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Respecting an embargo

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Inky_Wretch, Jul 15, 2009.

  1. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    Wal-Mart plans a major sustainability index for every product sold in the store. Environmental blogs are running with the story. But old guard sites aren't, in deference to an embargo the company asked for in exchange for access ...

    http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/sausage/2009/07/14/mainstream-media-mum-wal-mart-scoop
     
  2. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    When I was in sports, I used to get some embargoed releases and I'd respect them, almost.

    We had the ability to post things to our site and blogs without publishing them until whatever time you chose.

    So, if something was embargoed until 9 p.m. EST I'd set it to go live at 8:59 p.m. Not that the minute meant I was "breaking the story" but it made my bosses feel good.
     
  3. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Gotta respect them. Because if you keep breaking them, the source won't give you the advance stuff in the future.
     
  4. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    But if the story breaks elsewhere, aren't all bets off?
     
  5. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Define elsewhere. One place? Five? I'd be leery of breaking it unless you contact the source and say, "Hey, this is out there 'elsehwere.'"
     
  6. FishHack76

    FishHack76 Active Member

    Doesn't AP embargo its feature stories? You can't run those before a certain date I'm fairly certain.
     
  7. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    Grist, Treehugger and several other blogs have it. But I agree, I'd be calling the Wal-Martians for a release ASAP.
     
  8. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    WNBA all-star team was sent out, and embargoed, last night. Where was the outrage that that info was held back? :D
     
  9. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    It's pretty fucking quaint, like the page at the back of the 2009 AP Stylebook on "editing marks" used for editing paper copy. The last time I used those on anything besides an editing test, it was 1979.

    I think I would call their PR person and say something like, "Let me get this straight ... you want us to hold off on printing positive news about your company?"
     
  10. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    Maybe Wal-Mart will respect my boycott.
     
  11. RedCanuck

    RedCanuck Active Member

    Get the embargoed release, beat the bushes to find the information from another source and either run the secondary sourced info or go back to them.
     
  12. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    I'll tell you one organization's embargo I'll never honor again: LPGA. They sent out a news release on the interim commissioner Monday about 11 a.m., then placed a 1 p.m. embargo on it. No reason given. Then, The Golf Channel sends out e-mails announcing a live news conference at 1 p.m. No subject given. Tune it at 1 p.m., and they're televising the LPGA commissioner announcement from the LPGA Daytona Beach office. Found out later no other news organization had been invited: not even the Daytona Beach paper or Orlando. Only media in the room is Golf Channel.
    Screw them. I'd love for them to try an embargo again. Guess what: 2 minutes after I get it, it's online.
     
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