"I" in game reports

[Point of Order]

This reminds me of a story relayed to me by a former co-worker:

Our mutual acquaintance was sitting at his desk with this pained & contorted look on his face as he mulled over his computer screen and keyboard. This guy, who was really quirky and odd duck to begin with. He looked so lost and pitiful that my friend just had to check on him, "Bill, what's wrong, man?"

Bill said, "I'm trying to write a story without the letter 'i' in it because the 'i' button came off my keyboard."

True story. (Note: This guy worked for a TV station but they did some original web content.)

 

[Ace]

I-yi-yi!

 

[alleyallen]

If it's all about the effect ... being able to paint a scene rich in color and emotion, especially if it suits the story ... that's one thing. But there are so many ways to do that without inserting yourself into it.

People assume you were there if you're describing it. You don't have to confirm that fact for them.

 

[Write-brained]

If it's all about the effect ... being able to paint a scene rich in color and emotion, especially if it suits the story ... that's one thing. But there are so many ways to do that without inserting yourself into it.

People assume you were there if you're describing it. You don't have to confirm that fact for them.

Unless you're Rick Bragg ... then we assume your subordinate was there ...

 

[alleyallen]

This reminds me of a story relayed to me by a former co-worker:

Our mutual acquaintance was sitting at his desk with this pained & contorted look on his face as he mulled over his computer screen and keyboard. This guy, who was really quirky and odd duck to begin with. He looked so lost and pitiful that my friend just had to check on him, "Bill, what's wrong, man?"

Bill said, "I'm trying to write a story without the letter 'i' in it because the 'i' button came off my keyboard."

True story. (Note: This guy worked for a TV station but they did some original web content.)

Kind of like that episode of the Simpsons where Mr. Burns tells Lenny he can keep his job if he can explain why without using the letter E.

"I am a hard, uh, work guy. .... But I didn't say--"

"You will."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (falls into a pit)."

 

[Ace]

What good are peons if not to soak in color and emotion so I don't have to?

 

[alleyallen]

If it's all about the effect ... being able to paint a scene rich in color and emotion, especially if it suits the story ... that's one thing. But there are so many ways to do that without inserting yourself into it.

People assume you were there if you're describing it. You don't have to confirm that fact for them.

Unless you're Rick Bragg ... then we assume your subordinate was there ...

Or Mitch Albom.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Honest to God, I've covered hundreds of games over the years, and I've never heard a team or its fans collectively exhale. I'd like to be there when it finally does happen, though. That would be like a hurricane!

I think the original poster's idea has been slapped down pretty hard by other people, and I'm in the majority. But I'm wondering if we don't like it because we've never seen it done well. (I don't count Hunter S. Thompson. He wasn't writing for the next day. And I think the example posted here was not a very good one.)

Just because it hasn't been done well means it can't be done well. I don't think I want it to become a trend, but I don't want to rule it out, either. (I don't know if they still do this, but I thought it was interesting when the Globe and Mail would have a little box that would rate games, like movies.) We seem to do a lot of things in the newspaper biz just because they've always been done that way.

A mentor once told me to cover a game, or an event, as if I was seated in the last row, or the rafters, and I could describe the scene to my readers. I've never done that in first person. But I don't want to say I'd never do it, know what I mean? A game story has a fairly significant amount of subjective review in it already. When will someone cross the line, successfully?

I get where you're coming from, but I really wonder if there IS such a thing as an appropriate first-person gamer. Interjecting self into the story changes its very nature.

As far as crossing the line, I think that's where you see the BLOGS! exert their influence. People there can and do write "gamers", or a variation thereof, which contain more Is than a psychotic opthamologist's freezer. It might well be accepted in some cases, particularly if it's a known voice doing the writing (Mitch, anyone?). But if the writer is so important to the story that it requires their presence via pronoun, the article has invariably shifted form. It's not a gamer, it's either a column or a eyewitness perspective story or an "experience" story (think prospect diaries).

 

[shotglass]

Buck, I don't have any problem with him putting the link up there either. We were dogging him for examples; he presented it. And he was right (outside of playing devil's advocate for it).

Just because it hasn't been done well means it can't be done well. I don't think I want it to become a trend, but I don't want to rule it out, either. (I don't know if they still do this, but I thought it was interesting when the Globe and Mail would have a little box that would rate games, like movies.) We seem to do a lot of things in the newspaper biz just because they've always been done that way.

A mentor once told me to cover a game, or an event, as if I was seated in the last row, or the rafters, and I could describe the scene to my readers. I've never done that in first person. But I don't want to say I'd never do it, know what I mean? A game story has a fairly significant amount of subjective review in it already. When will someone cross the line, successfully?

Ike, when I was 20, I was told not to do some things because "we always did it this way." Some of those were just plain wrong. And some of those actually were based in good reasoning, but the person was too lazy to explain that good reasoning and just gave the easy, shut-'em-up answer.

The use of first person is NEVER going to be effective use in a hard news story (and, yes, a gamer counts under that definition) for the simple fact that the journalist is an observer, not a participant, in said story. We're supposed to be like the good home-plate umpire ... we're doing our best job when you don't notice the writer.

Obviously, that's not the case for columns and/or analyses. But for hard news, yes. First person is a no-go.

 

[NoTalentAndFatToo]

I don't know....I did write this report earlier in my career...

What do you think?

Fumblebuck Secondary edged Diddler High 31-28 in regional high school football action yesterday.

The game was not without controversy. Fumblebuck kicked the winning field goal after a bizarre play involving this reporter.

Late in the fourth quarter Diddler’s Bobby-Billy Slackjaw took a Fumblebuck punt and sprinted 65 yards down the sideline. He was on his way to the score, when I stuck my foot out tripping Slackjaw and causing him to fumble. Fumblebuck’s Teddy Tedinson Jr recovered the loose ball.

Three plays later the home side moved into field goal range. After the game, head coach John Johnson gave this reporter the game ball. It was a proud moment for me, especially coming at my Alma matter, where, as you may recall, I scored the winning touchdown during our great run to state in ’86.

 

[shotglass]

Some of you don't know this, but NoTalent once scored three touchdowns in the city final for Polk High.

 

[Ace]

Some of you don't know this, but NoTalent once scored three touchdowns in the city final for Polk High.

He's now in the retail footwear business.

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

I think you're projecting a bit

If you don't want to be called a "****ing moron," don't act like one.

Maybe you enjoy taking indefensible positions. Perhaps you're preparing for a starring role on the local debate team. I don't know. But if you come on here advocating one of the most unprofessional journalistic styles imaginable, expect to be ripped to shreds.

If you want to write a gamer, write a gamer. If you want to write a column, write a column. But don't try to mash the two together and pawn it off as cutting edge journalism.