Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin
I've been interacting with NPHC members, reading posts, etc., specifically concerning Greek Life issues now for 20+ years. What I have learned from that interaction is that I know nothing, no one on this forum knows anything, contact the chapter directly if you have questions.
I would also imagine that in cases when publicity is negative the chapter and organization's interaction with the media would be to say "no comment" or issue a generic statement condemning whatever needed to be condemned and would almost definitely not answer a series of questions pertaining to terminology within the organization, nor would they probably be advised to be that open to media inquiry in times of crisis.
When reporters are left to fill in the blanks, they don't always do a great job.
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When I respond to posters to contact the chapter, it is normally because they are asking a question I can’t answer. I don’t have the information to answer accurately, so the chapter is the best source of contact. While we have guidelines for things like intake, each chapter does things at their discretion. I can’t tell an interest about when a college in Dallas will be doing intake, why a woman wasn’t selected for an alumnae chapter line in Philadelphia or why a Soror in Tallahassee hasn't called an interest back yet. It is also a great way to encourage them to make connections with the specific people who can answer questions, because ultimately, they need their votes, not mine.
I was speaking about articles in which our organizations are referenced. Our websites provide adequate public information, but often, I see a struggle with cultural things that could be adjusted if they just simply asked. An example off the top of my head is when a journalist covering a Kamala Harris campaign event, mentioned hearing screeching (AKA’s call). She could have easily walked over to the group of ladies clearly wearing pink and green and got an explanation. Another example was when a group of Zeta’s were sitting at a meeting about a civil rights issue that happened a few years ago, being referred to as “gang members” by a national journalist, simply because they were Black women wearing matching blue shirts (with their letters, no less
). I’ve even seen news anchors throwing signs and things like that during newscasts, without asking in advance if it is potentially offensive.
As for the media, like any other business, we have specific protocols that we are supposed to follow. If there is negative publicity, specific leadership or designees are responsible to provide responses to the media and those responses may be “generic” depending upon the situation. The only negative articles I can think of are about hazing and that means there may be legal issues and other things to consider. To be fair, that seems to be pretty consistent with NPC or IFC hazing articles.
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