For cadres of journalists, it’s an intricate understanding that each party has its priorities, and if that means a reporter asking a tough question, that’s just part of the job.

“They’re just different people in different roles,” Rosenberg said.

Greek life in print

On Saturday mornings each autumn, maize and blue clad students fill fraternity houses’ front porches and lawns; school spirit brimming on high for an afternoon in the Big House.

The presence of Greek life on campus isn’t easy to miss. It’s a realm Mary Beth Seiler has come to intimately understand during her 30-year involvement with University Greek life, the past decade spent as its director.

“Everybody’s got opinions about Greek life,” Seiler said. “I think that’s one topic you could pretty much ask anybody on the street, and they’re going to give you an opinion.”

When it comes to media attention, LSA junior Cathy Wojtanowski, Panhellenic vice president for public relations, said each sorority or fraternity’s national organization controls much of the news flow. When Wojtanowski served as her chapter’s public relations VP last year, she said she received a large guidebook from the national office detailing everything from social media guidelines to protocols for media relations.

With most incidents, whether positive or negative, the University’s Office of Greek Life and its executive boards have little influence in the ways individual chapters handle situations with the media or the public at large.

“It’s going to be up to them (each chapter) and their national organization about what is said,” Seiler said. “If it somehow spilled over into the larger Greek community, we would have to discuss it depending on what (the issue) is.”

Seiler said in most circumstances pertaining to the larger Greek community, she directs media inquiries to student leaders, such as council presidents. But when the topic surpasses merely informational probes, Seiler uses the University’s media infrastructure, such as the Office of Public Affairs, to advise on protocol.

“I think what’s dangerous is when people start speaking and there’s an investigation in process,” Seiler said. “And whether that’s an Ann Arbor (Police Department) thing or internal to Greek life ... You let the process work the way it’s supposed to work, and people intervening and adding comments and speculation really isn’t helpful.”

During the joint interview, Seiler, as well as Wojtanowski and LSA junior Michael Freedman, who is the Interfraternity Council president, agreed that most media inquiries are in response to negative allegations or incidents.

“I think it’s reasonable to believe that Greek life raising money isn’t the type of story people want to read,” Freedman said. “They want to read about the negative connotations of Greek life, which there are very few, realistically. If a minor thing does (occur), that’s the story I feel like is pursued rather than the thousands of dollars that are raised for children’s cancer or for MS that happens ever year.”

Seiler also noted that coverage of Greek life is more balanced in some years than others.

Events, awards and charity “are the things I wish people knew more generally — that it’s not just about partying.”

Multiple fraternity and sorority freshmen members said they would feel comfortable speaking to the press on most topics concerning Greek life, with the exception of certain traditions like initiation. The members agreed that this type of secrecy simply preserves long-held traditions.

For this feature, 10 presidents and spokesmen were contacted via e-mail requesting an interview to discuss relations between press and Greek life. As of publication, none have responded.