At a recent forum titled "Rating Rahm: The Media Assesses Mayor Emanuel at Loyola University Chicago," a panel of distinguished journalists and commentators gathered to discuss the mayor’s first 100 days in office. The lively conversation was moderated by Chicago Tonight anchor Phil Ponce and the panelists were: Carol Marin, political editor at NBC-5; Charles Thomas, political reporter for ABC-7; Kristen Mack, reporter for the Chicago Tribune; Laura Washington, columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and political analyst for ABC-7; and Mick Dumke, who covers city hall for The Reader.
While the panel conceded that it was still too early to truly appraise Emanuel’s mayoral performance, what did emerge from their comments was an interesting profile of Chicago’s new leader. Said to be the city’s first elected millionaire mayor — he worked as an investment banker for a short time — from the North Side, Emanuel was described as energetic, focused, intellectually astute, incredibly witty, a great public speaker, and driven to make significant changes in how the city operates. Surprisingly for a politician, he seems to be thin-skinned and doesn’t take criticism well.
“He is a master at defining the issue,” said one of the panelist. Always positive, yet always in “campaign mode,” seeking to control the message.
How then do you manage someone (i.e. a politician, newsmaker, high-level source) who is trying to manage you? That’s the question Ponce tossed to the panel, directing them to give tips to the journalism students in the audience. Here are the Top 8:
While the panel conceded that it was still too early to truly appraise Emanuel’s mayoral performance, what did emerge from their comments was an interesting profile of Chicago’s new leader. Said to be the city’s first elected millionaire mayor — he worked as an investment banker for a short time — from the North Side, Emanuel was described as energetic, focused, intellectually astute, incredibly witty, a great public speaker, and driven to make significant changes in how the city operates. Surprisingly for a politician, he seems to be thin-skinned and doesn’t take criticism well.
“He is a master at defining the issue,” said one of the panelist. Always positive, yet always in “campaign mode,” seeking to control the message.
How then do you manage someone (i.e. a politician, newsmaker, high-level source) who is trying to manage you? That’s the question Ponce tossed to the panel, directing them to give tips to the journalism students in the audience. Here are the Top 8:
- Decline to go off the record. Sources have to be willing to talk if they want their position to be reported.
- Remember your job is not to simply cover press releases, it is to get behind the story. Dig deeper.
- Demand respect. Don’t be pushed over, belittled or berated. Simply say, “I won’t be talk to that way.”
- Don’t go to the usual sources to get what you want. Find new ones to talk to.
- Develop sources by going to events to cultivate relationships.
- Don’t rely on the press office to give you all the information. (See #2 & #4 again!)
- Call officials out if they don’t answer your questions. Public shaming works.
- Write the truth. That is what the public is counting on you to do.