuff they’ve heard in the press room and used it and reporters absolutely hate that. It’s a major no-no, like kissing and telling.

All reporters, and this includes bloggers, should keep some things in the notebook. Personally, I live by this credo: “Tell the reader everything they need to know, but not everything you know.”

Isn’t part of being a blogger having the freedom to write as one pleases?

As a blogger, you do have a certain rope for editorializing that most beat writers don’t. You can toss in things without having to attribute them and paint the real picture that a beat writer can’t because he doesn’t have enough evidence or enough of a foundation to base it on. As a blogger, you can take something that everyone on the inside knows and put it out there. Some beat writers, as you earn their trust, might even confide such things in you knowing that once you “put it out there” then they can go with it from there. It’s sort of being used in some ways, so be careful (not all of us are ethical).

With that license to be creative, how to you know where you stand in the media crowd?

Bottom line: don’t be rude, don’t be arrogant. Know your place and accept the fact that the beat writers are the leaders of the pack in the locker room, the press room and the press conference. Let them get their work done and you won’t have any problem with them. Shoot from the hip, but be respectful and know the subject you’re covering and you’ll soon fit in comfortably.

What about approaching a player post-game, and at the same time as the rest of the media?

Again, be aware of who is in the scrum. If it’s a handful of microphones connected to tape players of guys who just sell “sound” to radio outlets, then you have full reign to dominate the interview. If you notice at least one beat writer or columnist or a person from the team’s radio or team TV broadcast, back off until they are done.

You don’t need to explain yourself to a player, but it doesn’t hurt to introduce yourself and say what you do. Make sure the team PR people know you by face and name. Don’t be a pain or you’ll soon see your access decreased. Most players don’t care who they are talking to, as long as the questions are intelligent and you don’t waste his time. Most players don’t care who you are, they’re going to blow you off. So just go with the flow of the room.

Bottom line: the more you are around, the more players see you and the more you are accepted as part of the media horde.

Tip: DO NOT offer to give players or PR people copies of your work. These guys really don’t want to read your stories and that will only cheapen who you are in their eyes. Have confidence that you are read and you don’t need to validate who you are to them. A PR guy will know your link and will probably check out what you’re writing if you’re asking for a season credential. So leave your clips at home. I’ve seen this a few too many times and it’s always a train wreck.

Backing this up a bit, how should a blogger decide what to print?

As I said before, bloggers have few restrictions and a longer rope when it comes to rumors and things that you hear but never read about in the papers. Just be careful because you have to maintain some semblance of integrity and respect for the job. Don’t try to be the NY Post and write rumors and say things like “you’ll only read this here on hockeywhatever.com” or “as only reported here on hockeywhatever.com”, that’s cheesy and pretentious.

How important is it not to step on the toes of the beat writers?

Don’t ever take shots at the conventional media, especially beat writers, by saying “no one has the guts to report this”. Keep in mind, whatever you know those guys probably know but - as I said before - they have to prove it or they have to find a way to prove it. There is also a bit of integrity to consider.

The personal lives of players is a sensitive issue, how far into that does a blogger go in terms of publishing?

For instance, I might know that a player and his wife were going through an ugly separation last season and it probably impacted his performance. But that’s a personal matter and I didn’t think it was necessary to make it public, unless he was arrested for spousal abuse or something where it made it public. To me, you earn more respect from players when you leave their personal lives out of print if it doesn’t belong there. But if you know a guy is getting tanked every night and he’s out of shape, it doesn’t hurt to let him know you know. Or let the PR guy know. Or the coach. They’ll call it an “internal matter” but you know. And then you can “put it out there” knowing they know.

Bloggers don’t necessarily have to get a team reaction from something they’re writing, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Always looks like you’re making the effort when you can write “I checked with a team spokesman and he refused comment” or “I gave the team an opportunity to respond but the PR spokesman didn’t get back to me.” And, like I said, if the PR guy does get back to you, that develops a relationship and he’ll appreciate that you’re at least checking with him instead of dropping bombs in the internet about his team without giving him a chance to tell his side. And if they choose to ignore you, that’s their problem when whatever you write reaches the newspapers or, perhaps worse, the fan boards.

