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How would you handle this?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by huntsie, Aug 28, 2009.

  1. huntsie

    huntsie Active Member

    We had a major computer malfunction this evening. Big slowdown. I was behind as it is due to a volume of stuff and the decision was made that it would take too long to process the agate. They dumped it and put in a full page filler ad.
    Fine. I accept responsibility for that.
    But what about tomorrow's paper. I've written an editor's note which says "due to technical difficulties..." and apologized. Should I include, for example, the late linescores from Wednesday that normally would have appeared in the Thursday stat page? Do I run Canada Games results from Thursday night as well as Friday in the Saturday morning paper?
    Please advise -- and I will take the consensus to my editor tomorrow when she asks what we should do. Thanks..
     
  2. Walter_Sobchak

    Walter_Sobchak Active Member

    Printing yesterday's news means there will be less room for today's news.
    Apologize and proceed as normal. Just my humble opinion.
     
  3. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    You could do what my former boss did when there was a computer malfunction.

    He walked out and quit.

    It's been over 2 years and we still don't have a replacement.
     
  4. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Put the ones that didn't get in the paper on your website, with a refer on the agate page along with the editor's note. I had to do that last Saturday with all my NFL preseason boxes (except the Raiders-49ers game) and it will be SOP on Fridays once high school football season starts, since we don't have the manpower to do boxes and cover games. No complaints ... yet.
     
  5. Don't know your market, but I would run back local stuff, even if it's on your Web site. For pro sports, direct them to your Web site. Chances are, anybody who was interested in the box score from the Padres-Braves game has found it already anyway.

    Otherwise, on today's agate page, business as usual.

    FWIW, I wouldn't go heavy on an "apology" for technical difficulties. Your system crashed. It's nothing you need to apologize for -- these things happen. If a storm knocked out the power, you wouldn't apologize, would you?
     
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