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Wow... this was a new one for me

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by amraeder, Apr 21, 2007.

  1. amraeder

    amraeder Well-Known Member

    A local kid is signing a Letter of Intent on Monday to play women's basketball for a DI school, a pretty big deal in our neck of the woods. But I just had the parent ask me "What would it take to get this story on the front page (of the paper not Sports)? A little money?" .
    Wow, I was dumbfounded.
    This happen to you guys?
     
  2. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    Can't say it has. That's weird, to say the least.
     
  3. amraeder

    amraeder Well-Known Member

    Yeah. Part of me wanted to find out just how much he'd be willing to pay.
     
  4. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    So, how much? How much would it take?

    [​IMG]
     
  5. SoSueMe

    SoSueMe Active Member

    Yes. When each of us had to take our turn writing an advertorial at the weekly where I started my career.
     
  6. amraeder

    amraeder Well-Known Member

    I didn't ask. Seemed like it would have sent the wrong message.
     
  7. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    I couldn't get the damn movie poster to load...Timing is everything...
     
  8. JBHawkEye

    JBHawkEye Well-Known Member

    We've had people call the newsroom trying to buy their way out of the police report. "Any way I can keep my drunk-driving arrest out?"
     
  9. chazp

    chazp Active Member

    Yes. I have a school in my area where one of the dads is a bigwig music promoter. I didn't know that at the time, but during the summer he comes by the office and wants me to do a story on his son, who is the school's quarterback. Anyway the kid had never started a game yet, but his dad told me the kid would be better than the two current starting quarterbacks at the two major DI universities in our state. I tried to politely tell him there's nothing to write about yet. He opens his wallet and pulls out two 100 dollar bills and throws them on my desk. He said, "200 bucks ain't nothing to me son, but I bet it could help you out a lot."
    I went back to typing the story I was working on before he came in and ignored him until he took his money and went away.
    His kid, who he promised me was the next superstart QB, threw for a grand total of less than 600 yards that season and threw 5 TDs and 11 picks.
     
  10. Yodel

    Yodel Active Member

    I heard it all the time at one rag. People think it's the way it works.
     
  11. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    in YOUR area?
     
  12. Hustle

    Hustle Guest

    I debated for a minute whether this was worth re-telling. But since I'm posting, I guess you know the answer. Kind of related to the thread, I guess.

    I covered a HS baseball game on Friday night; one of the teams involved is generally undercovered by us but did deserve some bit of coverage. The PA announcer - and one of the kids' parents, I'd guess - kept bugging me how he wanted to see a big package in the paper about this team's success. Fine after one mention, old after the second, really old after the third and fourth.

    During the game, the guy's cell phone rings. He's short with whoever's on the other end. "Just tell her to bring the baby over," was one of the lines. Guy was late 30s to 40ish. A few innings later, his phone rings again.

    "Yeah?" Mumbled conversation on the other end. "You mean she threw the baby?" Short answer on the other end. "Well, call the cops. I want her arrested." Medium-length answer on the other end. "Oh, OK." Hangs up. A rather uncomfortable silence ensues as I try to go about my work.

    Obviously, I don't know the whole story behind the calls. So maybe something happened (a positive resolution) that I wasn't aware of. But twice after this, the guy repeats his request for a "full-page story". WTF?
     
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