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Parents ... again

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Calvin Hobbes, Oct 10, 2007.

  1. Bob Slydell

    Bob Slydell Active Member

    Did you tell her to buy her a freakin' PONY instead?

    We've gotten several letters to the edtior about kids not making all-area teams, which we don't pick thank God. The coaches do. One dad even put his kids stats in with his letter. Never mind the team was 5-23 and most of his stats were padded against JV players in the second half.

    I love parent calls and emails because we pretty much tell them they don't know what they're talking about. We just had a letter bitching we covered one team's senior night and not the other local team's. She even counted the number of pics we had online. Jesus on the Throne I'll be glad when soccer is over.

    Soccer parents, naturally, are the worst I've worked with. But I also had the parent, of a lineman, bitching we never put lineman pictures in the paper or mention them. What's sad is, the kids could mostly care less.

    And Calvin, sorry to hear about your mom.
     
  2. Dirk Legume

    Dirk Legume Active Member

    Calvin, condolences for your loss.

    A paper in our area runs a column of peoples phone calls. they can say what they want without having to leave their name. I don't know how many papers run something similar, but this was from today's issue...italics mine verbatim:

    Why are there never any pictures or articles regarding our local high school cheerleaders. They deserve to be recognized. They are all lovely girls who practice hard and are required to attend the games, including those out of town. How about a picture of both schools with names and a mention of them when writing up sports articles for our local newspaper, as it used to be. Would be very nice.

    I feel for you guys...I really do
     
  3. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    As it used to be? Where do you live, Pleasantville?
     
  4. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    Ain't that the truth. Half of them are embarrassed when their parents talk to the media and beg and plead for a story.
     
  5. steveu

    steveu Well-Known Member

    At that point you call out the parents and go "just confess... you don't want to pay for little Johnny's tuition, do ya?"
     
  6. captzulu

    captzulu Member

    Well, since she wrote it as a letter to the editor, you should just run it, with an editor's note pointing out all the times they have been on the front page, thus debunking her claims and calling her bs for all to see. Slightly vindictive thing to do? Sure. Well-deserved? You bet.
     
  7. dawgpounddiehard

    dawgpounddiehard Active Member

    What's this about a "problem" being a Cleveland Browns fan???

    :)
     
  8. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    I hate those columns. What a waste of space.

    Newspapers require letters to the editor to be verified, but anyone can call an anonymous "hotline" and spew bullshit, and newspaper managers jack off about it because it's "feedback." But an unsigned letter or email gets tossed in the trash can.


    Calvin, sorry to hear about your loss.


    The idea about asking to speak to Britneigh because she's so upset and plans to quit the team is great.
     
  9. andyouare?

    andyouare? Guest

    I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

    If anyone complains about coverage and asks how can their child get in the paper, tell them that if they really want to get their kids in the paper, tell their kid to rob a bank or hold upa liquor store. We'll make sure to get his picture in the paper.
     
  10. rtse11

    rtse11 Well-Known Member

    I'm engaged in a running battle of e-mails with a guy who's upset because all we write about is one local team ... which is 7-0, ranked No. 1 in the state, won two of the last three state championships (and lost in the state final in the other year) and is ranked between No. 7 and No. 11 in the country, depending on whose opinion you seek. ... That they've been on the front three times (about the same as the six other 7-0 or 6-1 teams we cover) means nothing to this guy. He's going to really be pissed this week, when said team plays another 7-0 (non-local) team that's ranked No. 2 in the state.
     
  11. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    What I really hate is when they call you to complain about coverage of a certain team on the day you were planning to cover said team.

    I got a voicemail last Friday from an anonymous caller saying, "You know, I haven't seen any coverage of the South Podunk volleyball team lately. Just so you know, they're playing North Podunk tonight at 6:30 at the high school. It would be nice if you had a reporter and a photographer there. I've seen a lot of football and a lot of soccer coverage, but no volleyball lately. The girls deserve some coverage, too, ya know."

    Of course, since it was a rivalry match, we were obviously going to be there, but I'm glad the parent called to give me their schedule since, you know, obviously I don't know how to do my job and figure out when teams are playing.

    It sucks because now that parent thinks their voicemail did some good and got their team a reporter and photographer, even though the reason we hadn't covered them recently was that their prior games were against shitty teams and they had the big match coming up with North Podunk. Argghhh.

    The last part of the voicemail really burned me up, too, insinuating that we cover the boys more than the girls, which is almost impossible this time of year anyway. The only boys sports going on right now are football, soccer and cross country. The girls, meanwhile, have field hockey, soccer, volleyball, tennis and cross country. There's pretty much no possible way for the boys to get more coverage than the girls.

    If anyone should be complaining, it's North Podunk's boys soccer team, which really hasn't gotten enough coverage considering they're undefeated and favored to win the state title.

    Fuck anonymous parents.
     
  12. I had a dad, who I think was drunk, call my house at 11:30 p.m. this past Friday asking if I was going to cover the fencing match at the high school the next day (our local school is pretty good at fencing, I'll admit). I didn't realize there was a match until a day or two earlier (it was only a scrimmage anyway) and had long made plans for Saturday that didn't include going to any events for work. When I told him I wasn't planning on going, he asked "who's your boss?" all angry like. I don't think he ever called my boss, but good grief, why are you calling my house at near midnight on a Friday? For fencing!

    The fencers do work hard, you know ... Even the JV guys...
     
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