Strike That From the Record, Please

Had I not read the article "Barack Obama can thank 'citizen journalist' for 'bitter' tempest," I would never have known that Obama's infamous "guns and religion" line about mid-Westerners broke through the news barrier by a citizen journalist.

The article brings up an important point about journalism today, which is that there is never an off switch for those in the public realm. That is not to say that citizen journalists break privacy laws (although I'm sure they sometimes do...), but it reiterates the point that has been made time and time again since social media has boomed.

"We have entered new territory and the rules are not all clear," said Larry Pryor, a USC journalism professor. "You have to assume that everything is on the record. There's no getting around that anymore."

You know what though, I'm not so sure those whom run for president should be able to speak to a "closed press" group anyway. I mean, what can they say to one group that they can't say to another, when they're going to be the one running the country as a whole? Maybe "closed press" means more along the lines of no distractions... but I digress.

When it comes to politicians, I never think its a bad thing to report everything they say and do (if it helps the public getting a better understanding of the person or situation). However, when some public figures ask for something to be off the record and would like to speak candidly, I can respect that as both a journalist and an open-minded citizen. Off-the-cuff speaking can give you a more in-depth understanding of the person or event, and can guide you in a better direction in your research or writing. It also gives listeners a break from the edited and pre-written serious stuff that public figures often use and offers up a moment of real transparency.

An example of that is when a political theorist visited a university and was recorded and placed on Mother Jones after asking to speak off the record. While he didn't have a huge reputation to damage, the comment was slightly embarrassing and probably wasn't newsworthy enough to publish. Because of that, it is doubtful that he'll speak as candidly again, which is a shame.

For politicians, off the record comments like Mitt Romney's rather racist remarks in 2012 are important for the public to grasp the full image of them, given the proper context. But every so often I appreciate a nice, little, off the record tidbit, so long as it doesn't harm anyone!