Youth sports (again)

Just make sure you have strict rules/deadlines to avoid any ideas of favoritism, and stick with it.

 

True, but everyone who complains their stuff is cut thinks they're the only one.

 

Which is why you have to have the rules. So you can rightfully say "No, you missed the deadline, no luck for you."

 

SP: Our deadline is noon to mid-afternoon each Wednesday for publication in Thursday's paper. Everything is ran on a first-come, first-served basis, assuming we have space for it. If not, we simply hold that item -- usually a dead deer photo or whatever -- until the next week.

We run a box saying we reserve the right to edit/fix anything that's submitted due to space/time constraints. If people can't understand that, that's their problem. The rules are there in black and white when we run the youth page each week.

Like IJAG said, you're not going to please everyone. You just need to find a system that works for you and your paper, not for the leagues that are submitting information. If I were you, I would see if there's a way to phase out the writeups for youth sports. The only time we do anything like that is if it's a league championship or whatever.

 

I'm not sure that phasing out youth sports is a good idea at this kind of paper. A lot of people seem to buy the paper just to see their kids' names in it. I don't want to give people a reason to stop reading the paper.
I've only been fired from one job. The reason I was fired was because I could not pursuade the local youth leagues to submit copy.
It bothers me that this is an important part of my job, but it is.

 

Doesn't sound like that's your problem here. People are submitting plenty. So as long as your bosses are happy, set up the rules and stick to them.

That's really the key. No exceptions either way. Don't let someone slide in 7 hours late, and don't leave someone's out just because they were bitching at you. If you play it straight, they will learn to respect it, even if they don't always like it.

 

I'm not saying phase it out completely. Hell, our sales on Thursday go up a bunch just because of that one page and all the grandmothers and other family members excited about seeing little Johnny's name in print or seeing his photo in the paper. I get that it sales papers.

What I'm saying is you don't have to run 88 inches of recaps each week when you, as you've said, could use the space for something else. Limit the leagues to mini boxscores and list everyone who scores in it. It will cut down a lot and save space for more important things.

Also, do you run youth copy every day or do you have a designated day for it?

 

I understand getting 'names in the paper' at smaller shops.

From reading your threads, it seems to me you have a very difficult time telling anyone no and personal struggles with trying to please everyone. You cannot, and will not, please everyone.

As was stated, figure out a plan, utilize the Web for news older than a week (or whatever deadline you set) and stick with it. Youth parents don't understand or care about space issues but you can't let them run your section. Use the Web for some of this crap and draw a line.

 

One other thing: We don't post this stuff on our website. No. 1, we don't own the photos that are submitted; No. 2, it wouldn't drive up traffic very much to begin with; and No. 3, why give that away for free?

 

Sir, the youth stuff doesn't deserve any narrative form. It has to go with a score and agate. put a leading scorer or two if they are over 10 points, no less than that for gosh sakes. Put a score and highlights of the game. You shouldn't have it in paragraph form. Not for youth leagues. AGATE ONLY.

 

Do you work at my shop?

 

Sometimes I don't know if the boss will have my back.