{"id":3881,"date":"2010-06-03T16:20:03","date_gmt":"2010-06-03T23:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reallifesuperheroes.org\/?p=3881"},"modified":"2010-06-03T16:20:03","modified_gmt":"2010-06-03T23:20:03","slug":"new-self-defense-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/2010\/06\/03\/new-self-defense-training\/","title":{"rendered":"New Self-Defense Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jonny Lupash.
\nFowarded to this site by Geist
\nAuthor\u2019s Notes:\u00a0 I have not experienced all the scenarios mentioned in this piece and I mean no offense to the RLSH involved in the ones I have.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a critic nor a naysayer, and I only use the terms \u201cReal-Life Super Hero,\u201d \u201cmovement\u201d and \u201ccommunity\u201d as basic blanket terms to avoid long-winded definitions of the undercovers, the vigilantes, the charity workers, the groups vs. the individuals and so on.\u00a0 Thanks for understanding.\u00a0 If you have any doubts of my sincerity or purpose with this piece, please go look up anything I claim here about journalism.\u00a0 I actually encourage it; I have nothing to hide and gain nothing by lying.<\/em>
\nI\u2019ve conducted four interviews for my project on the Real-Life Super Hero movement.\u00a0 In my research I came across several news articles and televised segments featuring the RLSH, and all of them have had at least an undertone if not open slander against the subject in question.\u00a0 I\u2019ve watched news anchors unable to keep a straight face discussing an RLSH; I\u2019ve heard insults slipped into context as happenstance.
\nSo when I started my interviews, I was amazed anyone would speak with me.\u00a0 The TV had done enough damage, completely ignoring the degree of privacy and anonymity that comes with the job.\u00a0 I expected to be met with shut doors, folded arms, unreturned phone calls and no luck.\u00a0 My result was so far the opposite that part of me is still waiting for the other shoe to fall.
\nAs a token of appreciation for the candor, open-mindedness, time and patience the Real-Life Super Hero community has given me, and for the superhuman bravery, goodwill and selflessness it exhibits in each of its members\u2019 nightly endeavors, I offer this.
\nI received a BA in journalism in December of 2006.\u00a0 I finished with a 3.9 GPA, having spent a full two years of my life devoted very specifically and very solely to every aspect of print journalism.\u00a0 I learned all the tools necessary to guide and shape an interview to my liking, and the deaths of journalism and trust that accompany their misuse.\u00a0 All journalists can do is ask questions; the difference between a good reporter and a bad one is what questions they ask and how.\u00a0 So by way of thanks, and of apology, here are some of the pitfalls and how to avoid them.
\n1.\u00a0 The Leading Question.\u00a0 <\/strong>When someone asks a question that, from the outset, sounds like \u201cDon\u2019t you think that\u2026\u201d or \u201cWouldn\u2019t you agree\u2026\u201d they\u2019re doing so very purposefully.\u00a0 This is a cheap device used to twist words from sources and get quotes before the source has time to think about their answer.\u00a0\u00a0 A reporter will do his or her best to paint you into a corner this way.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a perfect example.
\nReporter:\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t you agree that people don\u2019t necessarily have to wear a costume to go support a charity?\u201d<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 \u201cWell, sure.\u201d<\/em>
\nThis will run in the papers as you saying there\u2019s no reason to do what you do.\u00a0 If a reporter wants more information about your charity work specifically as an RLSH, they\u2019ll ask you the following.
\nReporter:\u00a0 What benefits do you find working with charities as an RLSH that you may not in civilian dress?<\/em>
\nThe main difference is that reporter #2 is asking an unbiased question to get facts about the subject and not leading you into saying what they want.\u00a0 Here\u2019s why this is the best practice.\u00a0 If they don\u2019t agree with costumed charity work and they ask you this, there are two outcomes: You\u2019ll either tell them about drawing more attention to (and rallying more people around) a cause as an anonymous Good Samaritan than as a casual civilian, or you won\u2019t tell them any benefits and they\u2019ll get their answer anyway \u2013 but they\u2019ll do it honestly, and without being sneaky and making you the bad guy.\u00a0 On the other hand, if they support you but have to stay objective, this is your chance and theirs to explain what you do in a positive light without them leading you into showboating by asking \u201cIsn\u2019t being an RLSH just the best?!<\/em>\u201d
\n2.\u00a0 Body Language.\u00a0 <\/strong>I recognize that many interviews are done over the phone or via e-mail or an instant messaging service.\u00a0 For those done in person, beware journalists who interrupt, speak aggressively with their hands, fold their arms, cross their legs or let you see what notes they\u2019re taking.\u00a0 Ideally, newspersons will sit with both feet flat on the floor, arms at their sides, taking notes on a pad whose back faces you the whole discussion, and let you finish speaking and wait three to five seconds before asking another question.\u00a0 Gesturing and speaking passively with hands is no problem, but pointing and cutting motions are always a red flag.
