Stringing for semi-competing newspapers

[BertoltBrecht]

I've accepted an assignment to cover a few baseball games for a sister paper and a paper about 50 miles away from the sister paper.

Signing the standard freelance agreement, I was wondering how best to handle this. Should I give the same story, two semi-different stories — with different ledes — or two totally different stories with none of the same quotes.

I'm leaning toward the two different ledes.

 

[lono]

Do you want to keep both gigs?

The more you differentiate the stories, the more likely you are to keep them both in the future.

 

[slappy4428]

Two semi-different stories -- byline one, no byline on the other.
You're the one who got into this -- ask yourself what happens if neither one is happy with what you did for the other and felt they should be exclusive.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

It's kind of a freak gig. But sending the same story seems ethically wrong — though, if someone from another paper asked to use my story, I don't think I'd have a problem with it.

 

[lono]

sending the same story seems ethically wrong

Only because it is wrong.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

One saving grace may be they are slightly different assignments. One is two straight gamers — the other is two online updates and a long wrap of the series.

But I get what you're saying slappy — though I don't think they won't mind for a fringe playoff game — it's probably best to avoid situations like this in the future.

 

[zebracoy]

Very difficult to do well, and, in my opinion, you're shortchanging the first paper.

Avoid at all costs.

 

[Dan Hickling]

Better to sacrifice the extra $$ and recruit a competent stand in for the second gig...

 

[editorhoo]

I have a guy who writes for me part-time who is an editor of a twice-a-week paper in a town 15 miles away. If he covers the same event for me, he writes a similiar, but different story for his edition.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

I've accepted an assignment to cover a few baseball games for a sister paper and a paper about 50 miles away from the sister paper.

Signing the standard freelance agreement, I was wondering how best to handle this. Should I give the same story, two semi-different stories ? with different ledes ? or two totally different stories with none of the same quotes.

I'm leaning toward the two different ledes.

Two totally different stories. No other choice.

 

[forever_town]

One piece of advice: DON'T string for two competing papers. If you're found out and you're not up front about what you're doing, you'll end up with no gig.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

One piece of advice: DON'T string for two competing papers. If you're found out and you're not up front about what you're doing, you'll end up with no gig.

I accidently let it slip, second gig didn't balk — I think they just want something in. I'll avoid the situation in the future.

 

[lono]

The big thing is disclosure up front - make sure everyone knows what you're doing and get it in writing, at least in an e-mail.

You just don't want to surprise your editors.

 

[slappy4428]

One saving grace may be they are slightly different assignments. One is two straight gamers — the other is two online updates and a long wrap of the series.

But I get what you're saying slappy — though I don't think they won't mind for a fringe playoff game — it's probably best to avoid situations like this in the future.

It's the people in the middle who will see both and say WTF

 

[Stitch]

Just syndicate yourself and problem solved.

 

[Notepad]

If you have to ask...

 

[BertoltBrecht]

If you have to ask...

Yeah I know Notepad, rule No. 1 in journalism.

 

[mustangj17]

One piece of advice: DON'T string for two competing papers. If you're found out and you're not up front about what you're doing, you'll end up with no gig.

If you can do it well why not? You're probably a contract worker, you can do whatever you want. If they get mad about you working for two newspapers then tell them to pony up and put you on the actual payroll. As long as you aren't awful, they aren't going to cut you and try to find someone else, it is just too hard.

 

[forever_town]

As long as you aren't awful, they aren't going to cut you and try to find someone else, it is just too hard.

That's what YOU think. Especially with the way most newspapers are run...

And the reason you don't do that is because it's dishonest. Unless you're up front with the fact that you're stringing for more than one pub, a newspaper that assigns you to cover a game has a reasonable expectation that you're not whoring out your coverage of that game to another outlet. A lot of times, that's expressly written into your freelance writing contract.

 

[mustangj17]

As long as you aren't awful, they aren't going to cut you and try to find someone else, it is just too hard.

That's what YOU think. Especially with the way most newspapers are run...

And the reason you don't do that is because it's dishonest. Unless you're up front with the fact that you're stringing for more than one pub, a newspaper that assigns you to cover a game has a reasonable expectation that you're not whoring out your coverage of that game to another outlet. A lot of times, that's expressly written into your freelance writing contract.

In the few freelance gigs, I've had, nothing like that has been written. But I understand where you are coming from. I guess let them know up front. And make them as different as you can. I'm sure it will work out. If there are actually people out there that read both newspapers then thats good, you might actually have a job for a while.