I have a friend who has been interviewed and quoted in the news dozens of times over the years. After being grossly misquoted one too many times, he refused to do interviews or give quotes by telephone. He insisted on having both the questions and his response in writing. This not only ensured clear communication, but left a record of what was said, as well.
It’s not surprising then to read the following from former White House press secretary Dana Perini:
The Internet hasn't just changed how the news is delivered. It has also changed how it's collected. Former White House press secretary Dana Perini says that when she got into the business, some 97 percent of all queries came in a phone call. "Now, that's flipped," she says. And while that has cut down on misquotes, it's put a damper on personal relationships between reporters and sources. "There's something about interaction," she says. Consider the numbers. After cleaning out her a-mail inbox one weekend in her last month, she found 2,071 new a-mails waiting for her the following Monday, mostly from reporters. "E-mails are a blessing and a curse."
It does seem like the lack of face to face and telephone communication would ‘put a damper on personal relationships,’ but if reporters use all the tools available to them to track down and follow up on leads – a-mail, Twitter, blogs, RSS feeds and so forth – it should boost efficiency to a point that they’ll have the time needed for the telephone and in-person meetings when needed. Unless, of course, they get lost in the online tools and don’t take the time for the offline follow up.
Dana Perini: E-mail Changed the Way News is Gathered :: U.S. News & World Report
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