Kept at bay from a senator

The PIO issue has thrust its ugly head into my life once again this week.

We were invited by a US senator to cover an event where he was honoring a wounded warrior. After the event, we were told that he would not be speaking to the media, who were waiting in the wings. If we wanted a statement, we could call the DC office and they would email one. (So, instead of talking to the man 3 feet away, we would have to call his office 500 miles away.)

 Basically, this US Senator wanted the press to only capture the moment he had with a solider, no questions asked. Talk about getting the rug pulled out from under you!

When I complained to the PIO who sent out the request for coverage, the response was, "Well, we never said you were going to get to speak to him. We just wanted you to know about the event. I can send you a quote to attribute to him for your story."

A Radio Reporter