To me, a blogger’s value is in his opinion. If you’re lucky enough to get into a locker room or have a few relationships with players who are willing to share with you stuff they’ve seen or heard, you can create a great unbiased image for fans. You can take them into the locker room and use your space for that instead of game detail and whatnot. But make sure to remain unbiased. If you’re a fan of a player, you can take up his cause for a contract or more playing time, but don’t get so carried away it’s obvious you’re kissing up. Also, don’t rip a coach or a GM or a player so mercilessly it’s clear you’re motivation is to get him fired or traded. Always have a good measure of balance, even just a little, to keep your integrity. You can say you believe this coach needs to be fired, but make sure you say it with no reference to him personally.

How wary does a blogger need to be of being used by PR and players or coaches?

The business is so tricky and people are out to use you. Even people you would never suspect. Some just hate you for no reason other than you have a pad and pen and you are in their locker room. Some think if they’re nice to you, then you’ll eat out of their hands and they’ll never have to worry about you (until they day you have to write an ugly truth about their performance and you see how quickly they turn on you). And a few are genuinely nice and know the job you have to do and they’re cool with it.

Other reporters are the same. Some are dominant and seem to always want a fight. Some are so insecure they befriend you so they can make allies on the beat to protect them, and then all they want to do is share quotes and secrets, which is a precarious thing. Then you have the ones that get it. You can have a beer after the game and not have to talk about what you know or what you wrote. Competitors yet friends. I was lucky to have that on the Isles beat with Peter Botte and Evan Grossman.

—-

I’d like to thank Alan for being generous with his time.

