So Ted Cruz is having an invitation-only, off-the-record meeting in a few minutes with some members of the press here in Austin. Of course, my feelings are hurt since Im not important enough to be invited, but the bigger question is, whats the point? Why sit with a bunch of other reporters and a politician when you cant report what he says? Just so you can feel important? I guess this silliness goes on in D.C. all the time. Dozens of reporters go to the White House, talk to, say, the chief of staff, and everybody agrees to call him senior administration official. Why the secrecy? Its a public official talking about public business to a bunch of reporters. I always thought you should have a damn good reason for not putting a name with a quote. Stupid me. This off-the-record briefing stuff seems even dumber. I can see going off the record when youre talking one-on-one with an official when he or she is telling you something important and doesnt want it known who passed the information. But when youre talking to a group of reporters, believe me, everybody knows. Even when you go off-record under appropriate circumstances, its important to keep sources on a tight leash to stop them from wasting your time. My former colleague Carter Thompson was an expert at that. You could always tell when somebody on the other end of the phone asked to go off the record, because Carters first response was What can you tell me on the record? Were just small newspaper guys. What the hell do we know?
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 21:44:10 +0000
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