Media Whispers

Brilliant media strategy!

The New York media market can be brutal.

We have seen reporters in this town chew up and spit out many a quarterback, coach, GM — you name it.

Just ask John Idzik.

So to keep the tigers at bay, everyone needs to have a strategy, or they will be eaten for lunch, unless they win, obviously.

For instance, from what we hear from baseball writers, Yankees GM Brian Cashman is very good at giving reporters background to help them do their stories more effectively.

“Background usually means that a reporter can use the information you give them, but cannot name or quote you directly. That’s different than ‘off-the-record,’ which theoretically means that the information you share with a reporter cannot be used in any way,” wrote Brad Phillips, who runs a media and public speaking company called Thoughtline.

Cashman is so good at helping reporters with background, he’s rarely criticized, even when the Yankees struggle. Most reporters don’t bite the hand that feeds them.

Idzik, whatever fans think of the job he did, didn’t play ball with the New York press at all, and they took out the long knives on him very quickly.

Coach Adam Gase has one particular media strategy that is flat-out brilliant. At many practices, during individual drills, when players are coached-up by the position coaches, Gase will come over and schmooze with the beat reporters. These sessions often go on for 10-15 minutes.

This isn’t a once-in-a-while deal; it happens all the time. Jets Confidential doesn’t participate, but most other reporters do.

Remember, these aren’t press conferences, they are casual, off-the-record chats, like a few guys and gals sitting at the bar having a beer.