Posted by David M Singer on Sep 29, 2006 at 04:21 PM
Media • NHL

Comments

I covered everything from Islanders at the Colesium, to Nascar for Fox. Been in the locler room. I know Alan. Pecking order: 1.Fox/MSG (E.G. Stan Fischler, etc.) 2,3,4,5,6... All other media. Newbies, say some new person that none of us have seen in the lockerroom before, often fall back. Remember, the players recognize most of the reporters and people around like me, so they naturally talk to us first. The regulars have built rappor with the players that "Mr. Internetsportsguy.com" may not. So, imagine you and some people at work are asking questions as usual, and a new guy whom you all dont know jumps in. I had press passes (all access) for 4 years. Seen some funny stuff. Ever see a player react poorly to a newbie reporter, no matter where they are from on the internet/Radio/Local TV. (Familiar ones get snapped at too sometimes.) New guys (new to the location) look too gung-ho, and thats why they look stupid.
Posted by JK on 2006-11-05 13:01:32 I am curious as to how many teams even offer media access to "non-trad" media? The Canucks have been incommunicado on this so far except for a few sanctioned guest bloggers on the official site (zzz) but NO access despite numerous well-visited blogs and a few fine (if i say so myself) podcasts. As for the dialouge, the way i read this is ... Hahn is well-intentioned but somewhat unaware of how quick broadcasting is changing however i believe he is genuine in his attempt to plot out how "rookies" can interact with the old dogs without being the lost kid at new school so to speak. But indeed, times are changing (no sh!t) and soon this shell of armour protecting the old beat hacks territory will rust away as common media evolves and readers/listeners demand more quality and quantity and franchises will need to adapt. Bear in mind that sports teams are conservative in general and many evolve very slow. Most still broadcast on tinny AM radio (why not a fat FM stereo mix?) let alone introducing new broadcasters. In Vancouver, the same hacks have been writing for the local papers about the Nucks for a generation now (poisoning decades of fans with their pablum and negativism). Slowly, they are starting to realize they have to make their info compelling and accessible. Certainly habits are changing as technology becomes easier to corral for non-techies. For me, I read damn near everything i can find online and have for years - but now there is enough to scratch my itch without reading the major media coverage. Vancouver Sun recently started a podcast and hockey-specific blogs years after "amatuers" did - likely pushed by the (albeit minor) pressure from readers leaving the $1.25 deadtree delivery method for the quick, free and engaging blog/pod-world. Whether or not fans will find rehashed content with the standard, sanctioned opinion enticing or not remains to be seen but what is clear is: If you are a savvy fan and make a blog/pod and put effort into creating good content - whether you have media access or not - people will come.
Posted by DaveO on 2006-10-25 20:49:08 If you're being paid to be in the locker room credentials are somewhat of a right and you can act how you please. If you're there as an amateur (unpaid) treat your credentials as a privilege. That's basically what Hahn was saying. Like in any social or work environment there's a pecking order and a hierarchy. How much attention you pay to it goes a long way in how much respect you get and how you are treated. If you don't care, then by all means ignore it.
Posted by Ben on 2006-10-01 17:32:01 Anon, the reason I didn't add any personal comment to this piece before or after: it only applied to me so much. After reading your post, I'm not sure it applies to you either. While the league might consider any .com and blog in the same group, when I was asking Alan some questions about bloggers interacting with the media we defined them as those who are doing this as a hobby. What I'm getting at is that I don't think it's arrogance to think those who are doing this for a living should have some priority in the locker room and that doesn't apply to the "blogger" we were talking about (while there are some dot commers who do write/blog for a living, they're a unique few right now). I'm still trying to make up my mind about access and freedom to publish what you like. Revoking access and having that blogger write about having his access revoked and why is awful PR. Will it prevent that from happening? Not sure.
Posted by David M Singer on 2006-10-01 17:14:11 Let me first start by saying that I am a "blogger" as it pertains to this discussion. In actuality, I am a website owner/administrator for a popular NHL team/fan site... but as the media sees it, we are ALL bloggers, so I'll play that game and go along with the title. I'm commenting because I take serious issue with some of Mr. Hahn's answers to some of these questions and disagree with much of what Mr. Hahn has said. I am writing in anonymously because unfortunately, I feel that most beat writers feel the same way he does, and even worse, media relations experts do as well. After all, most of them were reporters or beat writers at some point as well. It's unfortunate, but I would risk facing a possible loss of credentials if I didn't answer this anonymously and there in lies the problem with this way of thinking. My first issue is with Mr. Hahn's comment that; "As a blogger, you do have a certain rope for editorializing that most beat writers don’t. You can toss in things without having to attribute them and paint the real picture that a beat writer can’t because he doesn’t have enough evidence or enough of a foundation to base it on." To me this sums up the basic overall arrogance that accompanies the majority of beat writers that I have encountered in my experiences, Mr. Hahn included. Most beat writers think that they are held to some invisible standard that .com writers, bloggers, internet media (or whatever you want to call us this week) are not. The fact of the matter is that if an internet media journalist or .com beat writer were to put out blatantly misguided or non-factual information, we would have our press credentials pulled faster than you can say "rumor monger"... Mr. Hahn may not think that he has the same "creative freedoms" as a blogger, but I assure you that the odds of him EVER having his credentials pulled for any reason is extremely thin. As long as there is an accredited print media source paying his per diem and travel expenses and giving him a paycheck, no NHL team is going to pull his pass for anything short of starting a physical altercation in the locker room. So let's not pretend that we aren't held to a standard in our writing because we are internet based and we don't have a paid editor looking at our work. Our job is doubly difficult because we have to edit our own material and discern the fodder from the fact. But that editorial process still takes place. That is a fact. My second point of contention is when Mr. Hahn says; "Bottom line: don’t be rude, don’t be arrogant. Know your place and accept the fact that the beat writers are the leaders of the pack in the locker room, the press room and the press conference." This is the biggest crock of BS that I have ever heard. I am not surprised however to be hearing it directly from a beat writer. No offense Mr. Hahn, but if a media blogger, website owner, .com journalist or any other web based media outlet has sponsors, or is making a living off of reporting on the team, and the team has granted that blogger access by virtue of press credentials, then