Injecting opinions in straight news stories

[DemoChristian]

This A.P. story on American Idol...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/13/american.idol.ap/index.html

...includes the graph, "The standouts were Carly Smithson ('Come Together'), Brooke White ('Let It Be'), David Cook ('Eleanor Rigby') and Chikezie ('She's A Woman')."

Also, "David Archuleta, whose cover of Lennon's 'Imagine' drew heaps of praise two weeks ago, showed that he's merely mortal when he flubbed the lyrics to 'We Can Work It Out.'"

Now, I realize this is an article about a TV show, but am I the only one who hates to see reporters just randomly throw in their opinions like that? Couldn't they have played it straighter by saying that those four earned rave reviews while Archuleta forgot the lyrics one week after earning praise for "Imagine?"

Look beyond the subject matter and tell me, do you agree that this type of writing is a problem?

 

[MartinEnigmatica]

Well, it's not as if the writer said Archuleta was horrible, with no explanation. As for the 'standouts' graf, the writer could have illustrated why a little better - like you said, if all three judges were in agreement, and gave positive reviews...thus, they were standouts.

I'm not sure there's too much I can complain about, considering there's a fair share of sportswriting that does exactly what you excerpted above. There are plenty of game stories that get written with grafs like this:

"David Archuleta, whose two-hit shutout drew heaps of praise two weeks ago, showed that he's merely mortal when he gave up five runs in five innings last night in a 7-3 loss."

 

[DemoChristian]

I agree we're guilty of it. I have done it as well, but I'm trying real hard to be the good shepherd (/pulpfiction), and it just really struck me when I read those paragrahs.

 

[The Granny]

Has it come to this? We're considering anything related to American Idol as "straight" and "news."

 

[Write-brained]

I have no problem with this. I think it works because of the subject matter. Plus, it's not pure opinion. The reporter (ideally) is not an idiot. They can see and hear the judges' and audience reactions and get reaction backstage to figure out who the front runners are.

If the reporter said Carly was the best of the night - I would have a problem with that. But s/he didn't and I'm glad the reporter cut through all the bull**** for me.


You see this in sports and news all the time. Game stories, like ME was saying, and meetings and political functions.

The reporter can be and should be honest without being biased.

 

[PHINJ]

Is it OK to say LeBron James dominated a game in a gamer when he scores 45 and pulls down 15 rebounds?

 

[DougDascenzo]

Has it come to this? We're considering anything related to American Idol as "straight" and "news."

A-freaking-men.

Impossible to look beyond the subject matter here, Demo. Serious journalism questions can be raised about serious journalism. American Idol recaps simply don't qualify.

 

[Stitch]

Is it OK to say LeBron James dominated a game in a gamer when he scores 45 and pulls down 15 rebounds?

Yes, but also put some tidbits of what he did besides stats to tell the reader that.

 

[spnited]

On Oct. 9. 1956 (that's nearly 52 years ago for the mathematically challenged among us), the following lede appreaed in the New York Daily News:

"The imperfect man pitched a perfect game."

It is considered one of the cleanest, simplest ledes ever written.
It appeared under the byline of Joe Trimble, although it is common knowledge that the words came from **** Young.

And it expresses the opinion that Don Larsen was "the imperfect man."

You youngsters worry way too much about this. Like it or not, ever story you write - gamer, feature, column -- is a reflection of your opinion of what happened.
It is, in fact, your job.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Was **** Young blacklisted or something? Why not his byline?

 

[spnited]

Here's how the story goes, Dools:

Trimble was writing the gamer. Was totally overwhelmed by the moment. Couldn't write what he thought was a worthy lede. Young -- the columnist -- sat down at rimble's typewriter, typed in that lede and said: There. Now write the story.

 

[PHINJ]

Well said spnited.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

On Oct. 9. 1956 (that's nearly 52 years ago for the mathematically challenged among us), the following lede appreaed in the New York Daily News:

"The imperfect man pitched a perfect game."

