* ILCA letter to Pritzker PR staff…
Dear Jordan and Emily,
This message is coming from interested members of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association. As you know, it’s that time of year when we’re working to provide our readers, listeners, and viewers with thorough coverage of the governor’s budget proposal. To that end, we are requesting that the budget briefing be fully on the record (meaning anything said would be quotable with attribution).
Some of our members cannot attend with any restrictions.
This is in keeping with longstanding practices of past administrations, Republican and Democratic. (Until recently, they were embargoed until noon the day of the budget address, but they were still on the record. Even that limitation was dispensed with in recent years.)
Please do not hesitate to get in touch for further discussion.
Regards,
Members of the ILCA
— John O’Connor, The Associated Press
— Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune
— Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune
— Tina Sfondeles, Chicago Sun-Times
— Doug Finke, The State Journal-Register — Joseph Bustos, Belleville News Democrat — Shia Kapos, Politico — Hannah Meisel, The Daily Line — Rebecca Anzel, Capitol News Illinois — Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois — Jerry Nowicki, Capitol News Illinois — Jeff Rogers, Capitol News Illinois — Dan McCaleb, Illinois News Network — Daisy Contreras, NPR Illinois — Jaclyn Driscoll, NPR Illinois — Mary Hansen, NPR Illinois — Brian Mackey, NPR Illinois — Dusty Rhodes, NPR Illinois — Dave Dahl, WTAX — Mark Maxwell, WCIA, WMBD, WTVO, WHBF — Rachel Droze, WICS/WRSP — Doug Wolfe, WAND-TV — Tony J. Yuscius, Blueroom Stream
I am not on the list because I submitted my name too late.
* Response…
Brian - thank you so much for reaching out. Please let your members know that we strongly encourage them to attend, as we certainly want them and the public to understand what’s in this budget proposal. I hope you forward this email to all of them.
At the briefing, we’ll be running through the budget at a more granular level of detail than the speech itself, as well as giving them an opportunity to get their questions answered. All of this information can and should be reported. We encourage your members to use the information that they receive in that briefing to share with the public through all their reporting platforms, whether that’s print, broadcast or digital.
They are welcome to describe the budget briefing in detail, including that Deputy Gov. Hynes and Budget Director Sturm led the briefing and provided the facts. An example of attribution that we are comfortable with is below.
EXAMPLE OF ATTRIBUTION: According to Hynes and/or Sturm, this budget includes the first increase in funding for CTE programs in a decade.
We are asking that they not use direct quotes from either Dan or Alexis, so that today, the Governor has the opportunity to communicate his budget priorities himself, in his own voice.
For members who don’t attend, we’ll be happy to provide them with answers to their questions, and they should feel free to reach out to me or Jordan.
I’m told that at least three Statehouse reporters refused to attend.
Thoughts?
- jim - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:11 pm:
“EXAMPLE OF ATTRIBUTION: According to Hynes and/or Sturm, this budget includes the first increase in funding for CTE programs in a decade.”
So they’re telling reporters how they can write their stories. Chutzpah on steroids.
- ChicagoVinny - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:18 pm:
Seems like a pointless fight to be taking on.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:19 pm:
–An example of attribution that we are comfortable with is below.–
I imagine some reporters have some monosyllabic Anglo-Saxon responses to that they are comfortable with expressing, but that are not allowed in family newspapers.
Get over yourselves, Pritzker flacks. You’re not staging a campaign event, it’s a press briefing on government business. “Who” said “what” is just basic journalism.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:22 pm:
I’d be curious as to who the three non-attendees were.
Is this what the big kerfuffle is about?
===We are asking that they not use direct quotes from either Dan or Alexis, so that today, the Governor has the opportunity to communicate his budget priorities himself, in his own voice.===
- Sargeant Carter - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:25 pm:
What a knucklehead move.
What a Blagojevich move.
“We want this day to be about Governor Pritzker.”
Hynes is a former statewide officeholder. You just sent him to speak publicly about the governors budget last week. The idea that reporters should attend a briefing led by two principals of the administration and not actually report what was said or observed is bizarre, and not a great start to your relationship with the statehouse press.
If you don’t want your principals quoted, tell them not to say anything interesting or newsworthy.
- West Wing - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:27 pm:
Micro management of the pressroom by an administration is not effective press relations or communications strategy. Holding to pressroom traditions is a smarter path forward.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:27 pm:
wow…
in East St. Louis
you would get pursed lips,
one raised eyebrow
hands on hips
and a disgruntled mmmm-hmmmm
- Sargeant Carter - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:28 pm:
Also, lobbyists pack these budget briefings and report back verbatim to their clients what was said and what was observed. Why deny the general public access to the same information as political insiders?
- Context - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:28 pm:
I don’t remember whether this outcry existed when the previous governor did budget briefings on background, but it’s possible the destruction contained in the budget itself was so astounding that there was no oxygen left to complain about the style of the briefing.
- Goner - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:33 pm:
I thought “Big Jim” Pritzker was gregarious, selfless and had no ego. Who knew he was so fearful that the media-hungry Dan Hynes and Alexis Sturm would outshine him on his special day?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:33 pm:
Truth?
This is the downside of giving *one* speech instead of *two* speeches, and then all sides realizing… the rules covering this hybrid versus the institutional traditions… they don’t mesh.