\n3.\u00a0 Closed-Ended Questions<\/strong>.\u00a0 Probably the quickest way to determine whether a reporter is even worth your time is to listen for \u201cclosed-ended\u201d or \u201cclosed\u201d questions.\u00a0 These are questions that are answered with one or two words.\u00a0 Some questions have to be closed, like \u201cWhere did you say you live again?\u201d or \u201cHow old are you?\u201d but any question that can be answered openly should be asked openly.\u00a0 Here\u2019s another example, since the closed- vs. open-ended discussion gets a bit jargony.
\nReporter #1:\u00a0 I read on your MySpace that you often visit outreach centers and orphanages to bring food, clothes and toys to the less fortunate; is that accurate?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 Yes.<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\nSure, it\u2019s nice that they care enough to do their research, but this is no way to engage a source in a conversation.\u00a0 If the reporter asks this question the right way, it will sound very different \u2013 in fact, odds are there are at least two questions there if not a whole new line of discussion.
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 I\u2019m interested in your work with charities; can you please tell me how and why you got started with that?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 [Answer.]<\/em>
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 Which charities do you currently work with?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 [Answer.]<\/em>
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 What have been some of your highlights or best achievements with those charities?<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\n4.\u00a0 Baiting.<\/strong>\u00a0 This is similar to my notes on body language.\u00a0 Since about 2005, when a lot of the 10-year contracts on the first reality shows like The Real World<\/em> and Survivor<\/em> have been running out, the fantasy of reality shows has reared its ugly head.\u00a0 In 2007, a special aired on VH1 detailing added sound effects, re-shot footage, re-edited dialogue and interviewers asking bait questions on these and other programs.\u00a0 A scathing criticism of The Real World <\/em>appeared on an episode of Mission Hill <\/em>in 1999, featuring hidden cameramen directing the actors to act and react certain ways.
\nPerhaps the most dismaying example of this in television was when several cast members of Big Brother <\/em>started surfacing on news programs after their contracts expired to discuss the hostess and interviewers making up things that other cast members said and asking them to react.\u00a0 Relationships were made and broken on-air from one such reporter saying, \u201cDid you hear that so-and-so wants to sleep with you?\u00a0 He brought it up with us in his last interview,\u201d when the man in question had never said anything of the sort.\u00a0 This caused the woman being interviewed to believe a bond was forming, which caused the man to believe he was just flirting with her, and they ended up dating for the remainder of the season.
\nAny time a question feels like it may be asked of you to elicit an emotional response, it probably is.\u00a0 The most obvious sign is when an interviewer presents you with a \u201cfact\u201d and is unable to tell you its origin.\u00a0 Finally, no good question is blunt.\u00a0 Keep this in mind at all times.\u00a0 \u201cSo why do you wear a mask?\u201d is not a good question.
\n5.\u00a0 Intuition.<\/strong>\u00a0 For some reason I\u2019ve always been able to read people like a book.\u00a0 Five seconds into a conversation I can tell you if they\u2019re going to be my friend or not, and ten seconds in I can determine the course of the rest of the interview.\u00a0\u00a0 My final red flag in Yellow Journalism is built on hunches, colloquialisms and, most importantly, intuition.\u00a0 If you get even the slightest idea in the corner of your mind that someone\u2019s making fun of you, they are.\u00a0 If they\u2019re not, they\u2019re too stupid to realize how to phrase a question, in which case I guarantee this is not an interview you wish to give.\u00a0 Remember, these are people who, like me, have devoted two years bare minimum<\/em> learning how to phrase a question.\u00a0 If you find yourself being asked \u201cSo, do you live with your parents?\u201d or \u201cHow many comic books do you own?\u201d it\u2019s time to check out.
