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Reaction to a story being yanked

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by SoccerFan, Feb 7, 2011.

  1. SoccerFan

    SoccerFan Member

    I recently wrote a story for an unnamed skiing magazine about a legal situation up in Canada, basically some employees filing a wrongful dismissal suit against the resort owner. The magazine published the piece on Saturday and it was yanked on Monday. I provided a well-sourced story and allowed both sides to speak. The editor that received my story was also unaware that it was pulled this morning but I haven't been given an explanation as to why the story was pulled by her editor.

    How should I react? Do I have a right to receive an explanation for the story to be pulled? I am a pretty well-respected journalist in this particular field and it's more than a little irritating to say the least. What sucks even more is ESPN.com published a story about the same situation today, two days after I did, so that annoys me too when obviously I broke the story first -- at least in the American media outlets.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. You obviously deserve an explanation. That doesn't mean you'll get one.
     
  3. SoccerFan

    SoccerFan Member

    Good point, deserve is the better word, not right.
     
  4. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    There are two sides to every story, and in this case I'm guessing only one side had any advertising clout.
     
  5. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    Too bad Scanlan's isn't around anymore. They famously published Hunter S. Thompson's story on Jean-Claude Killy after Playboy rejected it.

    And you definitely deserve an explanation. Are they giving you a kill fee?
     
  6. Bingo

    Wasn't there a story about a newspaper putting the kibosh on a resort accident story because of advertising influence?
     
  7. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    http://www.hcn.org/wotr/snow-job-leads-to-a-reporters-exit?src=rc
     
  8. bpoindexter

    bpoindexter Active Member

    I agree with everyone else so far. Ask why it was pulled, and be cool doing it.
     
  9. SoccerFan

    SoccerFan Member

    Thanks everyone. I haven't even discussed the idea of a kill fee because there was talk of re-posting the story. But nobody at the mag has gotten back to me. I simply asked the assigning editor if I will receive an explanation for the story being pulled. Hopefully I find out tomorrow, but the ski industry is very sensitive and who knows if the actual reason is different from the version I am told.
     
  10. And I think there was also an incident in Colorado where an unflattering magazine story on a ski resort got the reporter or editor fired.
     
  11. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Why would you get a kill fee? If they posted it in the first place, you should be paid in full.
     
  12. ringer

    ringer Active Member

    Ace is right. You should expect to be fully paid.

    As for ski magazines -- editorial content is HEAVILY swayed by advertisers, and has been since at least the early 1990's.

    Give it a moment, though, to see if it re-posts. Sometimes there are legit technical glitches. But if that's the case, your editor should at least get back to you. The longer she waits, the fishier it seems. Let us know what happens.
     
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