scrum (thing)

Though the term’s origins are likely related to rugby, as Foaf points out above, a scrum is also a journalistic slang term used to describe the often frantic swarming of a public or newsworthy figure outside of a formal press conference or speech setting. Reporters will often want or need clarification about a point that was raised during a speech or something similar. They might also need to ask follow-up questions but may not have had time during the speech or press conference itself. The scrum is also frequently the only opportunity a reporter might have to question public figures, as speeches and press conferences aren’t always everyone’s bag – and some people are newsworthy for their artistic, scientific and athletic accomplishments.

The general act of scrumming depends heavily on “access” to the figure being questioned. Many elected officials usually end up partaking in scrums at some point or another in their careers, but other kinds of heads of state (royalty, for instance) are very rarely questioned in such a manner. The amount of authority held by each official is also a factor; in the U.S., a Senator or Congress member may find him or herself in scrums all the time, whereas the President is more likely to field questions from reporters at organized news conferences. This is generally limited to certain geographical locations, however; since scrums are often thought to be security hazards and potential for terrorist activity and are therefore less common in the United States than they are in Canada and other countries. Scrums are commonplace at sporting events in the U.S., when it might be common for reporters to need clips from athletes and coaches afterwards.

The term (though this particular kind of scrum is often referred to as a ‘media scrum’) was derived from the original definition provided in Foaf’s writeup. It refers to the fact that some encounters can involve pushing, shoving, and in some extreme cases, kicking. The exceptional cases generally only occur when a large group of reporters is attempting to question a particularly important or newsworthy individual. Professors and teaching assistants of mine have said that, during their careers as working journalists, they suffered cuts and bruises from partaking in scrums. The ‘media scrum horror story’ is supposedly one of the most common journalistic anecdotes in Canada.

Media scrums of old usually consisted of reporters surrounding the newsworthy individual, shouting out questions, and writing everything down frantically. (You can almost see the hats with the little 'press tags,' can't you?) The advent and popularity of television and radio news has more or less eliminated the need to write quite as frantically, as even many print reporters opt to record things and transcribe them later. Cameras, microphones and tape recorders have contributed to the ‘claustrophobic’ nature of the scrum, as people not only have to attempt to make room for themselves but also for their equipment.

How to Handle Yourself in a Scrum, Part One

As a journalist, you will likely end up on the reporter end of a scrum at least once. There are a few ways to maximize your journalistic output while minimizing awkwardness and pain. Every situation is going to be different but there are enough common elements in most media scrums – regardless of the situation – to make these tricks work most of the time.

Find a good angle and stick with it. Remember, if you’re frantically writing things down (and some reporters still do, even if they’re also taping things – this way they can remember what was most important and where it was on the tape), you’ll really need to hear everything Mr./Ms. Public Official is saying. You won’t have to worry about camera angles and audio levels, but you still need to make sure you get everything down correctly. Pick an angle that suits your “recording” medium and hang onto it for dear life. This is probably going to be difficult if your subject is attempting to move while talking. Microphones and tape recorders work well from a downward angle but this can be hard on your arms and might obstruct the view of some TV cameras. Another technique involves ducking underneath the general fray and reaching up with your recording equipment. This was one of the first things I was taught in radio broadcasting class, but I’ve never tried it.

If you need to check audio levels, make sure you do so quickly and accurately before you record too much at the wrong volume. It’s important to check constantly but in a way that still makes it look like you’re paying attention to your subject. If you make it obvious that their rant about taxes or the judicial system is boring you to death, they might avoid any of your attempts at questions. They usually get to decide who gets to ask next.

Depending on the size of the scrum, you may have a hard time being heard over other reporters (who will all be attempting to shout out their questions at the same time, guaranteed). You technically need to attempt to get the subject’s attention; the most common way to do this is to use their name (by name I mean the appropriate honourific – Mr., Ms., Judge, Senator, and so on – and their last name). Standard scrum protocol indicates that the source will make it clear to whom he or she is listening. If it doesn’t look like he or she is going to listen to you anytime soon, hope that you get some relevant information or that some of your luckier counterparts thought up similar questions.

