Missing It

[Cosmo]

The way parents, grown-ass adults, acted during most of the games I covered soured me on the "purity" of prep sports. Though truth be told, the way some grown-ass adults act on message boards when discussing college teams isn't much better.

 

[TyWebb]

Give me preps any day over college, especially large programs that have dozens of reporters at every practice and hundreds at every game who trip over each other to write about the same story lines. In my first few years I was the No. 2 guy for our chain at the area Big Ten school, and there was nothing worse than being crammed into a small room with 100 other guys in the zoo that is their postgame presser.

Totally agree. The best and most enjoyable work I ever did was covering preps. I made connections with coaches and administrators that I still have even though I am about four years out of the business. One high school football coach I worked with still emails me occasionally to tell me how his team is doing. We will email back and forth about the schedule and how other teams I used to cover look.

If I miss anything about the business, that is it, the relationships you build with the people you cover regularly. When I left my last newspaper job, I had such an outpouring of encouragment from the coaches and ADs I worked with that it almost made me regret my decision. These were good men and women with whom I shared many great conversations.

I know that is possible in college, but I just didn't experience it. With the levels of red tape you have to get through to get to a coach or player, I think that is harder covering college or pro than it is in preps.

 

[Ace]

Totally agree. The best and most enjoyable work I ever did was covering preps. I made connections with coaches and administrators that I still have even though I am about four years out of the business. One high school football coach I worked with still emails me occasionally to tell me how his team is doing. We will email back and forth about the schedule and how other teams I used to cover look.

If I miss anything about the business, that is it, the relationships you build with the people you cover regularly. When I left my last newspaper job, I had such an outpouring of encouragment from the coaches and ADs I worked with that it almost made me regret my decision. These were good men and women with whom I shared many great conversations.

I know that is possible in college, but I just didn't experience it. With the levels of red tape you have to get through to get to a coach or player, I think that is harder covering college or pro than it is in preps.

I think covering bigger colleges, at least, you tend to build the stronger relationships with SID people.

In my prep days, I liked/respected some of the folks I covered, but I think you have to be careful.

I know more than a few prep writers who became to buddy-buddy with coaches and -- in my opinion -- they were not able to do their job well. They would automatically take the coaches side in any issue and were unwilling to dig into stories that might be perceived as negative.

 

[TyWebb]

I think covering bigger colleges, at least, you tend to build the stronger relationships with SID people.

In my prep days, I liked/respected some of the folks I covered, but I think you have to be careful.

I know more than a few prep writers who became to buddy-buddy with coaches and -- in my opinion -- they were not able to do their job well. They would automatically take the coaches side in any issue and were unwilling to dig into stories that might be perceived as negative.

Yeah, that is definitely a line that is easier to cross in preps. I came across more than a few of the "cheer in the press box" types while covering prep football, and I think it is important, especially for younger writers, to make an dedicated effort to keep it professional and objective.

The coaches I had the best relationships with were those who understood I was not just a PR rep for their team, that I would be calling when a player was suspended or their team was upset by a smaller school. As long as I gave them a fair shake and covered the good news too, we were able to maintain a mutual respect.

Of course, I definitely got my fair share of "you only cover us when we lose" coaches. There are some who just can't be reached.

 

[BTExpress]

I am glad to be rid of an industry that has turned its back on the hard-working people who were helped build it.

Like there was some other choice?

Blame Craig. And his list.

 

[TyWebb]

Like there was some other choice?

Blame Craig. And his list.

Go to the source. Blame Al Gore.

 

[da man]

I left journalism a few years ago for a communications job with normal hours and better pay. Short of getting married, this job is the best thing that ever happened to me.

I was worried I'd miss journalism, so I directly asked my new boss, before I started, if I was allowed to freelance. He said yes.

So I'm covering prep gamers when I can, making $75 bucks a story. When I told a photographer how much I made, he balked.

"I would never freelance anything for just $75," he said.

The money is nice, don't get me wrong. But there's something wonderful about hustling to a high school, writing a gamer on deadline and keeping my foot just a bit in the industry. For me, that fulfills any journalism "itch" I may still have.

And that's good enough. After working through furloughs, pay cuts and layoffs, I am glad to be rid of an industry that has turned its back on the hard-working people who were helped build it.

I won't do any freelance gig for less than $100. And they'd have to pay me a lot more than that to get me to do a high school game.

 

[Rhody31]

And how much were you paid for that work tonight? 25 bucks? Did it pay for your gas and meal?

It was a solid number. For the six hours I worked I made more than what any other paper in the state would pay for an hourly rate to a full timer, but that was because I double dipped.

For me, it's not about the money. The business never has been. I love the work. Hell, this weekend I'm stringing for an online mag and there's a damn good chance I'm gonna make half of what I would if I went to my course and picked up a loop. But I'd rather cover a couple games and write some features because this is all I've ever wanted to do and I have fun doing it.

That said, I'm not going back to the hustle of making $12.50 an hour an no OT when I work 60 hours a week. In fact, I might take a job like that just so I can report those papers to the state.

 

[BTExpress]

I love the work.

According to Frederick, it's better to do something you hate as long as it pays more.

 

[cjericho]

I won't do any freelance gig for less than $100. And they'd have to pay me a lot more than that to get me to do a high school game.

