Unhappy preps

[BertoltBrecht]

What have you guys done when the inevitable unhappy high school athlete approaches you about the lack of their sport (name and picture) in the paper?
Do you have to explain to every one of them news value and such? Or do you just walk away?

 

[Tom Petty]

What have you guys done when the inevitable unhappy high school athlete approaches you about the lack of their sport (name and picture) in the paper?
Do you have to explain to every one of them news value and such? Or do you just walk away?

"don't make me cut you, *****."

works wonders.

 

[boots]

It depends on how the person confronts me. If they are being an ass, then I shoot an asshole type of response. If its genuine, then they get a genuine answer.
I personally have always hated parents. I had one actually tell me that it was wrong for me to focus on the team winning and not their son, who started the game but got rocked and was taken out.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

Is it OK for me to be an ass back at them? Or is that unprofessional?

 

[Tom Petty]

Is it OK for me to be an ass back at them? Or is that unprofessional?

tell them you're going to "cut" them with a high level of professionalism.

 

[boots]

You can effectively get your point across in a professional manner. First off, yor are not paid to take abuse. If they are abusing you and use the line "I'll tell your editor." Invite them to do so and insist that they do it with you present. That way the whole story is told at one time and not in bits and pieces.

 

[expendable]

What boots said.


But keep that box cutter in arm's reach. ;D

 

[MartinEnigmatica]

I just get uneasy whenever friends or semi-frequent acquaintances will try to use that relationship to suggest stories. Like, "Hey, me and my friends like to play Manhunt every weekend. We have a couple set teams, and even have shirts! That'd make a good story."
So maybe that's an extreme example, but still. Manhunt? Not so much.

 

[moonlight]

I try to be very calm and polite about it. But if they turn into flaming dickheads, I walk.

If they're calm enough to discuss it, I kindly remind them that newspapers are in the business of reporting news, but also of making money (or at least trying to). That's why we put so much time and emphasis into football and basketball. That's the stuff people buy our papers for. Sure, an occasional swimming article would be nice, but nobody -- other than a dozen or so parents -- will be forking over 50 cents to buy the paper when an article about their kid's swim meet is in it.

When advertisers pony up for the annual swimming tab, we all could think about doing one. When 3,000 people show up for a swim meet, we all could think about covering one.

Just my two cents.

 

[EStreetJoe]

Just be polite and honest saying something to the effect of - we'd like to cover more events and your sport but we don't have the manpower to do it.

 

[Tom Petty]

I try to be very calm and polite about it. But if they turn into flaming dickheads, I walk.

If they're calm enough to discuss it, I kindly remind them that newspapers are in the business of reporting news, but also of making money (or at least trying to). That's why we put so much time and emphasis into football and basketball. That's the stuff people buy our papers for. Sure, an occasional swimming article would be nice, but nobody -- other than a dozen or so parents -- will be forking over 50 cents to buy the paper when an article about their kid's swim meet is in it.

When advertisers pony up for the annual swimming tab, we all could think about doing one. When 3,000 people show up for a swim meet, we all could think about covering one.

Just my two cents.

damn you and your logic moonlight.

you're lucky we don't give swimming parents box cutters.

 

[HackyMcHack]

But then you get into the type of things stated on another thread by Brain, where whiny mommy goes to the higher-up, and the higher-up sides with her. Happens all the time at community papers...

 

[moonlight]

But then you get into the type of things stated on another thread by Brain, where whiny mommy goes to the higher-up, and the higher-up sides with her. Happens all the time at community papers...

The last time that happened at my paper, our ME handed down an assignment to cover a cheerleading tournament.
Lesson: When a cheerleading parent calls, don't say "Cheerleading is not a sport. And if you'd like to argue that, I'll transfer you to my managing editor."

 

[moonlight]

damn you and your logic moonlight.

you're lucky we don't give swimming parents box cutters.

Hey, if there's a demographic to get into scraps with, I'd choose the swimming parents.

 

[Taylee]

Had a cheerleading mom call up and want a brief to run in the sports section about a finish at a weekend pom-pom festival or something. Told her to send it and I would see that it got in the paper (notice the ambiguity). She demanded it be in sports. No, cheerleading isn't a sport, I told her. She said it was because Nike made shoes for it (no kidding). Best line I've come up with is: If there were no sports, there would be no cheerleading. Any sport could survive as the only sport, even gymnastics. But cheerleading couldn't. That's why it goes anyplace other than sports.
At her request, transferred her to EE. Ten seconds into conversation, he said. "We'll get it in news. Cheerleading isn't a sport." Click.

 

[Ace]

These people are readers. You need to treat them with respect. If you were buying something from a store, would you want the clerk to tell you to **** off?

It's pretty rare that a high school athlete would seriously ask why their team or sport isn't covered more.

If they are serious you may explain the problems (they had a swim meet on a night you covered four basketball playoffs, for example).

Or the level of interest -- we just can't cover every soccer game but if you can talk to the coach and make sure we get a call or email, we can make sure to have a writeup in the paper.

Ask if there is anything going on with the team that would make a good story. Explain what that might be -- record-setting athletes, angles like milestone victories, winning while coach is in the hospital, etc., etc.

Make them thing of their team/sport in terms of stories rather than just getting covered for the sake of generic coverage.

You might find a story. You might enlighten a student and have a reader down the road.

Of course, if it is someone just being a jackass, you could always say you are waiting for them to win a game before you cover them.

 

[expendable]

Had a cheerleading mom call up and want a brief to run in the sports section about a finish at a weekend pom-pom festival or something. Told her to send it and I would see that it got in the paper (notice the ambiguity). She demanded it be in sports. No, cheerleading isn't a sport, I told her. She said it was because Nike made shoes for it (no kidding). Best line I've come up with is: If there were no sports, there would be no cheerleading. Any sport could survive as the only sport, even gymnastics. But cheerleading couldn't. That's why it goes anyplace other than sports.
At her request, transferred her to EE. Ten seconds into conversation, he said. "We'll get it in news. Cheerleading isn't a sport." Click.

I've had parents tell me that it's a sport because it's on ESPN. I guess I'll be running poker tournament agate any day now. :

 

[Walter_Sobchak]

What Ace said.

I have not once experienced a high school athlete complain about lack of coverage. Not once.

Coaches and parents, well, that's a different story.

 

[expendable]

What Ace said.

I have not once experienced a high school athlete complain about lack of coverage. Not once.

Coaches and parents, well, that's a different story.

I once had a football player ask why we only ran pictures of the offense.

It was actually a really good question.

 

[Taylee]

What Ace said.

I have not once experienced a high school athlete complain about lack of coverage. Not once.

Coaches and parents, well, that's a different story.

I once had a football player ask why we only ran pictures of the offense.

It was actually a really good question.

With an easy answer. Tell the photogs to shoot the defense too. Or in the case of one photog at our place, I said to shoot the OTHER team's offense. That gave me plenty of good shots of the defense.