Talking with Voyagers tomorrow morning

So I'm back on the speaking tour tomorrow morning talking to the ACT/IAC Voyagers, which is a a mid-level cooperative program between the IT industry and government executives. The goal of the program is career development on both sides, and to create a better understanding between government and industry. By all accounts, it's a great program -- and one that at the heart of IAC's mission.

So they are hosting a program on the "interaction between government, industry, and the press." I, of course, am representing the press.

As always, I'm most interested to hear people's views on this topic... and what questions we get asked.

I'll let you know how it goes... although I'm off to the Doan hearing right after the talk, so... that first, then the Voyagers.

Interaction between Government, Industry, and the Press

Panel:

Moderator:Dan Chenok, Vice President, Business Solutions and Offerings, SRA
Government Panelist:Scott Cragg, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting)
IT Strategic Policy, Plans & Programs, & Chief Architect,
Veterans Affairs
Industry Panelist:Kim Shackelford, President, Ambit Group
Press Panelist:Christopher Dorobek, Editor in Chief of Federal Computing Week

Voyager questions:
While industry strives to serve a subset of the public typically known as shareholders – government's purpose is to serve the public as a whole. Meanwhile the press reports newsworthy events in both industry and government to all.
?Is the press utilized in a similar manner by both?
?Does the press exert the same types of pressure on both industry and government?
?Are the same issues, if any, experienced by industry and government with the press?
?Is everything working fine the way it is?

Opening Remarks:
Who is the press?
How do they impact the Government IT marketplace?
How do agencies and companies interface with the press, and specifically with whom?
How do leaders use the press to get their message out?
How does the Government IT press balance its relationship with sources with the need for independent reporting (and how does this differ from the mainstream press)?
How does technology impact the way that you obtain information, and how will this change in the future? (immediacy of online stories, blogs, social networking, etc.)


Potential Q&A (for each panelist):

What motivates you (or your organization) to go public with a story?

What makes a story publicly released a "good story" from your perspective?

Is there enough follow up in the press on subsequent steps taken to solve a problem or an issue that was reported on in a negative light in the past?

What topics are press released too often / not often enough? (Security, accomplishments, mistakes, environment, scandals, etc…)

If your organization discovered that an employee accidentally posted a file with personal financial information for a large number of people on its public web site, what steps would you take with the press?

Q&A (for government and industry):

How can the press hurt you – or diminish you ability to execute against your goals?

How can you utilize the press to your advantage?

Q&A (for press):

What are the tensions between maintaining good relationships with the Government and/or industry while pursuing a controversial story?

What are some reasons why you might "sit on" a story? What is your thought process for final release?

What are the differences between "regular" journalism and journalism that covers a specific industry?