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Yesterday's awkward journalism moment of the day

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Jay Sherman, Aug 25, 2008.

  1. Jay Sherman

    Jay Sherman Member

    Wow, that's not in blue font, so I don't think you are kidding... ???
     
  2. joe_schmoe

    joe_schmoe Active Member

    Next time try equalizing the situation by saying "I know a guy who is dating a 34-year old virgin."
    It's totally out of place here, but she'll feel just as akward at that point as you do.

    And Angola is right, you will likely deal with a lot more akward situations than this.
    A coworker was covering a JUCO women's conference basketball tournament and this one team had a pretty decent looking coach. After the team won the conference tournament, another reporter who covers them got out of his seat and made his way over to the waiting area and our reporter said the coach, still very excited makes eye contact with the other reporter, runs over and leaps. He of course has to catch her. So suddenly he has his hands on her ass to hold her up and her boobs are in his face.
    That's a bit akward.

    Experience will let you know what to do, not that there a right answer on how to handle the situation.
     
  3. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    Define "2."
     
  4. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Twice as good as a "1."
     
  5. Jay Sherman

    Jay Sherman Member

    Does that mean that two 1s = one 2? Because I don't think that's true.
     
  6. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Slow down Jay.

    What I think you will see is that this isn't tv. Everyone's name looks the same in print.

    How a person looks though should never be considered when you talk to them. This is why I would always (ALWAYS) shake a hand if I could before I started asking questions. Male, female, boy, girl, toddler, dog... you get the picture. Do the same for everyone.

    Be consistant with everyone, and anything beyond a handshake, IMHO, is not acceptable.

    Read some of the threads dealing with certain sideline reporters for ESPN (think Cubs locker room).
     
  7. Walter_Sobchak

    Walter_Sobchak Active Member

    Had this happened to me, I would have told the first reporter to back the fuck off.
     
  8. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    That bothered me too. Only thing I can think of is the first time he said it, it was to paint the scene which added to his level of discomfort. the second time, I thought like you did -- what would he have done if she was less than that.
     
  9. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    A 23 year old is not a girl, she's a woman, even when you're writing about her on a message board. The fact that you cover womens sports and can't make that distinction is, I don't know, really troubling. As is your emphasis on her cuteness.

    I would guess Cadet is not kidding, nor should she be. Anyone who covers women and sees cute girls instead of professional athletes probably shouldn't be covering either.
     
  10. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    21 is correct, but when I watch a game, you cannot help but think that certain people are more attractive than others. That's human nature.

    You just need to be able to stick those thoughts in your back pocket, ESPECIALLY if they are in high school.
     
  11. MU_was_not_so_hard

    MU_was_not_so_hard Active Member

    Quick story, because as others have pointed out, it's certainly not the first time something like this has happened.

    Had a women's DII basketball program that I covered for a couple months while they made a pretty good run leading up to and including the first two games of the NCAA tourney. In the third game, team gets beat because it all of a sudden forgets how to shoot (after averaging better than 85 points a game the rest of the season).

    After the loss, I'm talking to one of the players and she -- for basically the same reasons you've described -- breaks down in front of me. I stood there, doing basically nothing (told her to take her time), because I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't have a great relationship with her to begin with because I rarely talked to her.

    A couple days later, I'm talking to the coach, writing a season rap, and I tell him about how his player broke down in front of me. He started laughing and said something along the lines of:

    "Shit, that's nothing. They do that to me in practice once a week."

    He was sort of joking, but he said something that stuck, and it can be applied to women/girls and men/boys: Everyone cries. People do it at different times. Sometimes they do it in front of others; sometimes not.

    Either way, it's not a big deal. Just be human.
     
  12. I Digress

    I Digress Guest

    Repetitive.. but this player was NOT a girl.. also one of my pet peeve's. The very fact that you were thinking 'this girl is crying' is condescending. Secondly, of course it's a little awkward and I think the best you can do is something along the lines of 'that's OK, don't worry about.' Third, seriously, you've never interviewed a crying athlete before? I don't quite understand how this doesn't happen somewhat regularly. There are always winners and losers. Both of them cry. I find that can turn an interview into gold. Of course it's natural to be empathetic, but just stay professional. Generally speaking, athletes cry over things that are close to their hearts. That's gold.
     
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