\nI can\u2019t guarantee that every bad interview will be set in stone to these guidelines, but no proper reporter worth his or her salt will behave in the ways mentioned above.\u00a0 Occasionally we all have our flubs \u2013 I think I had to call one subject back four times due to bad reception in my apartment and put another on hold to calm down my newborn \u2013 but by and large, there are some mistakes that the press just can\u2019t afford to make these days.
\nSo now that we\u2019ve covered some passive resistance and warning signs, there\u2019s still something to be said for active \u2013 yet respectful \u2013 defense.
\n1.\u00a0 The \u201cNo Comment\u201d Comment.<\/strong>\u00a0 Never say \u201cno comment.\u201d\u00a0 Never.\u00a0 Erase it from your vocabulary.\u00a0 Regardless of circumstance or topic, don\u2019t say it.\u00a0 This is seen and heard by the public as \u201cI\u2019m guilty\u201d or \u201cI have something bad to hide.\u201d
\nNow this is not to say you have to comment or divulge every secret in your vault just because some busybody asks you.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at another scenario with our bad reporter and how you can turn the tables on them.
\nReporter #1:\u00a0 How do you feel about the criminals you <\/em>haven\u2019t stopped yet \u2013 the pedophiles, the murderers?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 No comment.<\/em>
\nOf course everyone can recognize that some things are out of your control, but saying \u201cNo comment\u201d is always a bad idea.\u00a0 They teach in colleges to go in for the kill on a topic when someone says \u201cNo comment.\u201d\u00a0 In that scenario, the RLSH sounds ashamed and self-deprecating \u2013 like he (or she) can\u2019t even bring himself (or herself) to talk about their inability to be everywhere at once.\u00a0 Let\u2019s try that again with just a bit more optimistic frankness.
\nReporter #1:\u00a0 How do you feel about the criminals you haven\u2019t stopped yet \u2013 the pedophiles, the murderers?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 Obviously there\u2019s no way for me to be everywhere at once, but one can only hope the crimes I <\/em>have stopped \u2013 the muggings, the rapes, the drug deals \u2013 are inspiring other civilians to stand up for one another and inspiring the criminals who hear about my interventions to stay home.<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\nMay sound a bit clich\u00e9, but you\u2019ve avoided that horrid \u201cNo comment\u201d comment.\u00a0 The hardest judgment call to make, from my perspective, sounds like this from the RLSH.
\nReporter #1:\u00a0 How do you feel about the criminals you haven\u2019t stopped yet \u2013 the pedophiles, the murderers?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 I\u2019ve done a lot of anonymous investigative work that\u2019s led the police to X amount of arrests in the last 5 years.<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\nA couple of my interview subjects have said this, and of course I believe them and will vouch for them in my own writing, but that bad reporter will ask you to prove it.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t go into it specifically (which you obviously can\u2019t due to compromising a pending investigation), the reporter may become defensive and feel stonewalled, which will only convince them to make you sound less than credible.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t say never to say a comment like that, nor do I feel fazed when I receive that answer, but please be careful regarding to whom you say it, and if any cases are closed, try to provide as many specifics and details as are permitted by your work as an RLSH.\u00a0 It will go a great length in solidifying your credibility and maturity for the rest of the interview.
\n2.\u00a0 Keeping it \u201cOff the Record\u201d for real.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Since I\u2019ve started this project, I\u2019ve heard maybe a half-dozen jaw-dropping stories that have been requested as staying off the record.\u00a0 I\u2019m happy to oblige; I\u2019m not a paparazzi or a gossip writer, I\u2019m trying to bring a modicum of dignity back to investigative journalism and I can\u2019t afford to burn any bridges besides the fact.\u00a0 I\u2019d much rather compromise and use non-specific examples to illustrate a sensitive subject, or drop the matter entirely, than to betray a source\u2019s trust and lose that contact and risk being ousted from the story itself.
\nBut not everyone is like me.\u00a0 When giving an off-the-record story to another reporter, never say the following (keeping in mind I\u2019m making this up and nobody actually told me this).
