Ariel Tung | Feb. 18, 2009
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| Photo by Ariel Tung |
| J.D. Campbell, director of communications for the IU Athletics Department, visited lecturer Beth Wood’s (left) public relations class Monday. |
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Campbell, who oversees the athletic media relations department, said that one of the department’s goals is to elicit “one clear voice” and to have control of information to the media and public. This media policy involves maintaining confidentiality on certain issues, he said.
Zainab Altinay, a graduate student in journalism, and public and environment affairs, asked Campbell, “Won’t it look shady if you won’t reveal anything to the media?”
Campbell replied that his priority is to comply with the federal regulations and legal issues involving players’ privacy.
“It is best not to reveal anything which have legal implications,” he said. “It’s not about controlling the flow of information, but the content as well.”
Another important media policy of the department is to provide media training for student athletes during summer. Student athletes are taught how to respond to media queries and what to say and what not to say. Campbell said that often, coaches go along with players’ reluctance to attend such media training until the players mess up with the media.
“Players tend to have strong feelings,” he said. “Our media policy is to give players a ‘cooling off’ period of time before they speak to the media, so as to avoid saying certain things which are detrimental to their image.”
Campbell said that he believes in building relationships with the media even though it does not always go well.
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