I don't agree with this statement at all. These journalists are asking the questions WE ALL ask when we listen to the Bills and they write stories that we would all write, if we had the talent to do so. I don't get this mistrust of the media - I've worked in media relations my entire career - and I can honestly say the thing that 95% of journalists are most interested in is the truth. They want to tell the truth. So when faced with such obvious and bare-faced lies as they were this week they ask aggressive and searching questions because thats what they are there to do.
I will say - given my professional background - I love this thread. Completely agree with the analysis that kicked it all off. From my time at the top of the UK government, in the North American tech sector and Canadian education sector there are a million ways I would have handled the media differently over the last 3 weeks for the Bills. However, we all need to recognize that Berchtold and his media relations team (below) won't always be the final decision-makers on how to handle this stuff. They will advise and present options for handling and the senior team will act on that advice or they won't.
Chris Jenkins Executive Director of Media Relations Chris Fanelli Coordinator of Media Relations Kevin Kearns Manager of Media Relations
One comment I would make, based on some LinkedIn snooping is this: this is a very young team with limited exposure and experience in dealing with the media outside of the Bills context. I'm sure these are three good guys and I expect that they are probably pretty good at what they do - but as we evaluate this team and every portion of it - I'd want to see the MR team infused with some talent with a broader deeper background. And with some license to shape the reporting they way that real media relations works in other places (making some assumptions about their role...)
That's shameful. If it's said - it's the job of the media relations team to pass on accurately what was said. Not leave it out. That's what generates mistrust between PR and Media.
LOL @ Tannins. Good call.