Pssst. I need to tell you something and it’s strictly “off the record.” Don’t tell anybody but… it’s probably not a great idea to make “off the record” comments to a reporter.
Pretty much everybody has heard the expression, “off the record.” In fact, many people wrongly believe that just because they tell a reporter something is “off the record” it means their comments will never see the light of day.
That’s not exactly how it works.
Everybody loves a good secret. There's something tantalizing about the idea of whispers and revelations that are just for us so when you tell a reporter that something is “off the record,” you’ll certainly have their interest.
But here’s the thing: How do you know your “off the record” comments will remain “off the record?”
To be fair, many of the big media outlets try to abide by a code of conduct or journalistic standards and it’s true that everybody I’ve ever worked with in the news business has strived for accuracy and most try to be objective.
However, as they say, there are no guarantees in life. Reporters are human beings and human beings sometimes make mistakes. The other thing to remember is that, although the news business is a noble profession, not everybody in the profession is all that noble.
Some people who haven't been media trained seem to think that before reporters are allowed to become members of the media, they need to swear an oath to maintain high ethical standards! That may be the case with members of the medical profession, but with members of the media, not so much.
Here’s how “off the record” is supposed to work: Before speaking to the reporter, you ask if your comments can be off the record. At that point, the reporter can then accept or decline the offer.
If the journalist accepts the offer, ethically, the journalist should not publish or broadcast the information. In fact, they shouldn’t even mention it to anybody.
But just because a reporter agrees to keep your comments “off the record,” it doesn’t mean it’s legally binding.
Just last year, there was an incident that sparked a big debate amongst journalists. A reporter was sent an email with the subject line: “Off the Record.” The reporter had never agreed to keep the contents of the email secret and the information was published. The person sending the email to the journalist had assumed that the subject line, “Off the Record,” meant the information was safe. They were wrong.
The term “off the record” was introduced way back in the 1930s when most people got their news from newspapers and newsreels in movie theatres. There was even a song called “Off the Record,” performed by James Cagney in the 1942 film, “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
In other words, the expression has been around for a while; long before people were able to share information in a nanosecond with the touch of a screen and way before everyone with a cellphone became a reporter.
In our media training sessions, we advise clients against telling a reporter something “off the record” because there’s a danger it could come back to bite them.
It’s safer to assume that everything you say to a reporter is fair game and that includes everything you say over the phone, email or text, even when the journalist is just reaching out to set up an interview.
Remember, every interaction with the media should be considered “hot.”
