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Jack McCallum freaking nails it

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by GuessWho, Nov 10, 2011.

  1. albert77

    albert77 Well-Known Member

    The thing that struck me about McCallum's column was when he writes that he didn't particularly like Sandusky, that he seemed a little "weird." Sounds like his gut was trying to tell him something, but because the assignment was an in-and-out deal that he admittedly mailed in, he really didn't give it much thought.

    I've never been in that situation, but I imagine that's a lament that a lot of national writers would have. They're never in one spot long enough to really get a feel for their subject and don't have the time to really dig, unless they know something in advance and are sent some place specifically to get to the bottom of a story.
     
  2. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    I'm not saying anything new that this is an extremely tough thing.

    You could write a glowing piece about the great life of Mother Teresa and find out she was an ax murderer before she found the light.

    It's partly why, when we get these stories about somebody rising from the ghetto or somebody growing up without a mother and making something of himself, you're better off with the writing killing "he says," copiously, in case it's all made up.

    I'd hate to think we could never write a good story about somebody because of what might happen later. But this is certainly a good example of the perils.
     
  3. BillyT

    BillyT Active Member

    There are a lot of different topics.

    Of course so is "Dear Dimwit."
     
  4. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    I don't disagree with that. But I don't believe the notion that every player who gets described as hard-working is actually working hard compared to others. I don't believe that everyone who has put in time and money with a charity is necessarily " worth a standing ovation," as McCallum wrote of Sandusky. And I certainly don't believe many millionaire athletes are actually humble. He might come across as humble in interviews, but that doesn't mean he does when he's back in his hometown. A marriage might seem happy to you, but you really have no idea. If you didn't expect two close friends to get divorced, why do you think you can assume an athlete's marriage is happy or that he's a "family man"?

    I'm not trying to say "Down With Writing Anything Nice," just "Down With Glorifying Athletes" unless you can prove they're worthy of the virtues you're ascribing. If you can say that "Johnny lifts weights twice a day in the offseason while most of his teammates are off on vacation," that's good proof that he's working hard. That means something. That's tangible evidence.
     
  5. Turtle Wexler

    Turtle Wexler Member

    One of the things I found most interesting is McCallum's admission that he pretty much mailed it in. That's a pretty grave error in our business, especially considering where he works.

    He could have left it at "original story fell through, this was all I could turn around" or "I couldn't tell in an afternoon of interviews that he was a pedophile" and that would have been enough.

    I know nobody outside of our industry cares about the phrase 'mailing it in,' but my opinion of him dropped more for that admission than for having written a puff piece that haunts.
     
  6. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    Pretty harsh, Turtle, about something pretty much every single person (who's in the business) here has done.
     
  7. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    All I have to say to this is what you're talking about is more an issue of lazy reporting more than it is an issue of subject matter.

    Of course, there was probably plenty of praise dropped on Sandusky that was not the result of lazy reporting.
     
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