For me, the opposite. Been a few years since I covered a game, but would do hs before pro. Couple of my buddies couldn't understand it, but I'd rather go to a game where it's not going to be a hassle getting there and getting out with traffic. Also most kids (maybe not the 5-star prospects who have had their asses kissed by recruiters and bottom feeders for a few years) are glad to talk about the game and their performance. Most pros view dealing with the media as something they wouldn't do if they didn't have to. It's funny because some of the beat guys or major columnists think those guys like talking to them.

 

[Riptide]

I won't do any freelance gig for less than $100. And they'd have to pay me a lot more than that to get me to do a high school game.

And that's why you da man!

 

[Fredrick]

According to Frederick, it's better to do something you hate as long as it pays more.

No, I'm against working 60 hours and getting paid for 40 in the wink/wink system. It's real work compared to the 10 a.m. meeting organizers who go home on Friday at 4:15 p.m. after their hard week of sweat. Yeah right.

 

[Fredrick]

It was a solid number. For the six hours I worked I made more than what any other paper in the state would pay for an hourly rate to a full timer, but that was because I double dipped.

For me, it's not about the money. The business never has been. I love the work. Hell, this weekend I'm stringing for an online mag and there's a damn good chance I'm gonna make half of what I would if I went to my course and picked up a loop. But I'd rather cover a couple games and write some features because this is all I've ever wanted to do and I have fun doing it.

That said, I'm not going back to the hustle of making $12.50 an hour an no OT when I work 60 hours a week. In fact, I might take a job like that just so I can report those papers to the state.

It's hard to sue them. One other thing newspapers do well is stock themselves with fairly good lawyers. Newspapers pay the lawyers damn well.

 

[Cosmo]

To be fair, my college vs. high school thinking has a lot to do with me covering an FCS football/low-major basketball league with better and easier access than P5 programs.

 

[Tweener]

For me, it's not about the money. The business never has been.

That said, I'm not going back to the hustle of making $12.50 an hour an no OT when I work 60 hours a week.

Rhody, you had me until I read this. It's not about the money, yet you left the business in part because of the money (or lack thereof)?

It bothers me when people say it's not about the money. That used to be me. I've since discovered that unless you are independently wealthy, have a sugar mamma, or inherited a chunk of change, yes, your day job is to some degree about money.

It's the mentality of "I do this for the love of it" that media companies lean on when they don't offer wage increases for years to those deserving. "Well, you could be replaced at any moment" is now the company line, because it's true, largely because there are so many in this business who will work on the cheap "for the love of it."

The reality, as you've evidently discovered, is that loving the profession doesn't pay the bills. I think it's cool that you can still enjoy covering a game as a freelancer, I just think that it is about the money, at least somewhat, to those who depend on it for thier livelihood.

 

[Rhody31]

Rhody, you had me until I read this. It's not about the money, yet you left the business in part because of the money (or lack thereof)?

It bothers me when people say it's not about the money. That used to be me. I've since discovered that unless you are independently wealthy, have a sugar mamma, or inherited a chunk of change, yes, your day job is to some degree about money.

It's the mentality of "I do this for the love of it" that media companies lean on when they don't offer wage increases for years to those deserving. "Well, you could be replaced at any moment" is now the company line, because it's true, largely because there are so many in this business who will work on the cheap "for the love of it."

The reality, as you've evidently discovered, is that loving the profession doesn't pay the bills. I think it's cool that you can still enjoy covering a game as a freelancer, I just think that it is about the money, at least somewhat, to those who depend on it for thier livelihood.

It's not about the money.
You still need to make something to live. I'm ok with making crap money if I'm working 40 hours a week. If im getting paid 12.50 an hour - which is a ton for small papers in RI - I'm not throwing unpaid hours on top of that.

 

[BTExpress]

It's the mentality of "I do this for the love of it" that media companies lean on when they don't offer wage increases for years to those deserving.

I don't believe the thinking really goes that deep.

More like, "Our revenues have decreased every quarter for 10 years. We can't possibly increase ANY expense, be it newsprint, travel . . . or payroll."

 

[Tweener]

I don't believe the thinking really goes that deep.

More like, "Our revenues have decreased every quarter for 10 years. We can't possibly increase ANY expense, be it newsprint, travel . . . or payroll."

With all due respect, don't be naïve. Gannett just upped its offer to buy Tribune from $12.50 a share to $15 a share in what has been reported to be a mostly cash deal. That's an increase that represents tens of millions of dollars. Gannett also hasn't increased wages in years.

 

[Tweener]

It's not about the money.
You still need to make something to live. I'm ok with making crap money if I'm working 40 hours a week. If im getting paid 12.50 an hour - which is a ton for small papers in RI - I'm not throwing unpaid hours on top of that.

Why aren't you throwing unpaid hours on top of it? If you do it for the love of it, and it's not about the money, why wouldn't you work unpaid hours?

 

[Rhody31]

Why aren't you throwing unpaid hours on top of it? If you do it for the love of it, and it's not about the money, why wouldn't you work unpaid hours?

Because slavery is illegal.
I don't want to get back in it because of the pay. It doesn't mean I don't want to do it for free. Working 60 hours a week for 30k a year isn't admirable. It's foolish.