wrestling photos

This afternoon, one of my colleagues received a complaint about how he published photos of high school wrestlers who lost their matches or were getting pinned.
Once a coach told me one of his wrestlers was being given a hard time at school because he was being pinned in a photo that I ran.
I've always felt that I should use the best photos or the ones that work best on the page unless the story is about a particular athlete. If the kid in the photo was losing, it's not my problem.
Given the nature of wrestling, where what happens during a match is a reflection of who a kid is more so than in most sports, should you avoid publishing photos of the local kids getting pinned or losing?

 

No, they lost. If this is about them losing, then run the picture.

 

Doesn't the very nature of a wrestling match pretty much make it mandatory that any photo is going to have someone getting beaten or pinned?

 

My nihilist side says, fuck it. The kid lost, and it's the flat-out truth.

My survivalist side, which really likes my paycheck, says, fuck it. It's what readers want, and it keeps the boss off my ass.

At this point in time, unless I can find other means, my survivalist side wins more often than not.

 

When it comes to photos, if the picture is to run with a standard game story (be it a game or wrestling meet or gymnastics meet) I run the very best photo.

If it's about one kid in particular, you run the best shot of that kid, even if you have other better photos of other kids (as I did tonight).

My job isn't to make people happy or make sure kids don't get picked on. I'm there to write the best story as accurately as I can, and take the best photo.

 

I don't like to say this. But the mere fact that you asked this question would indicate that you need to re-examine your instincts really hard.

You run the best photo. If it's of the home-team kid flat on his back, and it's the best photo, you don't even ask this question. I don't care if it's the Philly Inquirer or a 4,000 daily, it's a question which didn't even need to be asked.

The question you asked is not a journalist's question. It's a question of somebody not in the business.

 

I was in this position (no pun intended) recently. Because I had watched the match, I was able to say "Johnny Smith is shown in his match against Danny Fuckstick. Smith was able to kick out of this near-pin and win the match, 4-3." or something like that. If you don't have much choice on the photo, try to provide more information in the cutline.

 

sp's got this thing about second- and third-guessing every single move he makes. And he's going to have to get over it, or someday he's not going to be able to drive to his office without having people tell him it's OK.

I'm really not saying this to be mean. He knows I'm right, and he knows he's got to fix it.

 

I would add that apparently coaches know how to get under SP's skin... Show no fear!!

 

Always run the gayest ones you or your photog took.

 

I've got nothing to add to this thread, because as others have said, the best photo -- or in some cases, the best photo that matches whatever story the reporter wants to tell -- is the way to go every time.

 

With wrestling, that doesn't really narrow it down much.