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Seeking Advice: Dealing with foolishness coming back from vacation

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by silvershadow1981, Aug 16, 2009.

  1. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    He should ask for it beforehand. Telling them his expectations of a stringer budget will pop their balloon a little about having him cover four schools at once.
     
  2. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I would act excited about this and be fully on board.

    Go in with the full expectation that they are talking about selling enough ads to cover sending three stringers out every Friday night. Act surprised if that isn't what they thought.

    If they can sell ads for a football preview section, be excited about slapping one together -- if only a story/capsule and roster on your teams.

    If that is impossible, pitch doing a feature on each of the team with a roster, etc. throughout the week that they can sell an ad around.

    You don't want new ad rep and publisher's buddy to be blaming you for shooting down his great inspiration.
     
  3. funky_mountain

    funky_mountain Active Member

    this is probably too late, but you should hear the person out, don't get defensive and explain what you need in order to accomplish what the ad rep wants. who knows, it might work out nicely for you and the paper.
     
  4. An update:

    Well, we (Publisher/Owner, his son the associate publisher, new ad guy and myself) had a brief meeting this morning. This ad person is going to contribute stories to the football tab, and has taken two schools without asking me because 1) His son is battling for the top QB spot at one school and 2) His daughter cheerleads for the other. Convenience above ethics, I suppose.

    It's troubling that no one sees the ethical dilemma or the fact that we're still going to have to get two call in stories a week to fill up this tab. So I'm still kind of annoyed, but I can't afford to have this thing fall flat because like it or not, I'm going to get blamed for it, which is usually the case when something goes wrong at the paper (rarely related to sports coverage, for the record).
     
  5. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Your ad guy needs to have his ass kicked. What they're doing to you is utter fucking horseshit.

    No way in hell does Mr. Ad Guy suggest any of this if Jr. Ad Guy isn't playing QB at one of the high schools and Jr. Ad Girl isn't cheering at one of the others.

    And the fact he waited until you were on vacation to pitch it is shady as hell.

    EDIT: And if there is any justice in this world you'll find a new job and walk on them within the next two weeks. That's what they deserve.
     
  6. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    That's pretty weak. Hope ad guy sells some ads.
     
  7. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Did you ask when the ad guy was going to find time to write when he's supposed to be out hustling ads for the tab?

    Can Mr. Ad Guy even write?
     
  8. Supposedly he wrote for a paper in Texas for about a year. The funny thing is he comes to my desk after the meeting: "I'm a team player, I'm not trying to take anybody's job or step on anybody's toes."

    Right.
     
  9. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    So your publisher really sees no problem with someone covering a team when they have a son playing -- perhaps a prominent role -- on the team?

    You ought to suggest that he cover two other schools where there is not a conflict and watch the feathers fly.
     
  10. Son QB of one team, daughter cheerleader for other?

    Was this issue raised at the meeting?

    If so, did you say, "Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

    If not, storm the publisher's office and mention it now.
     
  11. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    It always makes me laugh when someone new comes into a paper and proposes something that has been pitched and rejected numerous times. But because "new guy" pitches it - the idea gets legs.
    Don't know how many times people came in with "new ideas" without checking to see if they'd been tried before and what the outcome was. Turnover brings "new ideas" only because most places don't have much of an institutional memory.

    I don't know what would be a more interesting read - Ad guy's stories if his son makes first-string, or if he is the back-up.
     
  12. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    Make sure you go through Ad guy's stories with a fine tooth comb. I'd bet you any money they'll be biased and, when you edit them, he'll raise a stink about you messing with his work. That's when you bring up his lack of objectiveness and get him taken off the games.
     
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