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Journalists helping out with media guide

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Moderator1, Aug 4, 2008.

  1. Cadet

    Cadet Guest

    There are many reasons why a beat writer could end up in media guide credits:

    -- s/he spent all of last season circling mistakes while waiting for Coach Snot to make an appearance and donated that red ink to the SID office at the end of the season

    -- the guide incorporated some type of researching/reporting information from the beat reporter that was originally published in the paper

    -- s/he helped the SID office gain access to the newspaper archives for research/reprint purposes and was given a nod in the credits

    -- s/he was in possession of historical information that was donated to/used by the school (old photos, game programs, etc.)

    I can't speak for this situation, but there are many cases where this would be an above-board activity.
     
  2. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I'm 99 percent sure it's the same guy.

    Considering that the SP Times has a code of ethics like no paper in the country, I'm stunned this guy still has his job.
     
  3. bob

    bob Member

    Journalists have been writing game story programs forever for pay. I did one last year. I know the Red Sox pay reputable beat writers for features, for instance. I see nothing wrong with that (as long as your employer allows it), and if that's the case, how is that different from doing work for a media guide?
    As an aside, NBA teams now regularly feature a page with pictures of beat writers alongside team broadcasters. Now that's something I don't like.
     
  4. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    For whatever reason, my paper had a policy that writing for Yearbooks was OK, but for media guides and "Programs" was not.

    I never understood why. I never asked.

    I know countless writers who do work for programs, media guides to make side money but it is made very clear that they are not to be credited in any way.
     
  5. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    I've done program stories before. I ran it through my bosses, and our paper got full credit in the tagline. And it was never something I'd have written for our paper anyway, it was just fluff for a program.
     
  6. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    A lot of papers would be fine with this... I can almost guarantee you that the St. Pete Times would not be one of them.
     
  7. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    Writing a free-lance piece for Athlon's or some such is perfectly fine. But the only way your byline should appear in a school/team's game program is if that SID/PR person arranges permission to re-run the piece with no extra payment made to writer, unless paper gets paid by school/team for the rights per a standard agreement---in which case paper should split payment with writer.
     
  8. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    That's overreacting. Again, the word I got was just that it was a quick fact-checking favor. No money. Considering there's 11 names under "copy editor" for this 27-page guide, maybe someone got thanked for every last nugget. Auman probably looked at it and rolled his eyes, picturing the writing on the wall at SportsJournalists.com!
     
  9. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    I once sat on a panel that picked the "all-time team" of the team I covered on my beat. But I haven't actually produced anything for a media guide for someone I covered.
     
  10. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    If there was no money involved, he's 100 percent in the clear.
     
  11. Big Circus

    Big Circus Well-Known Member

    What if it's not something you cover? I recently, through some random connections, did a few stories for a program for a sport I don't cover in another country. Is that a conflict of interest?

    EDIT: It was an event program, not a media guide.
     
  12. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member


    You shouldn't cash checks from the team or school that you cover. I know a lot of freelance opportunities have dried up, but I'm sometimes shocked at some of the bylines I see in team publications.

    People ought to know better than that.

    On the other hand, pictures of beat writers in media guides just strikes me as a silly waste of space.
     
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