.-U 0 0 4B 5B verygate has its keepers - those with be able to show their personality - who they everything the way that it is, there is nothing the clout to open and to unlock, but are - when they are talking to someone." that is really secret." also the power to contain and restrict. But athletes are not taught simply by For Sports Illustrated columnist Michael It's a dance that plays out among spokes- amassing experience. Each fall, the Athlet- Rosenberg, a University alum and former people, sources and journalists every day, ic Department holds etiquette training on Daily editor, his seven years covering Uni- from the bustling press corridor of the West social media for both first-year players and versity athletics for The Detroit Free Press Wing of the White House to the tree-lined their more seasoned counterparts. showed him the days of secrecy haven't van- college campus. Perhaps equally important is the training ished with the advent of social media. For the gatekeepers of most organiza- that occurs in preparation for the swarm of Rosenberg said while both professional tions, celebrated news is information worth journalists student athletes often encounter. and collegiate programs can range from spreading, while confidential tidbits some- While more pertinent for sports that attract accommodating to nearly impossible to times call for aversion. But for journalists, the most media attention, such as men's foot- access, the University Athletic Department every effort to conceal is countered with a ball and basketball, public relations staff and tends towards the latter, a tradition bred in drive to uncover. coaches constantly provide their athletes the days of Schembechler. Most times, leaders have reason for much with pointers and possible story angles to In 2009, Rosenberg and his Free Press of the hush. On campus, members of Greek prep for game day interviews. colleague Mark Snyder broke the story that Life, athletic departments and administra- While Ablauf encourages senior- lead- Michigan's football team had committed tors, as well as their spokesmen, all have a ership, such as captains, to carry a team's multiple NCAA violations, most of which role to fulfill: They seek to uphold a brand's message, not all information is up for grabs. concerned rules about exceeding practice name, keep strategies competitive and Ablauf said topics such as athlete injuries, time. ensure initiatives are carefully planned. trade secrets and team strategies are particu- After hearing about possible the miscon- But does secrecy - or the efforts to report larly off limits. duct, Rosenberg and Snyder spoke with mul- it - ever go too far? "Games are won in a few plays," Ablauf tiple anonymous sources, including parents said. "It's a few plays here and there that' and athletes, who independently confirmed FULL COURT PRESS decide football games, basketball games, the allegations. any other sporting event, and you'want to Rosenberg said the sources were scared Past the Hartwig Administration Build- maximize your opportunities to win those to talk for fear of retribution and thus asked ing's glass doors, ticket desks and stacks of sporting events so you want to keep that' to remain anonymous. newly minted team posters, an unassuming competitive advantage, and I think that's Upon approaching the University Ath- back staircase leads to one of the Athletic something that we've done here." letic Department for any documents or evi- Department's most influential offices. For example, in a protocol spanning half dence that could prove the sources wrong, Headed by Associate Athletic Director a century, Michigan football practices have the department said they had nothing to say. Dave Ablauf, the Department of Media Rela- been closed to the media since Bo Schem- The Free Press ran the story. A year later, tions - and its 11 associate directors - care- bechler began coaching in 1969. the department admitted to four of the vio- fully molds the message and image of an "I think there are things you want to share lations. immensely visible, yet strategically fortified, and things that you don't want to share, but While Rosenberg said he received push- University department. I'd say we try to beas transparent as possible back from coaches and fans for reporting Ablauf, who has been immersed in the with the public and with the media, but there the violations, he never had hesitations; he inner workings of university athletic depart- are obviously things you want to keep within was confident in the truth of the reporting. ments since his college days, emphasized the the framework of your team," Ablauf said. "If you cover any institution, whatever educational aspect of training student ath- However, Ablauf said technology has made it is, you have to cover it as objectively and letes to interact with the press. it nearly impossible to keep anything secret. fairly as you can, and that's what we try to "We don't try to fill them with informa- "Every person in America -- in one way or do," Rosenberg said. "I love the University tion because it has to be from their perspec- another - is a reporter today," Ablauf said. of Michigan ... (but) if you're going to cover tive," Ablauf said. "The student athletes are "You have the means to report on anything it, you have to cover it the right way." the experts in their sport; the coaches are that you want. That's just the way the para- Openness not only ranges across pro- the expert in their sport. You want them to digm of everything has shifted ... Now, with grams, but across sports, coaching staffs Ai A I I A A. w and administrations. "Football coaches tend to be a little bit paranoid and controlling, and that s just the culture of the sport," Rosenberg said. "It's almost a militaristic kind of structure." He noted that the NHL, NBA and MBL are often more open to media interactions since they tend to have a looser, less rigid culture. But because Michigan athletics have such a formidable fan base, administrators don't feel pressured to generate as much publicity or be open with the media. "There's nothing wrong with the program a few crowds of 60,000 can't cure," Rosen- berg said. "You can see where they won't ben- efit from it because they're selling the place out anyway. At Michigan, people will care regardless of what they do with the media." For example, Rosenberg said while he admires Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke, he gives very little to the media. In comparison, Rosenberg said Michigan State University tends tobe more open as they try to build more excitement about their athlet- ics, adding MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo would tell you his whole life story if you let him. For Rosenberg, building relationships with coaches and athletic departments is key to developing a quality toolkit of sourc- es. "I think you. should build relationships and build trust over time," Rosenberg said. "You can't go over there and expect to have a bunch of great sources giving you stuff in a month, or even a year. You just have tobe patient and get to know people." With that relationship, journalists, spokespeople and administrators gain a respect for each other's motivations, he said. For cadres of journalists, it's an intricate understanding that each party has its pri- orities, and if that means a reporter asking a tough question, that's just part of the job. "They're just different people in different roles," Rosenberg said. GREEK LIFE IN PRINT On Saturday mornings each aut maize and blue clad students fill frat :houses' front porches and lawns; school it brimming on high for an afternooni Big House. The presence of Greek life on campu easy to miss. It's a realm Mary Beth has come to intimately understand d ,her 30-year involvement with Univ Greek life, the past decade spent as itsc tor. "Everybody's got opinions about life," Seiler said. "I think that's one top .could pretty much ask anybody on the s and they're going to give you an opinion When it comes to media attention, junior Cathy Wojtanowski, Panhe °vice president for public relations, said sorority or fraternity's national orga tion controls much of the news flow., Wojtanowski served as her chapter'sr relations VP last year, she said she rec a large guidebook from the national+ detailing everything from socialx guidelines to protocols for media relati With most incidents, whether posit negative, the University's Office of Gree Fand its executive boards have little infl in the ways individual chapters handle ations with the media or the public at la "It's going to be up to them (each chi and their national organization about w said," Seiler said. "If it somehow spille into the larger Greek community, wev have to discuss it depending on wha issue) is." Seiler said in most circumstances taining to the larger Greek communit directs media inquiries to student lei {such as council presidents. But whe topic surpasses merely informational pi Seiler uses the University's media infras ture, such as the Office of Public Affai advise on protocol. "I think what's dangerous is when p start speaking and there's an investigation dents saw: in process," Seiler said. "And whether that's an "ulterio tumn, an Ann Arbor (Police Department) thing or more comfe ernity internal to Greek life ... You let the process In "Pledi I spir- work the way it's supposed to work, and peo- journalist, in the ple intervening and adding comments and cover to pr speculation really isn't helpful." life, investi s isn't During the joint interview, Seiler, as well psychologi Seiler as Wojtanowski and LSA junior Michael - In an en uring Freedman, who is the Interfraternity Coun- of opennes ersity cil president, agreed that most media inqui- reportingi direc- ties are in response to negative allegations or difficult. incidents. "Secrecy Greek "I think it's reasonable to believe that reporter to ic you Greek life raising money isn't the type of bins wrote treet, story people want to read," Freedman