General Sherman looked upon journalists as a nuisance and a danger at headquarters and in the field, and acted toward them accordingly, then as throughout his great war career.
In my first company, Seer Technologies, where I was chief technology officer, we shied away from the media. We watched every word and were guarded in front of journalists.
I'm totally not media shy and do interviews all the time and go to events and totally play along and actually enjoy talking to journalists most of the time.
I can't remember a single occasion when I have been kind to a journalist.
I'm not strong-willed enough or unkind enough... or maybe simply not wise enough to tell a journalist that a subject is out of bounds.
General David Petraeus was so successful at getting on covers of magazines, having journalists fall in love with him, that in fact he was able to use that power to go around the normal chain of command.
I get along fine with the press.
Every media appearance is a learning experience about the media outlet and their journalists and their feelings about you, so treat it as such.
It's not good if owners of sports teams are talking to sports journalists, bypassing the manager. That goes in the wrong direction wherever it happens. Therefore, I'll refrain from doing this at all.
As you may know, I have many good friends in the press who, unfortunately, have thus far refused to identify themselves and go public.
