Major change in our newsroom. But how did THIS happen?

That isn't a sports story when you're covering an athlete getting arrested. It's a news story about an athlete, and it should be covered by a news reporter because that side of the operation is more accustomed to those stories. That's how we divide it in our newsroom.

At former paper, everyone covered football on the first night of the prep playoffs. And I mean everyone ... news, features, even the AME went out. I was one of three guys in the office who had to read these stories. I was more than happy that I gave everyone a guideline on how to write a gamer.

 

He was also kicked off the team, trying to get on another team and being investigated by the NCAA ... why isn't that a sports story, especially when they were running on the sports fronts?

 

And the example of sports writers selling their dignity to eat press box food is just one of many examples of news side self-righteousness. We all know as sports writers that we'll never be as important as any of you news people. You make it known as often as possible.

 

Self-righteousness? We're not the ones who eat the food thinking the rules don't apply to us.

I don't have any disrespect for sports writers in general - I'm just debunking a lot of the shit you guys say about news writers - but if you want to be treated like as an equal than act as equal. Don't eat the fucking food. I was told in high school journalism not to accept gifts. Why does that not pertain to all journalists? Sure, maybe you're only eating a $5 meal but over the course of a season that's more than the standard $25 minimum some newsrooms have.

Bottom line is I don't eat the food - I don't care if it's 105 degrees out at a fucking inferno and Red Cross is offering me a bottle of water - and I don't care much for reporters who do because I've yet to hear a good reason. Doesn't matter if it's sports, news or features.

 

And let's say I'm writing a story about a major case or arrest and the police chief wants to discuss it over lunch. Hey's buying. It's only a fucking fajita, why the fuck not, right? Not going to change my opinion on how I write the damn thing, right? Tell that to the fucking public. Tell that to the police chief.

And how is that different than eating the school's food? You're devaluing your own job by not holding yourself up to a higher standard. Self-righteous my ass.

 

You're right. We all eat the food thinking, "Man, it's a good thing they gave us this food because I was thinking about not being nice in this story."

"If you want to be treated as an equal then act as an equal? --- That's impossible. I cover sports. You cover coveted murder stories and all that stuff. Me wanting to be on that ultimate journalism level is a lost cause. It's an easy way for y'all to keep that superiority complex.

 

If there's a meal served in a press box before a game, it is fair game IMO. Fajitas? Burgers? Spaghetti? Just eat it.

It's not like they're serving lobster and filet mignon up there.

Here's another point: If you're doing it right, you should be at the stadium over the span of not one, but two meals. So the "just buy a burger beforehand" thing doesn't cut it.

If I'm covering a 2:30 game, I'm usually there by 11. I won't be leaving the stadium until close to 10. If not for the pre-game media meal, when or what would I eat? If they'd take money for it, I'd be glad to pay. But they won't and I can't.

And I know this is normally not a great excuse for anything but: Everybody's doing it. When I cover a game on Saturdays, there are probably over 30 media members there. I don't know of a one willing to starve themselves on principle. If they're going to partake of the pre-game spread, then so am I.

I don't think anybody sees it as a conflict of interest. The college isn't paying for it in order to garner more favorable coverage. They're doing it to avoid reporters starving to death in their press box.

 

W-B, I agree with a lot of wehat you've said on this thread about good writers/reporters being able to crossover news/sports and do a good job.

But you're rants about pressbox food are just insane. If you think a pressbox hot dog compromises journalistic integrity, you are being a self-righteous ass.
It's not the same as the police chief taking you out to lunch.... one on one

 

Shit, I look up to a lot of sportswriters. Envy a few, too. There's quite a few who do the job well and could do my job better than I can. Just cuz you got a couple of snobs in your newsroom doesn't mean we're all like that.

And I don't give a flying fuck what you think about when you're chowing down on that fucking burrito. It's irrelevant. It's all about appearances. Hell, most people in the public can't tell the difference between an ad and a story, let alone a column and a story but they're supposed to be 100 percent sure that your free lunch - likely funded by a goddamned booster - isn't swaying your judgement ?

Hell, I know the difference and I'm not so sure. People offer reporters shit because they hope to sway your judgement. It would make me feel awful goddamn dirty to take it knowing that.

 

I'm not saying you don't have some valid points on this thread, but the quoted text above is just fucking ridiculous.

 

I'm with write-brained on this one, even though I do make those PR bitches work to get a few minutes of my time.
Which is to say I can't be purchased just because someone else picked up the check. Got a free Diet Coke just last week.
I'm back to news, where I plan to stay.
Nothing pisses me off more than the attitude of some sports guys about news-side. Writing a gamer isn't incredibly difficult. A large chunk of papers have assembled a random collection of high school kids and assorted other people to cover games for them, some with no previous experience, but ya'll recoil in horror at having a news reporter file eight inches from a game.
I just don't get it.

 

Everybody's doing it. "Not normally a good excuse" and not a good one now.

There's ways around everything.