That’s the truth of this.
The press is right… and the administration wants its wants to this hybrid.
That’s what’s at play.
It’s not amateurish or a dropped ball as much as a hybrid speech being covered as a budget address and the administration wants the state of the state poetry to be the takeaway.
Lessons here going forward.
- Captain Obvious - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:36 pm:
If you don’t want your spokespeople quoted, don’t send them out to speak…
- Wylie Coyote - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:54 pm:
Of anyone, Jordan should know better…..
- Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:55 pm:
Ham handed move over a trivial matter. So long as the embargo is maintained let it go. JB will get the big press no matter how many staff quotes are in the stories.
New governors have a learning curve. Learn that annoying reporters over a quote is a silly boundary to set. Do better Jordan.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 2:58 pm:
Jordan, take the criticism with the good will intended. Now take a box of donuts down to the press room and say your mea culpas.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 3:07 pm:
A dumb move on the part of Pritzker’s people but if they don’t make larger mistakes moving forward I wouldn’t lose much sleep over this one.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 3:07 pm:
- Norseman - is on this.
The press was right to treat the hybrid as a budget address with the traditions and requirements towards that.
It’s a learning thing, treat it as a chance to work with the press corps, not an opportunity to sow seeds of confusion.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 3:24 pm:
It’s not unreasonable that the Governor’s Office would want the Governor to be quoted in coverage of his first major speech. The briefing is more of a detailed walk-through of the numbers and I wouldn’t think very quote-worthy, unless the reporters were trying to find “gotcha” quotes.
- Anon - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 3:30 pm:
What a dumb fight for the press to pick. I mean, seriously.
The administration made additional people available to talk about the budget (not something they have to do). They said agreed that any of the comments in the briefing could be used in stories. And they said all the comments could be attributed back to the individual staff members by name. If that’s “on background” at all, it’s hanging by a thread.
The only ask was that the quotation marks in the story be on the speech to governor delivers.
Who cares? Does any reporter or editor seriously think this is the battle readers expect them to have?
I seem to remember this entire press corps covering a “budget address” by Bruce Rauner to an empty room with no reporters and no opportunity to ask questions.
In a world that includes those two examples, I think the press should pick their battles better.
- Sharon - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 3:38 pm:
Always entertaining to watch press corps–be it in Springfield, DC, or the city of Chicago–have difficulty adapting to how the new administration does things. It’s not a big deal to let staff people do their jobs, report on in-depth facts, and have their boss carry the day.
- d. p. gumby - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 4:18 pm:
Would press rather have no briefing?
- QuickDraw - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 4:27 pm:
Who sent the response from the Gov office?
- Shytown - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 4:39 pm:
I mean…this is not the end of the world. There are bigger and more important battles for the media to wage. No one is going to lose their life over this, are they?
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 4:53 pm:
This is our state government. “Dan and Alexis” may report to the government, but they work for us.
I am EXTREMELY interested in hearing what the Budget Director has to say about this budget. And as a citizen of Illinois, I have a right to know what my Budget Director says to a room full of reporters.
This is a bad precedent, and it adds a sour taste to a day that should have been a wall-to-wall victory for Governor Pritzker.
If the Governor wants a day to himself, he should ask Pat Quinn to declare one. If he wants to win the support of an intelligent and informed electorate, he should let the press corps do their jobs.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 4:53 pm:
Pritzker better rein in these egos pronto. You beat the most vulnerable Governor in the US, that doesn’t make you Superior to the masses or the press.
- Elliott Ness - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 4:58 pm:
Not.Very.Smart.
- walker - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 5:20 pm:
Just report it how you want to.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 5:36 pm:
WICS-20 just said they weren’t honoring the request and went on to quote other’s than JB on the record.
- Tazewell Terry - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 6:27 pm:
I anticipate that this will not sit well with the 4 people statewide that care.
- Kippax Blue - Wednesday, Feb 20, 19 @ 6:54 pm:
When I saw among the first whingers listed were with the Tribune, I immediately knew I could not care less.
- Mad Maxx - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 8:39 am:
@Kippax: there is and has always been a big difference between the reporting done by the Tribune from Springfield and the editorials and opinions crafted in Chicago. Pearson is a very solid journalist.
I have two takeaways: why go to all that trouble to use “we” 100 times in the speech (I counted) and then double-down on a memo that makes the budget about “me”?
Secondly, while this could easily be dismissed as a freshman error, this crew put a lot of time and effort into talking points justifying a second salary making them among the highest if not the highest-paid executive crew in the country. They claim they are the best in the business, and this is not top quality stuff. They need to do better.
- Mad Maxx - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 8:55 am:
Maybe compromise should rule the day and we should replace “quotation marks” with ^some other symbol^ when telling someone something we’re really not supposed to tell them or that is ^strongly suggestive^ without being legally binding or absolute.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 9:19 am:
Upon further review, reporters should have just ignored the nonsense from the flacks and just wrote their stories as they saw fit, quoting whoever spoke.
What were the Pritzker flacks going to do in response — bar reporters from pressers, call them “enemies of the people?”
Real bonehead move by the Pritzker management. The fact that they didn’t know that from the get-go calls into question their judgement and bears watching.