Sending Quotes

I recently asked a former co-worker of mine to send quotes to me from the players and coaches at an event I wasn't able to attend. Because he had typed up a few quick quotes already, he agreed to e-mail it over to me for use in a story I wrote later on.

The managing editor at the paper finds out about this and tears through the former co-worker for agreeing to do such a thing. He argued that it was common practice; she said it was the worst thing one could do in journalism.

Now, I myself have sent quotes to other local writers in the past and did so just the week before (in fact, I didn't even send the quote sheet - I sent about 15 seconds of a player's quote from practice). I have also asked for, and received, quotes from other writers.

We might be in the minority - I don't think so, but that's why I'm asking here - but there's no way this is a bad practice, is it? I've seen the threads about sharing quotes and information for NBA notebooks and most colleges even submit quote sheets after games and practices for people to use, and some even put them online for media use. Personally, ours are e-mailed to us from the SID.

Discuss.

 

There's more here than I have time for, but one big question is this: Quotes from a group session, or quotes to the single reporter?

If it's the latter, it's much more of a problem than it is the former.

And if it is the latter, did you attribute it to the other paper? "told the Daily Grind."

Yeah, the ME might have a valid point.

 

I'm curious who ratted your buddy out to the ME? That's kinda effed up.

 

It was quotes from a post-game press conference. Thus, the other 20 reporters had access to the same stuff. No one-on-ones.

And nobody has idea how they knew.

 

If it's from a press conference with 20 or so reporters that's not so bad. But if it's from a one-on-one interview, then that's a no-no.

Kind of like what happened a few weeks ago.

I was covering the NJCAA men's basketball tournament and on the last day of the tournament, I'm interviewing the coach and two of his players.

As I go into the "media room," which was really nothing more than an office - the regional tournament had a better set-up but I digress - I see a phone message from my competition on the desk asking her to have the coach and a player call.

Well, that's not what happened.

She sat in on my interview and sent the quotes to him. I personally wasn't too happy when I saw the other paper the next morning and found that I had done post-game for two papers.

 

This sounds like a no-harm, no-foul situation but I can see the ME flipping out IF the two papers are competing. While helping out a friend and fellow hardworking hack might be the decent thing to do, there are times when you have to put the team first.

Otherwise, the ME a) has no idea how the real world works and b) should probably get his/her priorities straight.

 

Christ, at NASCAR races, you could watch the damn thing from home and have someone pick up the quote sheets for you. Every word that is uttered with more than one reporter present is transcribed by someone at the track.

I agree it's not a big deal if it's stuff from a group setting and not for a competitor. One on ones are completely different, though. If nothing else, you're scooping yourself.