It is considered one of the cleanest, simplest ledes ever written.
It appeared under the byline of Joe Trimble, although it is common knowledge that the words came from **** Young.

And it expresses the opinion that Don Larsen was "the imperfect man."

You youngsters worry way too much about this. Like it or not, ever story you write - gamer, feature, column -- is a reflection of your opinion of what happened.
It is, in fact, your job.

You must insert the expertise you have (ostensibly) into the gamers. Each paper needs to individualize itself as much as possible.

 

[DemoChristian]

On Oct. 9. 1956 (that's nearly 52 years ago for the mathematically challenged among us), the following lede appreaed in the New York Daily News:

"The imperfect man pitched a perfect game."

It is considered one of the cleanest, simplest ledes ever written.
It appeared under the byline of Joe Trimble, although it is common knowledge that the words came from **** Young.

And it expresses the opinion that Don Larsen was "the imperfect man."

You youngsters worry way too much about this. Like it or not, ever story you write - gamer, feature, column -- is a reflection of your opinion of what happened.
It is, in fact, your job.

I think using our opinions in news is part of the reason the public distrusts and dislikes us.
A column is one thing. A feature is special. You can even get away with a harmless opinion in a lead.
But if you are letting your opinions affect what you write as "news," I strongly disagree that you are doing "your job."

 

[DemoChristian]

Has it come to this? We're considering anything related to American Idol as "straight" and "news."

You missed the last sentence of the first post, apparently.
I was just using this because it was the example I had available last night, but it seems to happen more and more on what should be serious news stories.

 

[forever_town]

Sorry spnited, but what you write sounds suspiciously like editorializing.

I'm of the school of thought that says get someone to say it on the record.

You don't completely eliminate your opinion from a piece, but you also don't blatantly put your opinion in a news story.

 

[spnited]

Not sure what you mean, forever. What is "blatantly putting youor opinion in a news story?"

Whatever angle you take to any story is by nature a reflection of yoouir opinion unless you do nothing but straihgt play-by-play

 

[DemoChristian]

Not sure what you mean, forever. What is "blatantly putting youor opinion in a news story?"

Whatever angle you take to any story is by nature a reflection of yoouir opinion unless you do nothing but straihgt play-by-play

Blatant editorializing: "The standouts were..."
Playing it more fair: "Earning praise from the judges were..."

There is a difference.

 

[SF_Express]

Fellow hacks and hack editors:

I have been advocating opinion in game stories for, oh, almost 30 years now. If it makes you more comfortable, call it "analysis."

I believe I was right then. And I have gotten in some (really fun) knockdown, dragout arguments about this with people I greatly respect but who absolutely didn't agree (Paul Anger and I had a great one in Atlanta once, turning heads in a really nice restaurant).

But even if you think I have been wrong, anybody who argues that I'm wrong now is simply insane. And if you're young and trying to adhere to those old standards of "no opinion in game stories," you need to get off that horse as soon as possible. And, of course, editors holding onto that and making their writers write it straight have to do the same.

With the information age in the state it's in, anybody who limits a gamer to a "just the facts, ma'am" accounting of what happened in the game hasn't been paying attention.

Media outlets MUST differentiate themselves from every other media outlet. And the only way to do that is to allow your expert to explain not only what happened, but how and why. And that requires opinion.

And no, it is NOT (again, my opinion) enough to let coaches and players or whatever voice that opinion. Those quotes can be found anywhere, too. Your writer is supposed to be an expert. He or she should show that at every turn and give readers something they can get nowhere but your publication or website or whatever.

Like I said, I thought this to be true in 1981. But I can't understand anybody who doesn't see that it's true now.

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

Don't we all editorialize in a way when we put a spin on the gamers we write? The most important part of the game to you might not be the most important part of the game to the coach or players. But in that, you also balance it out by getting quotes supporting their sides.