Rules To Report By

You don't suggest an approach from the rear, sir?

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the folks here who have said - never write a partial score before the final score. That drives me crazy. What I believe to be kosher is "State U. gave up a two-goal lead before rallying to win 4-3."

One rule of thumb I was recently reminded of by one of my mentors - always ask the extra question. Pair that with what Drip posted, too, about the press setting.

 

Don't think for a minute that people you deal with as a reporter are your friends, no matter how friendly they are.

 

You misunderstand -- this used to be a non-issue even though writers would often make it an issue.

These are much different times and this was not a complaint about lay-out/copy desk people. It was a statement about the state of our industry.

The paper is so slim and so trim and so slashed these days that this is exactly what happens on an almost nightly basis -- and mostly because sports pages are so tight and so chopped down that any bit of news or any bit of information that deviates -- even if it only requires like an eight inch breakout -- from what was laid out early in the day throws the entire page off and shit starts to get chopped.

A great example -- I was sent to cover an event. We paid money for me to get there and stay overnight two nights in a big name city (translation -- it wasn't cheap) and both nights I was given 13 inches, no notebook, and both nights I filed at 12 inches and both nights it was trimmed.

I told my boss when I got back that we should reconsider whether we need to travel with most things if 13 inches -- not meaning a 13-inch gamer, meaning 13 total inches -- or some rendition of that is all we are capable of allocating for an event because frankly the AP can do just as good of a job and it would be a lot cheaper.

 

Like most of the rules on here, I agree a lot with this but I also know there are some exceptions to this rule for all of us.

 

You can usually tell the legits from the frauds, though. But you have to give it some time first.

 

Avoid these: (!!!!) whenever humanly possible.

 

What questions you choose to ask are just as important as the answers you get. Ask the basics, but make sure you think about how to go beyond that. If you have time, ask about things you think might not be relevant, because you never know where it may lead.

 

Eh ... I understand what you're saying here, but I don't think it's hard and fast. Of course, most people realize that the best journalism doesn't happen in press conference gang bangs. That's a given. But there's also a certain etiquette when you're on a beat, and you don't want to be the guy who pulls the head coach aside every single day to ask your question. And a lot of times the "tough" questions are the ones that everyone walks into the room knowing are going to be asked - and that includes the coach and/or the player.

But if it's a scoop or something that maybe no one else in the room would be interested in or use but you, have at it. Most sources will actually appreciate not being put on the spot in that way.

Just pick your spots, that's all I'm saying. Don't be "that guy," or else you'll annoy your colleagues and - more importantly - your source.

 

I've had situations where I had to trim a 16-inch story to 10 inches just to make it make sense, leaving me really wishing I had told the writer to write 18.

 

The partial score can confuse readers, if introduced before the final score.

 

Read your story before you submit it.

And read through it with a couple goals: Make it better and make it tighter. Both will help not only the content of what's written and read, but it'll save your paper precious space.