they have every right to jump into the scrum whether there are other beat writers in it or not. I find it doubly funny that Mr. Hahn gives the okay to jump in the scrum if there are network microphones or cameras present. The reason being, the beat writers have a clear (and very disturbing) Ron Burgundy-like dislike for other brands of media, in particular network media. In the short time I have held press credentials, I have witnessed some pretty childish commentary between the beat writers and the network media, and there is a clear tension between the two. The fact remains though, the beat writers don't run anything. And if you have been granted credentials, get in there and make sure you get your questions asked. The bottom line is that the team's media relations people have given you credentials for a reason. You are helping to spread the word and report the news on the team, and you are providing competition for the print media that will ultimately make their content better, which in turn helps the fans who are looking for as much content on the team as they can find. There is going to be a natural animosity between "traditional" print media and internet based media because there was a time when we didn't exist... but make no mistake, internet media is the new generation in sports reporting and it won't be long before some of these print guys who have a hard time programming their VCR are obsolete. I can only speak for myself, but my website puts out 3 times as many articles (and better articles) than the local beat who was covering the team for the three years prior to the development of my website. Of course there is a natural animosity between the two groups. And while Mr. Hahn's answers may seem like he is helping the internet media presence, I have no doubt that he is secretly snickering because his advice fits in nicely with the little code of conduct that the print media would like you to adhere to. The bottom line is that you aren't there to make friends, just like the print media is not there to make friends. You are there to do your job, and your sources and your info, and your connections will be built on the coaches and players you talk to. Don't worry about who you offend by jumping in the scrum and getting your questions answered, because if you wait until the print guys get there stuff before you jump in, you'll find yourself missing a whole lot of content. These coaches and players aren't going to sit there for 2 hours and make sure everyone gets there stuff. The head coach especially, is going to do one scrum and that's it... he isn't going to give you an exclusive after Hahn gets his material... so jump in and don't be afraid of who you offend and do what you have been the credentials to do. You're not there to sit back and watch Mr. Hahn in awe and then leave the arena with nothing... if that was the case, the media people never would have given you passes in the first place. The beat writers will cozy up to you regardless, because as Hahn mentioned later in the Q&A, they need you to "put things out there" and so you will find yourself receiving many plenty of info from these guys whether they like you or not. Also, where Mr. Hahn says: "Tip: DO NOT offer to give players or PR people copies of your work. These guys really don’t want to read your stories and that will only cheapen who you are in their eyes. Have confidence that you are read and you don’t need to validate who you are to them. A PR guy will know your link and will probably check out what you’re writing if you’re asking for a season credential. So leave your clips at home. I’ve seen this a few too many times and it’s always a train wreck." Again, this is a pure load of garbage! The one person you do want to cultivate a solid relationship with is the Media relations people. Despite what Mr. Hahn tells you, they are the ones that control your credentials, and determine if you even get them in the first place. If they want an e-mail everyday with your daily headlines, GIVE IT TO THEM! We have been doing that from the beginning and now our articles are printed in the daily media clips that are handed out in the daily media dining area and in between periods. It's nice to see our material being included with the beat writer's articles in that packet and it is also ensuring that the rest of the media folks are seeing it daily when they are at the arena doing their job. Because odds are they don't have time to look at your site. Once you have been covering the team for a solid season, then you don't have to worry about pleasing the PR people as much because at this point you will have become a proven commodity to the organization and a source that the fans would surely miss if you were gone, so after a year if you want to change your practice, great... in the mean time, pleasing the PR people is MUCH more important than pleasing the beat writers around you who can't offer you anything but friendship... and believe me when I tell you that they aren't going to be your friend anyway. The bottom line is that Hahn is there to do a job and your presence is competition for him. He will try to make you feel inferior because you didn't make your way up through "Newsday" or some other rag... Don't listen to this garbage. The only thing that following these little rules that Hahn has laid out for you will do is cause you to lose respect in the eyes of the other beat writers (by the same logic that Hahn tells you cowering to the PR guys will cause you to lose respect in their eyes) and in the end you won't have the PR team's respect, the beat writer's respect OR any material to show for your efforts, and you will have your credentials pulled... don't fall for it. If you've been given access to the locker room, you've got every right to be there and it won't take long to learn what to do and where to go. A better rule of thumb would be to just watch the beat guys from a distance as the game goes on... watch them especially in the last minute of the third period as they start wrapping up their stories, closing their laptops and getting ready to head to the locker room. You'll need to follow them to see where you need to be... follow closely behind at first until you learn your way around the media corridors and portions of the arena you have probably never seen before as a fan... and when you get to the locker room and the PR people open it up to you, then jump in and do your thing. Ask solid questions that the fans will want to hear and you will find that coaches and players are willing to answer just about everything. There is no such thing as a stupid question in a media scrum. Players and coaches all have a PC response prepared for any question and odds are if you ask something weird, they will throw the PC answer at you and you can move on without much embarrassment. And whatever you do, DON'T let guys like Alan Hahn elbow you out for doing your job! You may not have written a masterpiece like "Fishsticks" but I guarantee that you are worth just as much as he is and you are there to do the same job! Hope this helps some of you, and I apologize if this comes off as arrogant or blasting, but when you've been doing this as long as I have and fighting this battle with that same ignorant attitude from the print media, answers like some of the ones you heard from Alan Hahn in this interview get VERY old VERY fast...
Posted by anonymous on 2006-10-01 15:55:08 Simply the best post I've seen on a hockey blog in about six months. Thanks David, and thank you Alan Hahn for taking the time to answer.
Posted by Ben on 2006-09-29 18:34:21

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