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Surely this is SOMEHOW (not ethically) wrong ...

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by kingcreole, Nov 18, 2008.

  1. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    OK, I'm leaving this week to cover a national college volleyball tournament. The school I cover has a good Sports Information department, and they have been kind enough to send us pictures free of charge as long as we give them credit.

    In my pretournament budget I sent to the ME, one of the stories I listed was a column idea that the ME wants to turn into a feature. Good idea, I thought, and it won't be a problem.

    Here's the problem - the ME wants me to ask the SID photographer to get a feature shot for us. I don't think that's right unless we pay the photographer a fee for the feature photo. They are being cool by sending us shots of every match we need, but to actually give this guy an assignment like this when he doesn't work for us? I'm not sure I feel comfortable about it.

    The SID and photographer both used to work at this paper, by the way.
     
  2. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    Cheap. Some SID's depending upon the situation, may do it and look upon it as a favor. I'd like to think that your ME asked you to ask them for the shot as a favor rather than an assignment.
     
  3. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    Unless assigning photos is part of your job description (and probably even if it's not), I'd suggest you talk to the sports editor and request the sports editor or the managing editor be the one to make any such request of the SID photog. They shouldn't be putting you in the middle of a potentially sticky situation.
     
  4. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    Surely, this is not ethically wrong.

    Have your SE call the SID and ASK if it's possible to get a feature-type shot of said player, rather than just game action.

    Good god, if this is what you consider an ethical dilemma, you've got problems.
     
  5. Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    Ditto
     
  6. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    Problems? For asking a question? Give me a break. I think the person is being responsible in asking others' opinions. Maybe you have the problem.
     
  7. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    The thread title says "Surely, this is ethically wrong"

    If you can explain to me how this is ethically wrong in any way, I'll admit I have a problem.
    When did asking an SID for a photo become an ethical question?
    The SID pays the photog. Why should he get paid twice for the same shot?
     
  8. Fredrick

    Fredrick Well-Known Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    I think creole is uncomfortable because like he said the newspaper wants to tell the photographer to shoot a specialty photo for the newspaper and not just send shots of the matches that the photographer is shooting for the school. Creole appears to be wondering if papers should be able to give a specific assignment to the sports information photographer. I agree the photographer should get some sort of pay for this additional shot.
     
  9. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    I've done that several times when we couldn't staff a mid-week practice to get linemen shots.
     
  10. Monday Morning Sportswriter

    Monday Morning Sportswriter Well-Known Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    I saw that this was a thread about volleyball and assumed he was going to ask about sleeping with one of the players.

    I don't think it's an ethical dilemma. It may stretch your comfort zone, but your newspaper doesn't lose credibility from it.
     
  11. EE94

    EE94 Guest

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    Really? You deal with the SID, its' your feature, and you have a problem arranging the photo because its "not in your job description?"
    Real team player there.
     
  12. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Re: Surely this is ethically wrong ...

    I'm a sports journalist with more than 4,000 posts here. Of course I've got some fucking problems! But thanks for pointing it out Capt. Obvious.

    OK, maybe I wasn't clear on what I'm unsure about here.

    You said:

    "The SID pays the photog. Why should he get paid twice for the same shot?"
    He's not getting paid twice for the same shot. I would be assigning the SID photog to shoot a special photo for us. In other words, he would be going out of his way to shoot this feature photo. It's NOT something he would have shot any way, and it's not a photo the SID would likely want or use. So he's not shooting this photo for his department, it's for us.

    Just seems a little wrong to me not to pay him for it.
     
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