FAMU hurt by officials who disrespect reporters, lack basic media relations skills

The way FAMU alumna Tia Mitchell was treated at the Thursday, August 27 press conferences for the FAMU Legacy Banquet was a reminder of how much the university is being hurt by officials who lack basic media relations skills.

Mitchell, a Florida Times-Union reporter and graduate of the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, went to Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in order to participate in the media availability that morning. The press conference was held at that location because the Legacy Banquet was an event that was jointly planned by Bethel Empowerment Foundation that is based in that church and the FAMU Foundation. The purpose of the banquet was to honor all the living FAMU presidents and raise money for the FAMU athletic department. Attendees at the press conference included FAMU President Elmira Mangum, Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman Rufus Montgomery, and former Trustee R.B. Holmes (the pastor of the church).

According to a statement that Mitchell posted on her Twitter page, a public relations official intervened when she tried to ask questions and told her it wasn’t the right press conference for that.

One responder on Mitchell’s page compared the incident to what happened only a couple of days earlier at a press conference held by Republican presidential nomination candidate Donald Trump. Trump got upset when Univision anchor Jorge Ramos started asking him questions and had the reporter removed from the room.

Rufus did not answer questions from Mitchell and other reporters at the morning press conference.

The evening press conference didn’t go much better. Mitchell said a question she asked wasn't answered and ended her Twitter statements about the event with a remark that: “I'm >< those to getting on my soapbox about sources who dodge questions then complain media bias.”

The disrespectful treatment of the press at the two press conferences for the FAMU Legacy Banquet was an embarrassment even by the standards of something organized by R.B. But it is part of an even bigger problem at FAMU.

Mangum and Rufus have been ducking tough questions from reporters lately. They both declined requests for interviews for a News Service of Florida article that was published on August 24. Rufus also refused to be interviewed for a WFSU story that ran on August 25. The story was written by Lynn Hatter, another graduate of the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication.

Maybe the current FAMU president and BOT chairman haven’t realized it yet, but ignoring reporters won’t make them go away. Declining to answer questions only gives the press a reason to be suspicious and start digging deeper.