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"Keep this exclusive"

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by BB Bobcat, Apr 23, 2010.

  1. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Write the story without him.
     
  2. SportsGuyBCK

    SportsGuyBCK Active Member

    Oh, we did (again, thanks to the help of the big-boy paper's beat guys, who were EXTREMELY appreciative about all the info I gave them) ... now that he's down at Triple-A, we're keeping up with each of his game appearances (he's a pitcher, which makes it easier) ... still trying to get him on the phone, though, and wondering what's prompted the cold-shoulder treatment ... some here in the newsroom (especially the ones who were around during his HS days) think it's his agent telling him not to talk with us; I tend to think it may be his mother, who is something of a head case ...
     
  3. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member

    Not the first such story I've heard about Brando...kudos to him
     
  4. Lugnuts

    Lugnuts Well-Known Member

    I third on Brando. I worked with him back in the day when I was a grunt - a genuinely nice human being.
     
  5. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Good stuff to hear that about a guy like Tim Brando. Not everyone who made it is full of themselves ...

    The "SE" for whom I had the misfortune of working with honored an embargo by the school because we were there at the same time as a weekly whom the school really liked. I had NO issues with said weekly, but the school learned not to do that again - simply announce it nearer the non-daily publication date and that eliminates the problem. My "SE" foolishly honored the school's request and, while I genuinely liked the school and its adminstration, that was an idiotic move.
     
  6. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    My experience has been that TV folks often try to chum up with you to pump you for information.

    Newspaper types will either ask straight out or not ask at all.
     
  7. doctorquant

    doctorquant Well-Known Member

    In my day (long ago in a galaxy far away) word got out that the "leading" high school FB coach in our city was going to retire. This coach saw himself as a statewide institution and largely blew his hometown daily (us) off in favor of the bigger papers a few miles up or down the interstate. Anway, I called up the coach and asked him about it. He was up front, told me he was working it out, then mentioned in passing that "When it happens I'm going to call a big press conference and have everybody there." Noting was ever said about "off the record" or "background" or whatever. I started writing up what I had, calling a few others for comments, etc. Then late in the day the coach called me up and asked me whether I was writing it for the next day's paper. I didn't lie, but I hedged like hell, because at that moment it was clear to me that he intended to let his buddy up the way have the exclusive (and get my rear end in a serious crack with my superiors). We printed the next day, his buddy followed a day later with a blurb that said my story was "premature." The coach was in our offices soon thereafter raising hell -- it was the first time he'd ever graced us with his presence -- but our publisher tells him he's a big boy and he should know how to handle himself when talking with a newspaper reporter. Ultimately a bit of a sh**tstorm, but when all was said and done he retired and I didn't get screwed. Not that it matters, but I wonder how ethical it was of me to not come completely clean with my publishing plans when I knew what he was trying to pull off.
     
  8. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    If he asked you straight out like that, yes, you should have told him.

    The most I would hedge something like that is by saying that if you can nail a story down before a press conference is called, you're going to put it in the paper.
     
  9. Elliotte Friedman

    Elliotte Friedman Moderator Staff Member

    Ace,

    I'm with doctorquant on not telling. I know it sounds bad, but the scenario he painted is really unfair and I can completely understand why he did it. For one, it's happened to me before. And, my opinion really changed after the whole Brett Favre/Jay Glazer fiasco. Glazer had a (correct) report on Favre -- God knows I can't remember which one -- and the quarterback ripped him for not checking it. Glazer replied something along the lines of, "Well, if I do try to reach him, he tells ESPN." If that's the case, and you're sure you're right (as Glazer was), I'd do the exact same thing.

    Now, on the other had, I'll admit to trying to get things "kept exclusive" before. I don't work for a sports station, so Saturday nights are my only real opportunities for video exclusives. We've had a big one or two along the way, and if it's taped on a Tuesday, I've asked about keeping it quiet. I don't tell anyone to lie. And, if someone contacts them, there's nothing I can do. But, I do ask them not to go to anyone else if I can.
     
  10. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I can understand the sentiment, believe me.

    But if I am quoting someone in the paper, I am not going to lie to them.

    The good thing is, these days an "exclusive" on these types of stories lasts about 10 seconds. So if you've got it, you can slap it online before the coach/agent can speed dial ESPN.
     
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