I am often amazed in this day and age how poorly politicians make use of the press, and what a self-limiting (or even self-destructive) thing that almost always turns out to be. Don’t get me wrong – politicians hating newspapermen is a phenomenon (at least) as old as our Republic, and knows no partisan boundaries. And let’s face it – hating on the press (or trying to kill the messenger) is sometimes a successful tactic in the short term, if your only goal is getting elected (as opposed to accomplishing something once you’re there).

But those who wish to lead and govern us aren’t there because they’ve been drafted – they asked to be there. Presumably, they are running for public office because they have ideas worth sharing and implementing as policy. Presumably, they think these are good ideas that will actually help people. The public eye is often uncomfortable, but as it’s the public they have to eventually convince, that eye is a necessary tool of governance in a free society.

So, because I am feeling public service minded on this Veteran’s Day weekend, here are some pointers for Nevada’s elected officials.

Never miss an opportunity to be heard. Nevada is still a pretty small state, and there are only so many news outlets or print-column spaces available to get a message out. One of the reasons The Indy has been so successful is the hunger for more media options and more content. I find it absolutely insane that there are some politicians who would purposefully miss out on reaching out to this audience.

Every quote in a media story is an ad you don’t have to buy, and proof that you are unafraid to defend your visions and your ideas. Even when people disagree, they’ll generally appreciate that you at least showed up and sounded like a human being.

Besides, building professional relationships with reporters never hurts. It’s one thing to be careless (or hostile) when writing about someone you’ve never met. It’s harder when you speak to them face-to-face periodically. And it’s almost impossible once you trade a few jokes, and see a few pictures of their kids, because that’s what people wind up doing when they engage each other (even “just” at work) on a regular basis.

Only you can make you look bad. Almost every time I’ve seen or heard someone complain that the media was unfairly making them look bad, it’s because that person was accurately quoted when they said something really stupid. As society continues to blur the line between “public” and “private” lives, this will no doubt happen to pretty much every elected official at some point in their career, and the phrases, “yeah, that was a really dumb thing to say” and “let’s talk in more detail and with greater precision about the smarter point I was trying to convey” will become essential parts of every political toolbox.

But saying dumb things can be minimized or even avoided with a little preparation. Think about what you want to say before you actually say it. If it’s a policy position, this thinking should have been done before proposing the policy, so it should be easy. Ironically, I think it’s easier to keep these things in mind in a more hostile media environment – people tend to get careless when speaking with “friendly” media, and say all sort of bitter, deplorable things, at least 47 percent of the time.

Yes, there is undeniably a pervasive liberal bias in media outlets generally, and there are certainly unscrupulous owners of newspapers who will attempt to shade their hard news coverage. So what? Taking a quote out of context backfires on those outlets when the full context is eventually revealed. But your silence? That can be filled in by absolutely anything…

Besides, the days when engaging with the press meant putting yourself at the mercy of a reporter or editor are gone. Now, anyone can bring their own camera or digital recorder to an interview, or write and publish their own ideas, opinions, or versions of events. If something has been skewed unfairly, it’s easier than ever to set the record straight.

Be your own voice.   Websites are cheap, people, and you all have them if you’re running for office. Write your own stuff, and promote it on your social media feeds. And if you care about breaking out of your base’s echo chamber, submit op/eds for more widely read publications.

If your response to this suggestion is, “I’m not a very good writer,” then a) there’s probably someone who supports you who can help you with that, and b) either get better or rethink your career choices. Political figures of almost any description write (or process what other people have written) for a living. That’s how you make laws. If you aren’t sufficiently proficient with the English language to make a coherent written argument in defense of a policy position (no, tweets don’t count), then maybe “lawmaker” is not the right fit for you.

Rep. Mark Amodei is the model every elected official should emulate when it comes to communication. Most members of our congressional delegation put out at least three or four press releases a week, mostly one or two paragraphs of empty banal nonsense about how they’re leading the fight against Bad Things by being the 114th sponsor of the non-binding End Bad Things Resolution of 2017. Amodei, on the other hand, puts out a detailed report about once a week detailing what he’s doing, why he’s doing it, and seeking constituent input. It’s what makes him such an effective legislator, and why his opponents are left with so little to criticize that they have to attack him for taking time off when his mother died.  

The combination of sunlight and debate makes good legislation better, and help protect us from the bad ideas that good intentions sometimes try to foist upon us. Effective lawmakers know this, and will never miss a chance to embrace either one, engaging with the press whenever possible as a key part of their mission.

Orrin Johnson has been writing and commenting on Nevada and national politics since 2007. He started with an independent blog, First Principles, and was a regular columnist for the Reno Gazette-Journal from 2015-2016. By day, he is a deputy district attorney for Carson City. His opinions here are his own. Follow him on Twitter @orrinjohnson, or contact him at [email protected].