Cross country mom

[spikechiquet]

Man, they are just flying at me lately....

OK, so here's the situation:

Local cross country team has like 10 runners on the team, only the top five count in team scoring.
A XC mom calls, pissed HER kid never gets his pic in the paper.
He consistantly runs as the 6th/7th runner, so he doesn't account in the scoring. He usually doesn't crack the Top 20 in races.
He's the best senior runner (as she pointed out to me) on the team and she believes that he should get some recognition for that (please, stop laughing, I had a hard enough time not when she said it).
Now, his team ran in the State finals, best finish was 73rd (way out of All-State honors) and her kid - again - didn't finish as one of the top five racers from his school...YET I have a cool pic that has him in it.

Now, the dilema...do I run the pic (which would satisfy the mom and make good art) or be an ass - ignore her kid - and run the pics I planned on running (the top finishers, all those pics would be fine also).

I hate when parents call you out and then you have to make this choice...cause I hate making it look like they "got me to do that" (even when it's not the case), cause the pic would be fine to run, but I can live without it.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Never let parents dictate the way you run your ship, be it directly (by cowering in fear and doing as you're told) or indirectly (by doing the opposite of what they want just to spite them). They have a perspective that centers around their small circle of family and friends. Your circle is the whole of your circulation area. Never forget that, and hope your bosses don't either.

 

[Flash]

Still and all, you run the best picture.

 

[KP]

Use the best art. Though there's nothing wrong with saying Johnny Hasapainintheassmom finished 324th as part of the caption.

 

[John]

Since his performance was irrelevant you're probably better off going with a shot of someone who actually contributed to the scoring -- as long as it's a decent photo.

If the mom calls, you can tell her you have a nice shot of her son if she'd like to buy a copy.

 

[zeke12]

If it's the best pic, and the kid's a senior, run the ****er and make her day.

 

[farmerjerome]

Use the best art. Though there's nothing wrong with saying Johnny Hasapainintheassmom finished 324th as part of the caption.

Bingo.

 

[crusoes]

But if there's a tie for best photo, all bets are off.

 

[Pilot]

I make a point to get different kids in the paper, but also of recognizing the stars when they are at their best. The best ones are always going to get in because, of course I always end up with the best shots of them. When they have big performances even for their standards, I make a point of including them.

When I get a good shot another kid who isn't the star, I make a point of including that kid, too. I don't ever count or anything, but I stay somewhat aware of who's been in how many times.

Keep in mind I only cover a couple high schools, so paying that much attention might not be practical for you.

 

[ColbertNation]

Besides, he works so hard. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[playthrough]

Just be honest. Tell her photojournalists are professionals and their job is to capture the most compelling stories, not to tick off names like they're shooting senior yearbook portraits. Sorry, but in XC the most compelling stories will often be the runners at the front, unless the back of the pack is a mud-soaked, limb-tangled mess (would she like a photo of her kid falling?). You're not going to tell the photogs how to do their jobs.

 

[mike311gd]

Just because the mom is a **** doesn't mean the kid should suffer for it. Don't let your personal feelings sway this decision.

Sure, if you run it, she'll think it's because of that conversation. But are you going to lose sleep because of that when you know the real reason it ran (it was the best art)? Just insert the picture, stand up, say, "That's no sweat off my sack" and call it a night.

But really, if the kid didn't do ****, I don't think I'd run it anyway. That picture would have to be ****ing phenomenal.

 

[SF_Express]

It would be just as unprofessional of you to not run the best art to spite her as it would be to run something less than quality to appease her.

Your logic on why he didn't get more attention was fine, and you were right sticking to your guns.

Now you've got a good picture.

He happens to be in it.

That's simply a bonus that should have nothing to do, either way, with your decision.

 

[EmbassyRow]

If it gives you an out, run the photo of the kid as jump art (if the story jumps, that is).

 

[spikechiquet]

Problem solved (sort of):
I am a twice-weekly, that covers 14 schools; nine in our county
The school he goes to has a monthly that is owned by us...so I shipped those pics off to the editor of that paper.
Sure, the mom will be pissed that Johnny didn't get in our paper, but if she calls I can direct her to the editor of the monthly and call it good.

Damn, I'm smooth! LOL

 

[EStreetJoe]

You should have run the good art of the winners in the paper and then run the shot of little Johnny finishing 73rd as a web only photo.

 

[poindexter]

You have a kid who wasn't involved in any scoring at any meet during the year - and you were thinking about running a picture of him.... in the State meet? WTF? Why not a picture of the team manager, or the guy who drove the van to the State meet?

Maybe I am crazy, but if I wanted to see a picture of a kid from a cross country meet, I'd want it to be of someone who actually accomplished something.

As far as the pic of the loser being "good art" - I think that's an oxymoron in cross country... unless the kid was sprouting wings and about to take off flying.

Just my opinion.

 

[spikechiquet]

Poindexter - I'm in your camp...

I see one xc pic, I've seen them all. When I said "best art", I meant one that wasn't an iso of one kid...there were a few runners in the pic (just not from my area), oh, and his eyes were open.

I don't understand how these kids run with their eyes closed for the most part. I like to see where I am running.

 

[Bill Horton]

Have her call me. I'm a cross country parent. I'll have to break it to her:
No one cares.
No one is going to care.
It's a lousy spectator sport.
It's nearly impossible to cover.
No one but the parents come to the meets.
Only three or four kids count in any race, maybe 5-6 if one team is dominant.
My kid was decent in high school. He's much better in college but in high school he didn't merit a story or a pic. AND HE WAS BETTER THAN HER FRIGGIN' SON.
She's turning her son into a little wimp who needs his mommie's protection. My wife never called the newspaper, never even asked why her son wasn't in the paper. She understood.
I'd love to talk to her, CC parent to CC parent.

 

[Bill Horton]

... and you guys are right about the CC pics. My son has been in a newspaper photo three times in two years of college CC and every CC photo is about the same.
Until I see one with a ginormous prehistoric bird about to swoop down on the runner from behind, they'll all look pretty much the same.