Relationships while covering recruiting

[Bucknutty]

I've been pondering this.

My stupid job makes me cover high school recruiting, a fact I have lamented on the board before. As we're getting closer to the time where kids are making announcements and narrowing the list of reporters they are talking to, I often find myself on the outside looking in as few answer my phone calls.

I was attending a ceremony a few weeks ago for a kid who is playing in the U.S. Army All-American game. Great kid, honest and genuine and all that jazz. In his speech, he thanked a bunch of writers for their support -- all my competitors, basically. He also mentioned one in particular (a hack who does nothing but recruiting coverage) and thanked him for "believing in him" for so many years. In another case, a reporter broke a story about a kid committing because he called him on his cell phone at school.

Here's my thoughts: As a reporter, I'm not supposed to be "believing" in kids and encouraging them on to success. I'm supposed to be unbiased and just report what I know. I'm certainly not supposed to be promoting these kids (although I realize that simply by writing about them, I am).

Also, I'm never going to call a kid while he's supposed to be in school to try and get the scoop. That's just a line I don't feel like I want to cross.

Should I be breaking these ethical lines to be breaking more news? My gut tells me no.

 

[Ace]

I've been pondering this.

My stupid job makes me cover high school recruiting, a fact I have lamented on the board before. As we're getting closer to the time where kids are making announcements and narrowing the list of reporters they are talking to, I often find myself on the outside looking in as few answer my phone calls.

I was attending a ceremony a few weeks ago for a kid who is playing in the U.S. Army All-American game. Great kid, honest and genuine and all that jazz. In his speech, he thanked a bunch of writers for their support -- all my competitors, basically. He also mentioned one in particular (a hack who does nothing but recruiting coverage) and thanked him for "believing in him" for so many years. In another case, a reporter broke a story about a kid committing because he called him on his cell phone at school.

Here's my thoughts: As a reporter, I'm not supposed to be "believing" in kids and encouraging them on to success. I'm supposed to be unbiased and just report what I know. I'm certainly not supposed to be promoting these kids (although I realize that simply by writing about them, I am).

Also, I'm never going to call a kid while he's supposed to be in school to try and get the scoop. That's just a line I don't feel like I want to cross.

Should I be breaking these ethical lines to be breaking more news? My gut tells me no.

If you were smart, you'd be taking the payola your competitors are getting from the scuzzy coaches to steer the kids their way.

I think you are right to feel if your subjects are thanking you for your support, nine times out of 10, you've crossed the line.

 

[DanOregon]

I don't know. I wrote an article about a basketball player, a prep of the week profile. He came up later that Spring to thank me and shook my hand for saying it helped him get into Columbia University. Still in my top 5 of the best things that have happened to me in journalism.

 

[GB-Hack]

I got a thank you note from a couple of players of the year in the past, and also had a player send a letter to my editor saying she thought I and the paper had done a great job covering her sport in her four years at school.

One of the notes is still in HS, the other two are both playing at major school's in their sport. I thought it was nice of them to do, and don't think my coverage had anything to do with the school's they got and will get to go to.

 

[Bucknutty]

Right, I think things like that are OK and I appreciate them, but I'm not sure I want to be the writer who is writing things like "So-and-so is an amazing prospect who will have a great career at Big School U." in my articles. I'll write "Johnny had 300 tackles as a sophomore and is being penciled in as the starter in three years," and if they want to thank me for that they can, but that's just me doing my job. To me, there's a difference between the two.

 

[tonysoprano]

Don't worry about what Johnny Douchebag Superstar says. Your job is to find out where he's going. If that means calling him at school, e-mailing him on MySpace, or calling his mom at work, so be it.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Recruiting writers are crossing ethical lines!?! I'm shocked! [/sarcasm]

Said it before, I'll say it again: At some point, a recruiting writer is going to be in the center of an NCAA investigation. Too many times, they are nothing but de facto recruiters for whichever school they cover.

 

[JLawson]

My feeling is if the kid is good you're going to write about him at some point. If a recruiter happens to read your article about a kid who rushed for 200 yards in a game and had 15 tackles playing linebacker in the same game, than that is just coincidence. You're not here to help kids get recruited, that's their job by playing on the field. But I did have a parent use my articles about his kid in a recruiting video. I didn't see anything wrong with it because that same kid had bad games that I wrote about too.
As for relationships with players and coaches, I think that if you talk to these kids and coaches on a daily basis you're going to get a relationship with them regardless and they may confide in you for stories like this.

 

[crusoes]

College coaches don't care **** about what's in the paper. If the kids have the goods on tape, then he's in. If not ...

 

[Hammer Pants]

Recruiting writers are crossing ethical lines!?! I'm shocked! [/sarcasm]

Said it before, I'll say it again: At some point, a recruiting writer is going to be in the center of an NCAA investigation. Too many times, they are nothing but de facto recruiters for whichever school they cover.

Bingo. It's coming somewhere ... and hopefully soon. Some of those ****-o homers cross the line.

