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"I" in game reports

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by ripthejacker, Mar 12, 2007.

  1. Point of Order

    Point of Order Active Member

    This reminds me of a story relayed to me by a former co-worker:

    Our mutual acquaintance was sitting at his desk with this pained & contorted look on his face as he mulled over his computer screen and keyboard. This guy, who was really quirky and odd duck to begin with. He looked so lost and pitiful that my friend just had to check on him, "Bill, what's wrong, man?"

    Bill said, "I'm trying to write a story without the letter 'i' in it because the 'i' button came off my keyboard."

    True story. (Note: This guy worked for a TV station but they did some original web content.)
     
  2. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I-yi-yi!
     
  3. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    If it's all about the effect ... being able to paint a scene rich in color and emotion, especially if it suits the story ... that's one thing. But there are so many ways to do that without inserting yourself into it.

    People assume you were there if you're describing it. You don't have to confirm that fact for them.
     
  4. Unless you're Rick Bragg ... then we assume your subordinate was there ...
     
  5. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    Kind of like that episode of the Simpsons where Mr. Burns tells Lenny he can keep his job if he can explain why without using the letter E.

    "I am a hard, uh, work guy. .... But I didn't say--"

    "You will."

    "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (falls into a pit)."
     
  6. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    What good are peons if not to soak in color and emotion so I don't have to?
     
  7. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    Or Mitch Albom.
     
  8. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    I get where you're coming from, but I really wonder if there IS such a thing as an appropriate first-person gamer. Interjecting self into the story changes its very nature.

    As far as crossing the line, I think that's where you see the BLOGS! exert their influence. People there can and do write "gamers", or a variation thereof, which contain more Is than a psychotic opthamologist's freezer. It might well be accepted in some cases, particularly if it's a known voice doing the writing (Mitch, anyone?). But if the writer is so important to the story that it requires their presence via pronoun, the article has invariably shifted form. It's not a gamer, it's either a column or a eyewitness perspective story or an "experience" story (think prospect diaries).
     
  9. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Buck, I don't have any problem with him putting the link up there either. We were dogging him for examples; he presented it. And he was right (outside of playing devil's advocate for it).

    Ike, when I was 20, I was told not to do some things because "we always did it this way." Some of those were just plain wrong. And some of those actually were based in good reasoning, but the person was too lazy to explain that good reasoning and just gave the easy, shut-'em-up answer.

    The use of first person is NEVER going to be effective use in a hard news story (and, yes, a gamer counts under that definition) for the simple fact that the journalist is an observer, not a participant, in said story. We're supposed to be like the good home-plate umpire ... we're doing our best job when you don't notice the writer.

    Obviously, that's not the case for columns and/or analyses. But for hard news, yes. First person is a no-go.
     
  10. I don't know....I did write this report earlier in my career...

    What do you think?

     
  11. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Some of you don't know this, but NoTalent once scored three touchdowns in the city final for Polk High. ;)
     
  12. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    He's now in the retail footwear business.
     
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