While confidentiality is a key staple of media ethics, scrums usually require reporters from rival publications and organizations to work together in the event of confusion. It’s generally considered okay to ask others about a word you might have missed while transcribing quotes. Quotes should be provided and reported as accurately as possible. It’s not the end of the world to have to ask someone else if they heard what you heard. Scrums are publicly accessible; that is to say that different newspapers and broadcasts may feature the same quote content and sometimes even similar footage (from different angles, of course). If you were to break into another reporter’s office and steal his or her notes from a private sit-down interview with a high-level government official, you’d be breaking every written and unwritten rule there is. If you’re standing next to that same reporter in a scrum, chances are you’re going to be using the same quotes. It’s okay to want to make sure you got wording right.

If you’re a student at an even remotely hands-on journalism school, you will likely end up in a scrum at least once before you graduate. Given the nature of your assignment, you might not even know about the scrum until a short time before you actually have to partake in it. This means you might feel a tad underdressed if, say, you get sent to cover a court case or a press conference on short notice. Don’t worry – people will understand. They had to start somewhere too, and seeing you there might bring back memories of their own training days. Some of my friends were even approached by working journalists after scrums and were offered practical networking advice.

How to Handle Yourself in a Scrum, Part Two

Congratulations, honourable noder! You successfully ran for political office/won that big case/won the lottery/pulled a kitten out of a burning tree! Just as what happened starts to sink in, you notice a large group of people with notepads and tape recorders on the horizon. Then you find yourself swarmed. What do you do? What do you do?

First things first: stay calm. It’s only a scrum.

The scrum is probably one of the most dreaded parts of any public figure’s day. While it can be easy to predict when they might occur in some areas (reporters are usually ready and waiting after Question Period in Canada, for instance), unforeseen events can bring on a scrum at any given time. Public figures also usually don’t enjoy them because they have very little time to prepare for them; it can be easy to be caught off-guard by a question and not have a polished response ready. While this is done in part to keep rehearsed answers to a minimum, some things said in scrums have been so ‘off the cuff’ that the speakers had to issue formal apologies. I have never actually been scrummed, but I can tell you a few things from a journalistic point of view.

Try to answer questions as thoroughly as you can. You probably just want to get out of there and go home, but the more thorough your initial answers are, the fewer follow-up questions you’ll have to answer. You might have places to be, but so do the reporters: they all have deadlines to meet. They probably don’t want to have to be there with their tape recorders in your face any more than you do.

This is somewhat biased, but attempt to at least be cordial with the press on a professional level. Sure, you’re going to have problems with them and all the hounding you’re going to experience now that you’re a top-notch public figure. Yes, politicians of all political backgrounds howled when Canadian opposition leader Stephen Harper told a group of walking reporters (who were following him in a scrum) to “Watch out for the wall, as much as I’d like to see some of you guys hit it.” They’re going to be there whenever you do or say something big, which might be an inconvenience – and some journalists have acquired a reasonably bad reputation for not respecting the privacy of public figures – but if you’ve just made a speech or done anything else even remotely public, they’re going to have questions.

You’re pressed for time – and so are the reporters – but try to answer as many different questions as you can. If you don’t, the publications and broadcasts that run this story are all going to have to use the same clips. You just might be associated with that one quote for the rest of your career, which can be deadly if you happen to speak before you think (a key scrum problem) and say something you end up regretting later. This brings me to a related point: you aren’t really going to have much time to prepare for scrums and even when you can, you can’t anticipate every question before it comes. You should probably know how to think quickly on your feet; getting caught completely off-guard in a scrum can be damaging to your reputation. Saying the first thing that comes into your mind is probably even worse.

Once the scrum itself is over and you’re about to leave, never, ever, EVER assume that all the recording equipment has been turned off. Never. All it takes is one off-hand comment and one tape recorder to turn you into a political hand grenade. Before you know it, you’ll be on CNN arguing about whether or not all Canadians own dogsleds with Tucker Carlson – you don’t really want that, do you?

Some final thoughts

For every politician who loathes scrums, there is probably another who either likes them or pretends to like them for the sake of appearances. Some media scrums are actually organized by the people responsible for the actual appearance, speech, press conference and so on. Some Canadian politicians were even known to wander the halls of the parliament buildings, actively seeking out reporters. Some journalists have argued whether or not scrums are entirely effective anymore, as they seem to have become another way for public figures to do their own PR.

For the record, I have been in one scrum. It involved several reporters but was otherwise a very calm affair. I got to hold a microphone in Jack Layton's face. I didn't ask anything; I was too dazed. I was also 18. Part of my coatsleeve ended up on TV.

Node your practical experience.