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You're on deadline ... and an emergency strikes

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by kingcreole, Jan 3, 2007.

  1. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Last night, I'm doing my postgame interviews for the junior college team I cover. Cell phone rings. Queencreole is in tears. Princecreole has something wrapped around one of his toes. It's digging into the skin. She can't cut the thing wrapped around his toe off. The circulation to his toe is getting cut off. Princecreole (8 months old) is screaming like I've never heard him scream before. Queencreole and friendcreole are taking princecreole to the emergency room.

    Obviously, I'm in a panic especially considering my wife rarely cries. I call my boss and tell him I'm leaving. The college's SID, a former SE who still does some stringer work for us, volunteers to write the story. So of course, everything in that regard worked out.

    Princecreole, by the way, is fine. It was a hair and how it got wrapped around that toe so tightly we'll never know. The hair had already dug underneath the skin and his toe was pretty red. Infection is possible but not likely. Doctor used a special tweezer scissors to dig under the poor bugger's toe. If you ever have a situation like this, we've been told Nair will dissolve the hair and would be safe to use in that situation.

    Any way, the question here is, what do you do if you're covering one of your paper's main beats and an emergency arises, and nobody can come to your aid to write for you? Tell the wife/kid to wait a couple hours? Fuck no. Is the story/coverage SOL?
     
  2. Kable

    Kable Member

    First off, I hope everything is better now, and I hope your son is doing better and resting that toe.

    Second, it's hard to say. It's like a double-edged sword. Livelyhood vs. fam. Fam always comes first. I would just get a statement or two and bounce. Hopefully, you had some sort of laptop so you could make deadline. That's probably how I would deal, but I hope to never get in that situation.
     
  3. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Sounds like you did the right thing. Family comes first.

    In the future, though, think ahead and shave your kid's toes.
     
  4. boots

    boots New Member

    As much as I don't like to agree with Ace (smile), he's right. NO STORY is more important than your family. Anyone who tells you differently is wrong. I have had to check out of games and on the desk a couple of times because of family emergencies. It happens.
    In the end, you'll discover that the paper came out and usually on time. Life goes on.
     
  5. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Health issue with an eight-month-old or writing a gamer?
    No brainer.
    And if your boss doesn't understand why you chose your kid's health, he needs to be shot and/or you need to find a new gig.
     
  6. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    The paper always gets out. Maybe not on time, but it gets out.
     
  7. CU_Buffalo_Gal

    CU_Buffalo_Gal New Member

    I agree with everyone that family has to come first. My husband and I just adopted a little boy and I am finding that I have to change my priorities completely. No more working "just 15 more minutes" and then getting home an hour late.

    But I also want to say that this is the fourth time in a couple months that I have heard about this happening to a baby. People, check your kids' toes!!!
     
  8. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    It's one thing if you're within driving distance. What do you do if you're on the road and you can't get a flight back?
     
  9. boots

    boots New Member

    That too has happened. In that instance, you use your head. Obviously, if there is no need to get back, try as best as you can to complete your assignment. Once, I was so shaken that I couldn't complete the assignment. The editor understood.
     
  10. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    boots, I thought we were pals. You said you had my back.
     
  11. Idaho

    Idaho Active Member

    Screw deadline. You've got a little baby digit to save.
     
  12. boots

    boots New Member

    You know me with backs. All kidding aside, emergencies do happen and if an editor is that cold hearted, it's time to look elsewhere for employment.
     
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