 

[outofplace]

You are right to feel that way, bucknutty. I'm right there with you. At one of my previous stops, there was a big-time preps writer at one of the competing papers. He'd been doing the job a long time and was very good at it.

But every time I saw him hugging one of the big-time recruits in the area, it made me uncomfortable to watch somebody I had some respect for crossing lines that I would never cross.

 

[Cadet]

Bucknutty, I would never call a kid on a cell phone during school hours. To me that's off-limits, unless you're covering the likes of LeBron James, which I don't think you are. Heck, I'm generally uncomfortable calling high school kids on their cell phones; I'd rather call the house, let a parent answer, identify myself, then ask for Jimmy Superstud. Or catch them before/after practice. I realize that's a little idealistic, but I think you're right on this one.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Two things:
1) Obsessive, incessant recruiting coverage to the point of stalking HS kids? Life's too short for that.
2) People who want/crave recruiting news don't go to newspapers anymore. They don't want perspective or context; they want to read that their favorite team is having another bang-up year in the player-procurement department. Therefore, they turn to college-specific fan sites on the Rivals or Scout networks. These sites cover almost nothing but recruiting.
Let us all congratulate these sites on staking out their ethically specious turf. They can have it.


It's not our niche. It can't be. In an era of staff reductions, something must be reduced, and this is it. Why? In part because ethically challenged Web sites satisfy the fans' lust for anything alleged to be news. Along the way, they become -- as others have pointed out -- de facto recruiters for the schools they purport to cover.

 

[TheHacker]

What was really interesting to me was covering a kid who truly didn't care for all of the attention that came along with being a big-time recruit. A couple years ago I had a kid in my area who got recruited by a bunch of top-tier football programs. He was fine if you talked to him about anything other than recruiting. As soon as you asked him about recruiting, you could see him get uncomfortable. And this is a kid I covered for three years, so it's not like he didn't know me.

He eventually stopped talking to reporters he didn't know. Wouldn't take calls from the recruiting sites. When he finally made his announcement, he talked about being relieved that the process was over. I actually felt bad for him because the kid just wanted to play ball and pick out a college and not be the subject of internet rumors.

 

[write then drink]

What was really interesting to me was covering a kid who truly didn't care for all of the attention that came along with being a big-time recruit. A couple years ago I had a kid in my area who got recruited by a bunch of top-tier football programs. He was fine if you talked to him about anything other than recruiting. As soon as you asked him about recruiting, you could see him get uncomfortable. And this is a kid I covered for three years, so it's not like he didn't know me.

He eventually stopped talking to reporters he didn't know. Wouldn't take calls from the recruiting sites. When he finally made his announcement, he talked about being relieved that the process was over. I actually felt bad for him because the kid just wanted to play ball and pick out a college and not be the subject of internet rumors.

I would guess most kids fall into this category.

 

[Bucknutty]

Bucknutty, I would never call a kid on a cell phone during school hours. To me that's off-limits, unless you're covering the likes of LeBron James, which I don't think you are. Heck, I'm generally uncomfortable calling high school kids on their cell phones; I'd rather call the house, let a parent answer, identify myself, then ask for Jimmy Superstud. Or catch them before/after practice. I realize that's a little idealistic, but I think you're right on this one.

I'm OK with calling kids on their cell phones. I've come to accept that as part of the job. But calling a kid during school hours, or texting him in general? I'm not his best friend, I'm a reporter.

As to the earlier comment about some recruiting reporter eventually bringing a program down...it truly is only a matter of time. Our primary competitor makes me sick -- their reporters hugging people on the sidelines and writing about how great kids are and what spectacular prospects they are.

Ugh.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I occasionally call high-school kids on their cellphones for recruiting stories, but ONLY when said kid is supposedly zeroed in on the school I cover as one of his final 2-3 choices.

Even then, I hate doing it.

 

[Dale Cooper]

I used to work in newspapers. Now, I work for a web site. I do not covering recruiting at all, but my site does.

Here's what it comes down to, in my view: If you consider yourself a journalist and aspire to be ethical, you just have to let it go, as far as recruiting is concerned. Accept that you can't compete on the recruiting trail and do your best to kick ass on the topics within your control.

 

[sporting_guista]

College coaches don't care **** about what's in the paper. If the kids have the goods on tape, then he's in. If not ...

Amen brother; Buck--park your ego at the curb. You're doing nothing to get this kid into a school. It's your job to find out where he's going. Call his house, call his dad at work, do it the right way. Don't call the kid's Sidekick in Algebra class; just ain't kosher.

 

[Cansportschick]

Bucknutty, the way I look at this issue is that if you write a favorable story, you'll get kudos from the people you interviewed/talked about in the story. However, if it wasn't a favourable one, then you probably won't be on their Christmas card list.

However, the one thing you should never do is compromise your ethical values.
It's one thing to treat the person you are interviewing with respect; however, it doesn't mean that you are going to write a positive story. You are writing/reporting things as they are.

When I interview kids (just did 12 basketball interviews with kids), I ask them the questions I need to ask. I do at the end of the conversation wish them the best of luck.

However, I have never had a student athlete call me when they are supposed to be in class.