A complaint that just completely blindsided me

First of all, realize that the coach may or may not actually be upset, but I'd just about guarantee he's hearing from parents bitching with their complaints of the coverage.
I don't know about your area, but I'd wager a guess that in most areas football is the main prep fall sport. Maybe it's due to resources and availability of staff, but if we had no football pics for several weeks I guarantee we'd get an earful. It doesn't matter if you ran pics of the team earlier in the season, not running any for several weeks is sticking out like a sore thumb right now. Especially if the team is having its best season in 31 years, you've probably got some parents from that 1978 playoff team with sons on this year's team. Even if you were going wall-to-wall with your coverage, they would probably feel you should do more. By not running pics for several weeks, you're just giving them more ammunition.
If you don't go as a form of protest, just be prepared for an even stronger form of protest from the coach and parents. Word will spread faster than you can believe. Don't even think of doing that, because then you'll be hearing from plenty of irate people.

 

Yes, changing your coverage plans based on a complaint is unprofessional and won't get you anywhere.

Explain it to the coach as you did here and continue as you normally would. We all get unreasonable complaints from time to time, but most often people are satisfied if they can hear why you made certain choices.

Sometimes a new format takes time to stick with readers, but if it's causing real problems on your end, as well, I'd talk to the higher-ups and tinker with it to make a better format.

 

A lot of complaints have been been blindsiding me lately. We'll run something I just know is going to piss people off and I brace myself for the e-mails and phone calls and they never come. It's stuff I never suspected that seems to set people off around here.

 

I'll add what's become my mantra of late, dealing with those who will find any reason possible to think we favor the crosstown rivals over their fair-skinned boys and girls: NEVER give in to whiners.

Explain things to them once and, if they keep complaining, ignore them. One e-mailer now cc's my executive editor with their claims ... it makes for a good laugh between the two of us.

 

I love that "I'll go above their head mentality"...doesn't work at my job either...unfortunately I've heard cases from colleagues where it has been an effective way to gripe.

 

I covered the game tonight. Talked to the guy after the game. I didnt say anything about it; he didn't say anything about it.
Fine with me.

 

Smallpotatoes must be a nervous wreck in the newsroom. Just do your job and get a hobby.

 

Complaints go with the territory. Be polite, state your case, move on.

No photos in several weeks and team has won five straight games??!! It's football season; keep those photos coming.

Throw the coach a bone. Find a good angle, and do an interesting column on him.

 

Yep, been at shops where the next time the front office backs its newsroom in a dispute will be the first ... here, though, the EE admits to being a sports illiterate (although she did admit to seeing the end of the Super Bowl and was wondering how I'd play it) and gives me the freedom to do things as I see fit. Yet, she can also smell out the soccer/cheerleader mom-type a mile away!