#25: On The Record v Off The Record v On Background

If you know me, you might understand the moment a conversation with a journalist stops being casual and veers into professional interest.

I’ve had quite a few of these conversations – about work in industries receiving lots of media attention, about alternate lifestyle choices, circumstances affected by new laws or policies – and so I’m familiar with the look of fear when someone is asked whether they would repeat themself for a story. I’m often told to speak ‘off the record’ but I do not think those words always mean what you think they mean. Let me clarify.

An on-the-record conversation is one which is literally being recorded, either with a recording device or by transcription. It will most likely be used in the story and likely by direct quote, attributed to you. Most interviews are on the record, and all interviews where you want your name there are. However, you can speak on the record and then request to be anonymised later – say, if you want your words public but there is some danger to attaching them to your identity. People often overestimate the danger in this, however, and you might find voicing your specific concern to the journalist or the news organisation’s legal team helpful in presenting a solution which still offers the audience the credibility of a named source.

An off-the-record conversation is most conversations. They aren’t being recorded in any way and furthermore, the information in them is almost useless to the story as far as following up for background research goes. We are all off the record by default and you don’t really need to say you are. Journalists overwhelmingly endeavour to tell you when you are being recorded, and negotiate honestly with you about alternatives like note-taking if you’re uncomfortable with that. If you’re afraid you’re dealing with a News Of The World wire-tapper type, stating that you’re off the record isn’t going to help. 

A conversation on background is what most people mean when they say they’re speaking to a journalist ‘off the record’ about a story. If you want to help with the background information but not as an interviewee, the journalist can take notes about the content of what you say but won’t attach your name to them or directly quote you in the story. The information will just be used to take to the next places the journalist follows up with. It sounds mysterious, but it can also be used for the boring stuff – if you’re just explaining relevant jargon to a journalist about an industry-specific story and nothing else, you’re basically on background. 

Mustering the courage to speak to the media can be difficult. It seems more difficult for more people lately. But breaking meaningful stories requires people to tell them. 

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