said. the press,v a." "They want to read about the negative con- sometimes , LSA notations of Greek life, which there are going unde llenic very few, realistically. If a minor thing does Still, Sei each (occur), that's the story I feel like is pursued place in the aniza- rather than the thousands of dollars that are "I think When raised for children's cancer or for MS that going on, i public happens ever year." Seiler said. eived Seiler also noted that coverage of Greek have it out office life is more balanced in some years than oth- sometimes media ers. But if we'r ons. Events, awards and charity "are the things deal with t ive or I wish people knew more generally - that it's steps throu k Life not just about partying." tion can be uence Multiple fraternity and sorority freshmen situ- members said they would feel comfortable TH E C arge.- speaking to the press on most topics con- apter) cerning Greek life, with the exception of cer- While rn hat is tain traditions like initiation. The members tions are no d over agreed that this type of secrecy simply pre- are high an would serves long-held traditions. cially when t (the For this feature, 10 presidents and spokes- federal lev men were contacted via e-mail requesting an - the infar per- interview to discuss relations between press tion that la y, she and Greek life. As of publication, none have journalism aders, responded. Two members of Zeta Beta Tau, - wrongdo n the a brotherhood no longer recognized by Uni- as prevalen robes, versity Greek Life or ZBT nationals, offered Carl Berns struc- to speak with the Daily but required viewing Anthony irs, to and approving the article before being pub- sor of jour lished, which Daily policy does not allow. cations of eople Seiler said if the newly installed presi- CNN repo n >r i ort gei A ro g Ta na s in p we le !rc ilex p kt is ti] n4 -e t th zg '0 p aw ot, id t vel .m am i a nt ,tei se rt '3Y Sam Lore balanced coverage without Affair a political scandal in the late 1980s motive," they would likely feel during which the Reagan adminsitration table speaking with the media.. secretly sold weapons to Iran despite an d, the Secret Life of Sororities," arms embargo - Collings clearly remem- lexandra Robbins goes under- bers an interview with then-Congressman wide an inside look at sorority Dick Cheney. sting issues such as hazing and "I remember that he would not answer my Li abuse. questions other than to keep repeating the il interview, Robbins said lack same basic idea, but I wanted to find out more is often dangerous and makes what happened," Collings said. "There was cidents, such as hazing, more no way he was going to help and my guess was beinga Republican, he wanted to protect makes it more difficult for a the Republican administration." enetrate an organization," Rob- Collings recalls the frustration of not "When members won't talk to being able to provide the public with the full e have to take alternative - and truth of the scandal. ess desirable - measures, like "Secrecy makes sense in some cases; obvi- over, to share the story." ously they're protecting their sources and r said not all information has a their methods," Collings said. "When it gets public discourse. excessive, then they're depriving the pub- if there's something negative lic of information the public has a right to it the business of everybody?" know" 'Does it serve some purpose to But while Watergate-esque investigative in the media? And I would say reporting may seem sexy, its implications egative things have a purpose. have very real consequences. taking positive steps not just to "The biggest change in the media profes- ose incidents and taking those sion is the rush to judgment - the rush to hout the year, then that informa- get something out - and I think everyone ositive." that's on the media side of things rushes sometimes because they want to be the NSEQUENCE OF SECRECY first one to get the story," Ablauf said. "Sometimes there's going to be things that vostly respectful, these interac- fall through the cracks that they don't fact void of tension. Often the stakes check; they don't have their information the repercussions are vast, espe- accurate." his relationship plays out at the But when reported ethically and accu- I. Forty years after Watergate rately, tough stories can be powerful. It can ous Washington Post investiga- mean the difference between stagnation and inched a revival of investigative progress and between continued misconduct nd the resignation of a president and justice. ng, misuse and injustice remain On Capitol Hill, behind committee meet- as the year Bob Woodward and ing doors, stadium gates and fraternity house in's reporting rocked the nation. fences, secrecy reverberates. Collings, a University profes- Every gate has its keepers; every day the alism ethics, knows the impli- interactions between sources and journalists ecrecy first hand. As a former continue to pulsate. And the choice remains: ter covering the Iran-Contra silence or speech?