A different point of view?

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Guys, call this my gushy post of my two-plus years on SportsJournalists.com.
In the past several days, I've gone through a bit of extreme stress with a coach. Long story extremely short, he didn't believe I should have written about why a player who was kicked off the team (said player was allowed back on, and during the past week, was promoted up the depth chart). When the coach was -- at least on the surface -- convinced the player's arrest and subsequent reinstatement was news, he claimed I told him and the player I would never write the story.
I stake the short career I have spent in this business that I never said such a thing.
But here is the gushy part on my end.
Today, after countless conversations with my editor, executive editor and several member of the sports staff, a good chunk of our weekly staff meeting was dedicated to the topic. I have never felt so supported and trusted in my career.
We have a lot of members of this site who have some pretty major problems with their bosses, co-workers and subordinates.
Today, I am one of the lucky ones who felt his current professional situation couldn't get much better.
For that, I say thank you.

 

[lone star scribe]

MU,

Consider yourself fortunate. I've seen incidences where the beat writer was hung out to dry, in private by assigning editors/other writers, and in print by one of the paper's own columnists.

 

[fishwrapper]

Good to see a positive topic on these boards every now and then.
If you dealt with the situation as stated, you should never have had anything to worry about. (I know there was a level of anxiety on your part). But, it was a news story, and you treated it as such. Any editor -- and I'm one of them -- worth his/her salt has to back a reporter gathering news in an honest fashion. It is, in the end, what we do.
Good for you and your editors.

 

[huntsie]

Absolutely. Good for you and your bosses, first to back you and then to make sure you know they back you. You'd be surprised how little that happens in this business

 

[slappy4428]

When the coach was -- at least on the surface -- convinced the player's arrest, deportation to Canada and that country's refusal to accept him was news, he claimed I told him and the player I would never write the story.

Oglethorpe?

 

[Double J]

Maybe you could make it up to him by buying him a soda after the game.

 

[tyler durden 71351]

I had similar things happen to me at a previous stop...I was writing about a casino resort that was on the rocks. (They up filing for chapter 11 after dumping off all sorts of assets). Every time I pointed out that the casino was in bad shape financially, like when they hired a company to find potential buyers and I speculated on who would be a good owner, the PR guy would call my editor, the executive editor and the publisher. Got to the point where we had to have a pow-wow with the general manager and the pr guy. I was ****ting bricks about the deal, but the publisher and exec editor said pretty quickly on that they were 100% behind me and that I had a good rep.

 

[Claws for Concern]

You'd be amazed how much better this business would be if a little more positive feedback was made known to the writers and copy desk and designers when things go RIGHT instead of ALWAYS pointing out the negative.

 

[Tom Petty]

You'd be amazed how much better this business would be if a little more positive feedback was made known to the writers and copy desk and designers when things go RIGHT instead of ALWAYS pointing out the negative.

agreed, except for the copy desk guys. those lazy bastards need their humps busted on a daily basis. ... slackers.

 

[bigpern23]

"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

Sorry ... that was the first thing that popped into my head upon seeing the thread title. I'm a nerd. Carry on.

 

[Ace]

MU,

Glad your co-workers had your back. You can't let stuff like the coach was pulling stress you, though. If the kid doesn't want to be in the paper's for that reason, he probably shouldn't get arrested.

One thing to remember, kids. Always be clear on when something is or isn't on the record. It is not something to take lightly.

Many times, I might just be shooting the bull with a coach or SID or whomever when something pops up that might be newsy. I will say: "Hey, I may need to write about that. Let's go back over that." Or "That's a great quote. I would like to use that in a story"