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Who do you write for?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by WaylonJennings, Sep 26, 2008.

  1. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    You are correct, sir!

    Well done.
     
  2. thegrifter

    thegrifter Member

    I used to have sooo much passion for my job. But now, I'm the equivalent of a paycheck player.
    I don't care about learning new skills. I'm done volunteering. Which also means i'm done being exploited for my extra effort.
     
  3. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    No.
     
  4. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Nobody.
     
  5. JLaff

    JLaff Guest

    Well, who else is going to help them get scholarships?
     
  6. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    I've always found that the people who brag that my news isn't "news" to them enjoy their insider status...or at least their perceived insider status. So actually, giving them something they already know is self-affirming and welcome to many of these folks.

    Those aren't the people I'm writing for. I'm writing for the person who is interested, but not in the know. Covering a D-I mid-major beat, I got as much or more positive feedback for the coverage of the basketball team that was lucky if it got 1,000 fans into the arena as I got for the football team, which regularly led its conference in attendance.

    You get big readership from people who care, but not enough to go to the game. So your reader with a combination of basic knowledge and enough detachment to need someone to fill them in, that's the guy you target. Every story isn't going to read like a 101-level text on the subject, but it's not going to be jargon-filled insider stuff either.

    I'm one of those "interested, but detached" readers these days for most of the teams I grew up watching. I'm one of them with the presidential debate tonight. I care, but I'm too busy to watch. Tell me what happened, Mr. Newsman.

    And if you watched the game I covered too and recognize everything I wrote in the story, well, bear with me through the familiar stuff while I give you insight you probably don't know...but not without neglecting the poor saps who missed the game.
     
  7. silentbob

    silentbob Member

    This is gonna sound selfish, but I write for myself.

    I have a little freedom, so I try to find stories that I find interesting or funny. I'll craft an entire story around one little intimate stretch of dialogue or hidden humorous scene.

    I know it's noble to say we write for the readership, but if you do your job well, you serve the masses anyway. Some like what I do; some don't. I figure it evens out in the short term and I'll win over the critics (everyone's an expert these days) in the long.

    Got to believe in yourself. Got to be willing to break from the pack. Not always, of course, but enough to be true to your inner voice and creative spirit.

    Don't misunderstand: I'm not saying it's wrong to write for readers, just a little overwhelming and unsatisfying. My biggest pet peeve -- and this is something I see a lot -- are reporters who write for the coaches, players and teams they cover. Usually to try and show how much they know. These people serve nobody.
     
  8. Did I really need the blue font? Or am I the one missing the sarcasm?
     
  9. editorhoo

    editorhoo Member

    We recently had this discussion in the newsroom, and I had a writer admit he writes for himself. I commend him for admitting that.

    I'll admit that I write for my audience, not as some noble gesture, but for selfish reasons, as well. We're writers, and a writer isn't much without an audience. I want to captivate that audience. When I'm writing a story, the prevailing thought I have is I want to grab the reader with my first few words and make them want to read more.

    It's not always not rewarding, either. Tonight, as I was headed to the press box for my game, an elderly gentleman (must have been about 80), pulled me aside and said, "Hey, I just want you to know that I read your stuff all the time and have for years, and I really enjoy it. You do a great job."

    Moments like those are rare in the business, but when they happen, they're priceless.

    Who do I write for? That guy.
     
  10. silentbob

    silentbob Member

    Hard to argue with that.
     
  11. SlickWillie71

    SlickWillie71 Member

    This industry has become so screwed that it's hard to remember that there's an audience we're writing for. That said, I tend to write for the casual fan, but love to give the hardcore fans their due as well.
     
  12. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Obviously it varies depending on level, but I think we've gotten past the point of doing a recap of what happened and need to tell people interested in a game why things played out the way it did and what it means in the big scheme of things.
    In this day and age, the next day's paper might as well be Sports Illustrated. People know the score and what happened. Make it a good read.
     
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