Orange County Register deadline change

Disagree. Incomplete results just draw attention to the problem with the medium.

 

Don't think we're fooling too many people with the problem of the medium.

We'll keep doing it that way.

 

"Saturday's game ended too late for the print edition" and "UCLA led Arizona 15-13 after three quarters" seem like six of one, a half-dozen of the other to me. Both draw attention to the fact that the result is not here, although I have to say I've never worked at a place where a partial result was acceptable.

Only difference is, 20 years ago it was done as an explanation so people wouldn't call in and ask where the result was. Today it is done to send them to your online product.

 

Which we do. We refer them to the website for final score and details.

 

Yes, I'm sure people visit your newspaper website rather than ESPN to get a score. That's very effective.

 

So what's the solution if they don't? Visit ESPN for a score? Not bother posting information on your website and don't bother with online refers?

 

There is plenty of opportunity to get people to your website from the print product. The score of a major college football game on the other side of the country is not one. I'm not even saying you shouldn't point out that the scores are there, just that no one is following through.

 

That's not what you're even saying? It sure SOUNDED like that's what you were even saying.

 

FWIW, the great majority of "go to website for results" refers are for the early edition and typically involve state/local teams or events. We had a NASCAR race in our backyard last week that ended 2 hours after our early edition deadline. So we sent those people online, where they could read a half-dozen staff-produced stories from the race. An an east coast product, we would never publish a specific "go to website for result" refer for some Pac-12 game on the West Coast.

 

The St. Louis and San Francisco papers held back deadlines for baseball, and I'm sure Kansas City and Baltimore did as well.

With this new deadline change, OCR is lucky Angels and Dodgers didn't go deep into the postseason. Although the deadlines may not have been much of a factor anyway, I guess...

 

I just don't understand what is gained from telling readers the third-quarter score of a game that ended eight hours before readers pick up the paper. And online refers should be to specific, exclusive content or they're just wasting space.