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Journalism Students: Don't Do This

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by lcjjdnh, Jun 27, 2012.

  1. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    Local News Editor Doug Donnely, via Poynter:

    "Jeff definitely has his own style and unique way of talking about himself in columns — to me, it’s what makes his columns so interesting. I have not had any reaction from the public to this point. I suspect since most of the items he was writing about were harmless enough that readers got a kick out of them rather than being offended by them."
     
  2. WolvEagle

    WolvEagle Well-Known Member

    If Doug hasn't had any "reaction from the public," then he's choosing to ignore the comments posted at the end of the column. And, those comments aren't complimentary.
     
  3. TyWebb

    TyWebb Well-Known Member

    Unless my browser is messing with me, they have taken this one down.
     
  4. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    It appears they have, very recently.
     
  5. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Maybe it ended up being a little too "unique" and "interesting."
     
  6. KYSportsWriter

    KYSportsWriter Well-Known Member

    If the reporter doesn't agree to something being off the record, it's not off the record.
     
  7. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    This is something we need to impress upon TV and movie writers, who have created the public impression to the contrary.
     
  8. brandonsneed

    brandonsneed Member

    I'm really surprised at how often sources call later, asking me to "take what I said [insert thing they're worried about here] off the record." I try to explain how it all works to the most of the time. If they get mad, I just just hang up. Or just blame it on my editors. And yes, I'm kidding about the last two.

    Although, when they do get really mad, man, it does suck.

    I actually got reamed out pretty good by someone earlier this week, someone I have spent a LOT of time with and sort of come to see as a friend. He's talked with my wife, we've gone to dinner once or twice just because. (No worries, I didn't expense those.)

    He didn't want something in a story about him and his wife, but he didn't ask me not to put it in the story until after he'd already told me the information during one of my trips to visit him specifically to research and report the story. It was a situation in which it was very clear I was reporting—recorder running, scribbling in the notepad, all that. In addition, I'd had buddies of his tell me the same stories he was concerned about, and they'd told me about them on the record.

    I told him I'd consider it, because I do have tremendous respect for the personal lives of real people who are baring their heart and soul for millions to read, but I also told him that I would probably keep it in, because it ended up playing a really powerful role in the story's narrative, and it actually reflected nothing but positively on him. He was just paranoid about something, and didn't want to deal with the complications.

    But ultimately, it's our job to tell the full, true story. That's been a difficult thing for me to learn, at least on an emotional level. I really like people. I really hate disappointing them, or angering them, or, as has happened on another story I'm working on, having them cuss me out.

    I especially hate being cussed out. Mostly because I'm sort of insecure sometimes, and so even if they are crazy people, it makes me wonder if maybe they're right, that I am an effing a-hole who should quit writing and life forever.

    I'm learning that it's all just human nature, wanting to control what someone else writes about you. What we do, as journalists who try to tell beautiful stories, is pretty weird. We ask people all kinds of invasive questions and we do so with the intent of publishing their answers, in some fashion, for many people to read. The thing I've had to remember is something someone told me once when I was rambling on about that. It was actually SportsJournalists.com's fave Chris Jones. He said, "Well, you're giving them something, too."

    And that's true. That's the great part about this. We get to tell the stories of people whose stories should be told.

    OK, apologies for the ramble. Hope it was helpful.
     
  9. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Brandon,

    My experience is that it's not all that unusual for sources to freely offer some information or anecdote and then ask that it not be in the story.

    Sometimes they get all wigged out and it's hard to understand why.

    But I have found that no it's rare that it continues to be a problem after the story runs.

    The stuff that is a problem you usually never see coming.
     
  10. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    Which is why a.) He said "someone said on the record" and b.) he listed it six out of six things. He only listed it, I'm guessing, because he ranked everything the guy mentioned.

    Verse obviously made the point that was the one the guy should not worry about.
     
  11. brandonsneed

    brandonsneed Member

    Ace, yeah, I completely understand. I guess maybe I mean that I'm not as much surprised anymore, but I am always a little confused by it. And it's happened to me quite a bit the past few weeks, too, so I'm probably a little more sensitive to it now than usual.

    But you're right: Usually, once the story runs, things simmer down. And you're right about how the weirdest, seemingly most obscure things have a way of blowing up.
     
  12. e_bowker

    e_bowker Member

    I can testify to this.
    A couple months ago we ran spring football capsules on our local high school teams. Called the coach of one of the schools and got enough info to include a quick list of key losses and returners, and a few issues they need to address. Nothing major.
    One of the losses and issues was their quarterback. The starter last year transferred to a school across town. I remarked during our conversation that that was worth mentioning, but the coach tried to talk me out of it. Said he wasn't THAT big a contributor last season (he started every game, but his passing stats weren't great and the team went 2-9). I told him I kind of had to mention it, and that it would basically be a name on a list. And that's all I ran, was a name.
    A couple weeks later we ran another spring wrap-up story that mentioned the QB had transferred -- that was it. No getting into why, no diving into his contributions or lack thereof. Just that he transferred and here's who's in the running to replace him.
    Coach calls later that day and goes ballistic. He cusses me out, cusses our other writer out and says "you don't need to come out here any more." I tried to text and call him back and smooth things over, but it went nowhere.
    A few days later he goes to our ME (who was briefed on the situation by then) with a list of "media guidelines" for next season that include us not being allowed to talk to anyone but seniors; having to make an appointment in advance, through the school secretary, to talk to him; and not being allowed on the sideline for games -- but we can sit in the press box "if room permits," which it usually doesn't. Essentially, what you'd expect if you were covering a Division I college program instead of a small high school.

    The ME is still sorting through it with the school administration. Totally blindsided us, though, to the point I've begun wondering if there's something about the way we do business. It's made me question myself, if I'm doing things right, even though I'm 1 million percent certain we did nothing wrong on this one.
     
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