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 So how did you first decide to become an RLSH?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 Well, my house was robbed while I was in it and I was hogtied to my bed and saw them take everything I own\u2026oh, but that\u2019s off-the-record.<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\nPlease, please lead off with that off-the-record remark.\u00a0 It\u2019s way too easy for the tape recorder to run out of batteries or tape (or for it to be stopped by the reporter).\u00a0 If that off-the-record comment goes on-the-record because you said it was off the record too late, that comment is admissible in court.\u00a0 If you take that reporter or paper to court for slander, they will win.
\nLet\u2019s look at it the other way around.
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 So how did you first decide to become an RLSH?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 Well, off-the-record, my house was robbed while I was in it and I was hogtied to my bed and saw them take everything I own.\u00a0 <\/em>On the record, I guess I\u2019d just seen enough crime and was sick of it.<\/em>
\nThere are audio experts who can hear the difference in background noise when a portion of a tape has been edited or cut and they can and will bring that to a judge\u2019s attention if your accord has been compromised.
\n3. Question for Question<\/strong>.\u00a0 Nothing raises a red flag to a reporter higher than answering their question with a question.\u00a0 Don\u2019t fire their question back at them and don\u2019t answer their question by asking them another one in return.\u00a0 It sounds suspicious and evasive to them, and they\u2019ll magnify that effect to the public.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an example.
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 How do you feel the Real-Life Super Hero movement has affected the public since its inception?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 How do <\/em>you feel we\u2019ve affected the public?<\/em>
\nOr
\nRLSH:\u00a0 Well do <\/em>you feel safer walking the streets at night, knowing we\u2019re out there?<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\nIdeally, reporters aren\u2019t supposed to take sides, but whether or not they\u2019re good enough to stay objective, I guarantee you don\u2019t want their answers.\u00a0 If you have to answer a question like that and want to retain some humility, here\u2019s a perfect answer I received (which you can only give if applicable, of course).
\nReporter #2:\u00a0 How do you feel the RLSH movement has affected the public since its inception?<\/em>
\nRLSH:\u00a0 Well I hope they\u2019re inspired to go out and make a positive difference in their communities, and I\u2019ve seen the crime rates in my area drop since my patrolling began.\u00a0 If I had something to do with that, I\u2019m not sure, but I believe and can only hope that I have.<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>
\n4.\u00a0 Stupid Questions Can Be Your Best Friend.\u00a0 <\/strong>Just because someone asks you a dumb question doesn\u2019t mean he or she doesn\u2019t care or hasn\u2019t researched.\u00a0 Reporters are required to get some of the most basic information straight from the horse\u2019s mouth, so don\u2019t take offense.\u00a0 Simultaneously, we have to ask some of the questions we know for a fact you can\u2019t or won\u2019t answer, or our paper\/syndicate\/etc will have our jobs, so bear with us, and keep in mind this is your chance to shine.
\nIn the world of journalism, brevity and uniqueness are keys to quotes going in articles and on segments.\u00a0 If, hypothetically, I interview Batman and I ask \u201cWhat\u2019s your secret identity?\u201d the best answer on Earth he can give me is \u201cBatman.\u201d\u00a0 This puts things into an amazing perspective for the reader and is a short and sweet answer to a played-out question.\u00a0 I can see that exchange blown up in a different color in a magazine; it\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re looking for as reporters.
\nOne final note: it goes so far, psychologically speaking, that human beings are so protective over their own identities that it\u2019s almost a rule in journalism that no matter how flattering or how honest you are in regards to a subject, their perception of your coverage will be very negative.\u00a0 The first day of many classes the professor will tell the students that never, under any circumstance, is a reporter to allow a subject to see what the reporter has written about him or her before the article goes to publication.\u00a0 It\u2019s the worst mistake you can make as a reporter, second only to not verifying a claim.\u00a0 So again, take reporters with a grain of salt \u2013 even if we\u2019re trying to help, it may not always seem as such.
\nSo be careful on the streets, be careful in front of a camera, and with luck, these nine tactics can help flourish the relationship between the RLSH and the journalist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Journalist Jonny Lupash developed a guide for RLSH to consider when dealing with the Media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[55,26],"tags":[565,1017,1489,1787,2180,2181,2236,2619,2795],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}