The article “OSU spokeswoman leaves to study” in the July 26 edition of The Lantern paints a positive view of Elizabeth Conlisk using quotes from her colleagues. While most students never get the chance to interact directly with Ohio State’s media relations office, as a former journalism student at OSU, I contacted the department on a regular basis. My experience as a reporter and editor at The Lantern involved constant communication with multiple spokesmen and spokeswomen, public relations managers and business representatives from all over Columbus.
I learned getting in touch with the individuals and sources needed for a story is often a daunting task. Although public relations coordinators are suppose to guide a reporter and help them get in touch with sources, these individuals also have vested interests in the company or business and is more concerned with painting as favorable a picture as possible to keep the public’s attitude positive. Even with that said, in my two years as both a reporter and editor, I have never dealt with anyone as disagreeable and unhelpful as Elizabeth Conlisk. Not only does she have a habit of blocking reporters from getting in contact with sources, she is often rude and disrespectful.
Contacting almost any source of importance at OSU involves going through the media relations department. Without Ms. Conlisk’s help, reporters had little access to the sources they needed to write a thorough and accurate story. The end results included incomplete stories with inaccuracies because reporters were forced to use less viable sources to complete the story by its deadline.
Though the line of communication does not always work properly, media officials at OSU on a regular basis show almost no understanding and provide little guidance. Young and inexperienced reporters develop an immediate disdain for public relations after dealing with the media relations department at OSU. Although beneficial in some manners, for a new reporter with little or no confidence in his or her ability, this interaction leads to panic and bewilderment: the exact opposite of what The Lantern laboratory experience is suppose to be.
Ohio State is a learning institution and while The Lantern does make mistakes, it is never intentional. Everyone benefits from a cooperative media relations coordinator, especially (particularly) the public. Hopefully Ms. Conlisk’s time at Harvard will be well-spent and I encourage her to re-evaluate her communication skills and learn from seasoned professionals who handle much more challenging environments with grace and professionalism.
Alysia BakerClass of 2005Journalism
