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What would you do?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by rpmmutant, Oct 26, 2008.

  1. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    I think there's not enough info to say what to include. If the girl died, though, it probably would merit a separate story.

    I agree with other postings about observing things and saving them for later. Look for things like this for future enterprise stories.
     
  2. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    Bullshit. That's exactly what you said.

    I can assure you his employer is quite satisfied with rpm's work. If you knew anything about him before making your presumptuous claims, you wouldn't be talking out of your ass about "young writers" who "don't know anything." That's not the case at all.

    It was a simple question, perhaps poorly phrased in the original post here, but a situation he handled well before bringing it up for discussion here. Nothing more. You're the only one judging somebody's entire career or skill set based on him asking a question about a complicated situation.
     
  3. Notepad

    Notepad Member

    Yeah, putting words in the mouth of a coach, asking the coach "do you want to say she's dehydrated" and telling the coach "I have to have a reason why she didn't play" is the mark of someone with a firm grasp on how to report.
    Come on.

    And another thing, the situation wasn't complicated. On the contrary, it was actually very simple to report.
     
  4. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Another thing on this, rpm, with recent federal rules regarding privacy of medical information, a coach has every right to feel uncomfortable answering, especially if it's not a typical sprained knee or something.

    If a coach says that the girl is anorexic, he's setting himself up for a lawsuit.
     
  5. silentbob

    silentbob Member

    Sure must be nice to be someone like Notepad, a reporter who had all the answers from the moment he picked up his first notebook.
     
  6. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    I thought the point of this website was to encourage discussion and help other (sometimes younger) journalists navigate their way through this shitty world of increased responsibilities/decreased satisfaction and support.

    It's one thing to be a prick on the Sports and News thread (especially if the poster doesn't have a clear grasp on the First Amendment) , but when someone comes on here asking allegedly experienced journalists for advice, the first response shouldn't be "You should quit because you're stupid" it should be "Here's some advice....."

    But, of course, the people who zap the fun out of this website are the first ones to complain when their services are no longer required by a company that no longer sees a need to help them out.
     
  7. JakeandElwood

    JakeandElwood Well-Known Member

    I'm a young guy who's doing all right so far, but if I ever have a questionable situation, I like that I'll be able to come on here and discuss it with some people who have lots of experience in the field.

    There's lots of fun on sports and news and Anything Goes, but this board is what makes sj great.
     
  8. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    I agree, but the sheer amount of assholery on this site makes me wonder how some of these people still have jobs.
     
  9. KYSportsWriter

    KYSportsWriter Well-Known Member

    Notepad, just how is this not a complicated situation?

    I've had several coaches do the exact same thing when asked why Little Johnny or Suzy didn't play. If it's something as complicated as anorexia or any disease and the coach won't or can't say what it is, the best thing is to say the injury or illness was undisclosed.

    Stuff like that should never see print, unless the player is open about it, in my humble opinion.
     
  10. Notepad

    Notepad Member

    You just answered your own question.
    It isn't complicated at all. You write, "Suzy Sausageswinger didn't play due to an undisclosed illness."

    How. Fucking. Hard. Is. That.
    Journo101
     
  11. huntsie

    huntsie Active Member

    At the risk of wading in late, we had a situation in a preps cross country meet recently where a 15-year-old girl finished the race, collapsed, was taken to hospital by ambulance. She was dehydrated. Hers was the first of four races on the day and she was back to collect her first place medal.
    Asked her and her coach what happened, what they did for her at the hospital, if it had happened before, whether she had a history, that sort of thing.
    She asked me to please not make a big deal of it because "we had a lot of runners who did well."
    I told her I'd try not to overstate it, but I had to report it, it was a big part of the story. (Her team won three of the four titles).
    I think I wrote that
    "Podunk High comfortably won three of the four team titles at the blah, blah, blah.
    "Perhaps comfortably isn't the right word."
    Described the situation, put in a quote and moved on with the rest of the story. Not sure if the kid or the school was happy with the way it was handled, but I felt it both addressed the situation, covered the story and put the event in its proper context.
     
  12. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    NP,

    It seems to me the issue wasn't reporting that Susie Swatter didn't play, the concern by the reporter was could he have handled it better or done something differently.

    And it seems to me an issue is whether this a bigger story. I'd say it very well could be and that's a tough thing for many journalists who are strapped and busy and often don't want a possibly story that's going to be difficult take a lot of time popping up in front of them.
     
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