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Complaint calls

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Smallpotatoes, Jan 12, 2008.

  1. fossywriter8

    fossywriter8 Well-Known Member

    Our response is always the same: We report what the coaches give us.

    We don't go out of our way to find JV scores or cover their events, but we do put the info at the very end of the varsity stories (one or two sentences is all, with the score and one or two top performers).
    Of course, we're a much smaller paper than big metro dailies so we have a little wiggle room for that kind of thing, but we still get some of those same phone calls about why one team gets more JV coverage than another.
     
  2. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    I recently wrote a column sort of calling out a captain of a college team I cover after he played sho shitty for about three games. The coach was pissy. So was the captain. I said something to the effect of "You aren't too disappointed when I write about how well he plays."

    All is well now.
     
  3. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    Most complaints are narrowly focused, usually why some parent's kid didn't get enough publicity. I always reply. If the person is civil, I let them speak their mind. If they get rude, I hang up.
     
  4. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member


    The problem with that is the coach will dutifully name every player who suited up, and parents will expect to see that in the paper.
     
  5. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    We had an email the other day from a mother who insinuated that leaving her daughter off the all-state honorable mention would cost her daughter a college scholarship.
     
  6. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    I got that recently from a coach regarding an all-area team. Fucking classic.

    I hope that dude doesn't go to UCLA because of me. I really do.
     
  7. Sometimes is just gets to the point where I ask if all they needed to do was complain or is there an actual solution to be made. Sometimes it's not about getting coverage/corrections. Gramps just wants to bitch.
     
  8. BigJim5190

    BigJim5190 Member

    I love those parents. The best way to handle the "college recruiters read your standings page and my son/daughter is trying to decide on where to do" is to just be honest and tell them, "Ma'am, college coaches know who they're going to be looking at for next year already. If someone needs the standing page of the Podunk Press to fill his roster next season, I don't think you want your child to go there."

    These people are convinced that Joe Paterno reads the paper and says things like, "Hey, guys, there's a running back out of Smalltown High that just rushed for 210 yards on 18 carries. Yeah, they beat Crosstown Rival Tech by a touchdown. Pity the paper decided not to put in any stats for Tech, or we'd look at their kids, too. Fuel up the jet."
     
  9. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    One of my staffers got that recently from a parent whose son we didn't include on the all-county football team. She claimed he was a "national recruit." Well, if he was, he wouldn't need our recognition. I googled his name and he didn't show up in any recruiting stories.

    Some people just feel empowered to complain because they subscribe to the paper and that's fine as long as they don't act like jerks. Once they do, I end the conversation.
     
  10. mpcincal

    mpcincal Well-Known Member

    It's one thing to get that kind of call from parents, but if it's a coach who makes that complaint, he is beyond clueless and should know better.
     
  11. Damaramu

    Damaramu Member

    Here's a question: are schools and players entitled to any coverage?

    Because they act like they deserve it. Like it's their right for you to mention it.
     
  12. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    Entitled to it? No.
     
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