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All-Area attribution question

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Central-KY-Kid, Nov 30, 2006.

  1. Central-KY-Kid

    Central-KY-Kid Well-Known Member

    The newspaper I work at just released its All-Area Volleyball Team, which includes seven schools.

    One of the weekly papers in the area, which is part of the same newspaper chain that my place is, did a story about its team's coach earning Coach of the Year honors. But not once in the story did the paper make mention that it was my newspaper who ran the team (we oversee the voting and have a say in the voting as well).

    No big deal?

    Contact the sports editor (who my paper has had issues with in the past) who wrote the story?

    Any opinions?
     
  2. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    If it is in the same chain, no big deal.

    If you want to be a smart-ass, though, you could contact the editor and say that since they are using the team without crediting who did it, maybe they will help do some of the legwork next year.
     
  3. Ledbetter

    Ledbetter Active Member

    Did the weekly say the coach was the Podunk Weekly coach of the year or did it say the coach was recently named the Shitburger Daily News coach of the year?

    One makes it sounds like he was the weekly's pick, while the other references who picked him.
     
  4. Central-KY-Kid

    Central-KY-Kid Well-Known Member

    The weekly paper used "Area Coach of the Year"
     
  5. jay_christley

    jay_christley Member

    I wouldn't get all worked up about it.
    It could be a blatant case of not giving proper credit to you. Or it could be a matter that whom ever did the story is a poor journalist.
    With so many organizations giving awards at all levels, how do you do a story on somebody and not explain who gave them the award?
     
  6. Hank_Scorpio

    Hank_Scorpio Active Member

    Yea, it's nothing to get worked up about. Maybe if you see him at an event, you could ask him what happened.

    It really sounds like the guy is a poor journalist. Just saying Area coach of the year tells the reader nothing. There should be some sort of designator (paper, conference, district, region, etc, etc).
     
  7. Breakyoself

    Breakyoself Member

    it's bullshit, but maybe the best thing would be to just make a sarcastic comment the next time you see him.
     
  8. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    If they lifted quotes, hell yeah pitch a fit. If they didn't, might want to casually mention it next time you see the SE...
     
  9. Tom Petty

    Tom Petty Guest

     
  10. Central-KY-Kid

    Central-KY-Kid Well-Known Member

    In the same edition as the All-Area Volleyball Coach article, the sports editor of said weekly paper in our chain used our season preview on their county school's wrestling team verbatim other than coming up with a new two-graph lede. Removed our writer's name (who used to work for them about 2 years ago). No attribution, no "information from the Podunk Press was used in this report."

    This same sports editor, who has been with the weekly for around a decade, I think, wrote a column two years ago about our paper not covering some wrestling meet her son's team was in about two hours away.
     
  11. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    If that is the case, I would send him a note saying that you noticed he is using your preview and all-area information and was glad that he found your paper's work useful.

    In the future, perhaps since he is using your paper's work anyway, you might combine forces and have him help select and write the all area teams and season previews.

    Thanks so much, etc., etc.
     
  12. Breakyoself

    Breakyoself Member

    tell you edtior, and have them deal with it. that is bullshit they are using your stuff, same chain or not. if they use it, they should attribute it.
     
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