What is the relationship between the universities and the media?
What are some of the frustrations the two have with each other?
How can these be resolved?
These were some of the issues addressed recently in Saskatoon at a conference for academics and journalists.
Some professors from the University of Saskatchewan said they had felt “burned” by the media and set a policy of no longer doing interviews with journalists.
They encouraged their colleagues to do the same.
The reporters, as well as former NDP premier Allan Blakeney who served as chair for the day, stressed that if the professors are not communicating with the media they’re also shutting out the public.
Read Also
Topsy-turvy precipitation this year challenges crop predictions
Rainfall can vary dramatically over a short distance. Precipitation maps can’t catch all the deviations, but they do provide a broad perspective.
He added that it’s in professors’ interest to co-operate with the media and let the public know what they’re doing – because ultimately the public influences the professors’ paycheques.
Blakeney, who is now with the College of Law at U of S, said sometimes it’s not fully appreciated by the academics that assisting journalists helps the university.
“Plant in the public’s mind that the university is there, and it’s doing a job and it’s doing an important job.”
Blakeney had another message, learned from years as a former premier of Saskatchewan: If you think you’ve been misquoted, think again carefully about what you said.
Once after thinking he had been misquoted, Blakeney was encouraged by his staff to listen to a tape made of the interview.
He then realized there was no other way to take the message than what the reporter had understood and reported.
Blakeney recommended professors tape themselves when they’re doing interviews – and listen to the tapes later.
They can then see if they have legitimate concerns about being misquoted, and learn better interviewing techniques from their past experiences.
