Jason Yellin

On Tuesday our class was visited by Jason Yellin, the media relations guru for UMass sports. Yellin has been doing it for seven years here, and was in media relations for six years in Maryland before that, so he was able to provide a ton of insight on relations between athletes and coaches and the media. He also worked for ESPN.com back in the day as a writer, so he has seen the process from both sides. Since Yellin has been on both sides of the spectrum, it helps him bridge the gap between the teams and the media. "I try to help both sides do their job," Yellin said.

This isn't always easy, of course, especially since he works for UMass. But it proves most difficult after a loss, because coaches are angry and less willing to talk about what transpired. A great deal of his job depends on winning and losing. If a team is winning, it's easier to promote the team and get covered by more sources. If a team is losing sometimes he won't get the time of day from people. The way he sees it, he's the same guy doing the same job, but people are simply more interested in a team when it is good.

Yellin also provided us with some interview tips. One that stood out to me, was to always be direct with your question no matter what. If you are unsure of yourself, or beat around the bush in any way, it opens you up to getting flack from the people your asking, and even in some cases, confrontation. In other words (his), "Don't be soft."