Using team photographers

I think that's the path for athletes, not for the sports information department.

 

I don't know about you guys, but even as much as I wouldn't mind working in sports information, nine times out of 10 the guys that work in these jobs come across as kinda weird. At least that's been my experience most of the time.

I guess it shows how much I can't stand newspapers that I would want to work with a bunch of nerds, dorks and fanboys just to get out of my current situation.

 

Hell, at my old shop, our photographer basically was the team photographer. Guy designed ads, fixed busted toilets, dealt with most of our IT issues and when the local D-2 football, volleyball, basketball or hockey teams were playing, he'd shoot (I can't remember if he was on the clock) and send us both his pictures. The arrangement was occasionally inconvenient (he enjoyed getting into these events for free and occasionally bringing the kids along, plus he was a little paranoid about his photos and where they were archived), but he was conveniently the only person the university would let use the strobes in the ceiling of the basketball and hockey facilities, so it worked fairly well for all parties more often than not.

 

If you can send your own photog, great. If not, I don't see a problem with using team photos as long as you give the team credit. It the team doesn't provide the photos you want/need/like, don't use them. Simple as that. When we don't have a photo to go with a story on one of our local NHL/NBA/NFL/MLB teams, I've asked the teams permission to use their photos and always given them credit. Never been a problem.

 

The hours make newspaper hours seem like paradise, too. When you're a reporter, and you have a 7 p.m. game, you work a 3-11ish type of shift. When you're in sports info and have a 7 p.m. game, you still come to the office at 9 a.m. that morning and are expected there at 9 a.m. the day after the game, too. The pay is not much better, either, unless you work your way up to a top position at a decent sized school.

 

Yeah, all the guys I know complain about the hours. Shouldn't that change now with the new overtime law?

 

You wanna get into sports information? Show up.
A lot of my shops here on the dark side now have an in-house beat writer/columnist. And are finding ways to incorporate more into the budget.