Small Colorado daily draws flak for football photo

The real reason is that subscribers say they'll stop reading the paper and business owners in the town will refuse to runs ads. Main reason why good stories are spiked. It comes down to money and publishers who say that newspapers are essential to democracy are just full of crap, since their owners aren't afraid of shutting down.

It's an ad nauseum response to why plenty journalists can't really tell the truth to their readers.

 

When I was in high school, a picture of me dropping a crucial fly ball was printed in the paper (a very good picture, too).

My mother was pissed, and ironically, I had to calm her down. My thought was, if I didn't want my error to be publicized, I shouldn't have dropped the fly ball. Plus, my picture was in the paper, and besides the fact that it was me fucking up, it was a really good picture.

I got a little crap at school for it, mainly from douchebags I don't care for anyway, but it blew over in a day or two. Big freaking deal.

Sometimes I think parents are stroking their own egos taking a hit rather than worrying about the fact that their children don't give a shit nearly as much as they do.

 

Couple of more things about the article:

6th paragraph:
Early on, it looked like the Pirates were on their way to another victory as Dylan Markley recovered a fumble stalling the Sun Devils first drive.

8th paragraph:
The advantage didn’t last long as the Pirates turned the ball over in their own territory. And after two big runs by Tyler Jackson, Sam Struna scored on an eight-yard run. Markley blocked the extra point and the Pirates were facing a 12-7 deficit late in the first quarter.

I didn't see anybody commenting about the good plays Dylan made.

Ironically, I was at this game for another publication. I would've ran the photo unless my publisher or editor nixed it for the same exact reason as others said -- that advertisers would pull ads. That's the bottom line, unfortunately. You want to tell the story as it was. The fumble was part of the story and a big part as Olathe was driving for a go-ahead score.

Yes, you want to be sympathetic about the kids but you have to go with your journalistic integrity to write and photograph what the story is not what the readers want.

BTW, I also had a situation where I wrote a lead that was negative to a local team -- not this one -- that stated how the football team and its opponent turned the ball over seven or eight times. That was the story of the game. But I also praised one of the kids that fumbled for his late TD that eventually sealed the victory. Nobody seemed to be concerneda bout that, however. They just weren't happy with the fumbles report.

 

That's the one you send to the Superintendent...

 

Part of the reason that papers do it is because high school students aren't paid, like college players (scholarships) or pro players (contracts). And there's also the readership/ad issue as well.

If you're going to run that shot of the guy fumbling, you have to use the name too.

Personally, I'd rather use a player or team looking sad/dejected, which tells a better story on a team losing, than just one player fumbling.

 

Seriously, Rick, you are not a journalist.

I can see slanting stories to focus on the local teams/players, fine.

But slanting stories to put a positive spin on it is PR, not journalism.

 

I agree with you, Hank. It would've been a better photo if they had one of a dejected player.

What I like to see the readers who are complaining is "why" the photo was wrong? Just because it was his last game, last play, he fumbled, etc. People just want the positives not the negatives. Unfortunately, that's not the way the world works.

 

I'm okay with that. Who even needs journalism in sports, anyway?

 

Good point. If you find some coaches abusing players or something, you can just sweep it under the rug. No worries.

 

Send it to the news department where it belongs.

 

So readers won't cancel their paper if a negative story is on the front page but they would if it is on the sports page?

Maybe you are telling yourself you are doing what is right but actually you are following the path of least resistance.