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Sports Travel. Seriously.

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Joe Williams, Jul 7, 2007.

  1. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    Even though I'd hate it as a beat writer, I can buy the logic here.

    When I went back and re-read the original poster's post, it seems he's talking about "cutting back" on travel, not cutting it out altogether. I think every paper is cutting back in some form or fashion. I know we're covering less than we used to on the road. Most of the major beats remain unfooled around with, as it were. But some of peripheral stuff we used to do with some regularity is now out of the question.
     
  2. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    A good high school beat reporter will follow teams on the road. Good local shops recognize this and encourage it. The same should be said on up the line.
     
  3. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    You definitely need a new SID. Or something. That blows.
    I said it before, I'll say it again: I've been spoiled by access my entire career. Every team I've ever covered has offered excellent access. More than I needed.
    I feel for those who have to deal with the other side.

    One hoops season years ago, some personal circumstances prevented me from making a trip I'd ordinarily make. I explained it to the coach and SID and they said they'd do what they could to help. SID said he'd get 2-3 players on the phone if I listened on radio. I may have to settle for tape of postgame for the coach, he had to do his radio and then had to get to the airport. More than fair enough.

    Well, reception blows in the house so on a bitter cold night I go outside with my portable and walk up the street (I live eight miles below sea level it seems). Game ends and the phone is ringing as I walk in the house. These kids can't even be in the locker room yet. I got all I needed from three players. SID says, OK, here's Coach. I'm thinking it is a tape so I wait and wait and *** the coach says, "You gonna ask a fucking question or not?" I explained the tape scene and he said he was holding off postgame until he got 2-3 minutes with me.
    Can't ask for better service than that. No byline on the story of course but who cares unless they're counting so you can hit a quota. My boss said, "Shit, why do I ever send you on the road?"
     
  4. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    Then he thought a second and realized he answered his own question I'm sure. He sends you on the road for these very instances.
     
  5. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    Cutting back on travel makes a lot of sense in penny-pinching times. Deadlines are creeping up earlier all the time, and covering road games at night seems a waste because whatever is filed anyway is no better than what AP does.

    Saying that there is intrinsic value in still having your beat writer's byline on a story has less and less meaning to readers these days. Like it or not, the day is coming where more sidebar writers, if not beat writers and columnists, will be writing off of TV coverage from their Lazy-boys, inserting quotes that get emailed to them by the one staffer sent or, yes, even a media flack. I have rarely, if ever, seen a story of any significance broken from a writer on a roadtrip that other media, including AP, already onsite didn't also know about within minutes.

    Gripe all you want about corporate, beancounters, stockholders, etc., but ask yourself---if your ME came to you and said, "OK, Joe, we'll let you make the trip, but here's the deal. You make your own travel arrangements and foot the ball, and we'll pay you back if you come up with a breaking story worthy of section front that no one else has. If you do, we'll refund all your expenses and pay you $100 on top of it."

    Would you take the deal? If not, quit griping about why and how budget deceisions get made the way they do.
     
  6. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Exactly, expendable. He was being facetious. That team knew we were there unless the circumstances were extreme (which they were in this instance). So it worked with us.
    But I did get stuff at least as good and got it quicker.


    We had another writer not go on the road with a different team a few years later. Did the whole phone thing and wrote a fine story. No byline.
    The next day I take a call from an astute reader. She said that story sure sounded like the beat writer. It was, I said. Why no name? I explained and she said, "So what? He wrote it. His name should be on it." Well, we don't want to give the impression we are there if we are not. "So add a note that says that."

    Woman had a point. Guy did the work. Wrote a fine story. Editor's note, yea or nay?
     
  7. DGRollins

    DGRollins Member

    To me the byline does not imply that the writer was in a specific location--that's what the dateline is for.

    I believe that if a story contains a quote that was obtained by the reporter it should be bylined--the byline, after all, is about taking responsibility, not credit.

    But what do I know...
     
  8. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    Yea on the byline. At least at the bottom of the story. Our readers need to know who generated the story, whether it be the beat reporter, the AP, a random stringer, or in the case of a chain, another reporter within the chain.
     
  9. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Agree. From (paper) Resources or whatever doesn't cut it.
     
  10. STLIrish

    STLIrish Active Member

    I agree with all who say that travel makes for better beat coverage. For all the reasons stated above it can lead to better stories. And in an ideal world, papers would travel for every beat, whenever they needed to.
    And they wouldn't do it just in sports. Yet sports is where the huge majority of travel budgets go. That's my problem with it.
    I'm a business writer at a fairly large metro. I cover huge companies with operations all over the country, all over the world, for that matter. To better do my job, to better connect with and cover those companies, it sure would help if I could occasionally go to some of those places, or to the places our region is competing with for jobs, or to industry conferences. I could actually do some meaningful enterprise work - stories no one else will do - and help my readers understand this competitive, fast-changing economy of ours. That's supposed to be my job.
    But my department's travel budget is almost nonexistent. Milage being what it is, a day-trip to another nearby city requires some significant tooth-pulling. Forget about hotel rooms or costly plane tickets. To spend a night in, say, Chicago, I'd probably have to crash on a friend's couch. And if I want to go somewhere to really write about the global economy, I probably have to win a fellowship.
    Yet God forbid we not send two or three baseball writers to go cover some meaningless August series between our sub-.500 team and theirs. Heaven forfend we not have gamers from college basketball road trips. How much value does that really add?
    If we're making the argument against the beancounters that travel = quality journalism (and I believe we should be), then we ought to think about spreading the travel money around a little more.
     
  11. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    No STL, your beef shouldn't be with the sports travel budget. It should be with the beancounters. You're a business guy. They're business guys. You should have an "in" and be able to argue your case in terms they can understand.
     
  12. Editude

    Editude Active Member

    Second-day coverage and notebooks would be much less relevant without travel. We combine off-beat features with event coverage to make the most of the longer trips. Following a team off TV is weak and counter-productive.
     
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