What would you do?

[silentbob]

Yeah, putting words in the mouth of a coach, asking the coach "do you want to say she's dehydrated" and telling the coach "I have to have a reason why she didn't play" is the mark of someone with a firm grasp on how to report.
Come on.

And another thing, the situation wasn't complicated. On the contrary, it was actually very simple to report.

Sure must be nice to be someone like Notepad, a reporter who had all the answers from the moment he picked up his first notebook.

 

[schiezainc]

I thought the point of this website was to encourage discussion and help other (sometimes younger) journalists navigate their way through this ****ty world of increased responsibilities/decreased satisfaction and support.

It's one thing to be a prick on the Sports and News thread (especially if the poster doesn't have a clear grasp on the First Amendment) , but when someone comes on here asking allegedly experienced journalists for advice, the first response shouldn't be "You should quit because you're stupid" it should be "Here's some advice....."

But, of course, the people who zap the fun out of this website are the first ones to complain when their services are no longer required by a company that no longer sees a need to help them out.

 

[JakeandElwood]

I'm a young guy who's doing all right so far, but if I ever have a questionable situation, I like that I'll be able to come on here and discuss it with some people who have lots of experience in the field.

There's lots of fun on sports and news and Anything Goes, but this board is what makes sj great.

 

[schiezainc]

I'm a young guy who's doing all right so far, but if I ever have a questionable situation, I like that I'll be able to come on here and discuss it with some people who have lots of experience in the field.

There's lots of fun on sports and news and Anything Goes, but this board is what makes sj great.

I agree, but the sheer amount of assholery on this site makes me wonder how some of these people still have jobs.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Notepad, just how is this not a complicated situation?

I've had several coaches do the exact same thing when asked why Little Johnny or Suzy didn't play. If it's something as complicated as anorexia or any disease and the coach won't or can't say what it is, the best thing is to say the injury or illness was undisclosed.

Stuff like that should never see print, unless the player is open about it, in my humble opinion.

 

[Notepad]

Notepad, just how is this not a complicated situation?

I've had several coaches do the exact same thing when asked why Little Johnny or Suzy didn't play. If it's something as complicated as anorexia or any disease and the coach won't or can't say what it is, the best thing is to say the injury or illness was undisclosed.

Stuff like that should never see print, unless the player is open about it, in my humble opinion.

You just answered your own question.
It isn't complicated at all. You write, "Suzy Sausageswinger didn't play due to an undisclosed illness."

How. ****ing. Hard. Is. That.
Journo101

 

[huntsie]

At the risk of wading in late, we had a situation in a preps cross country meet recently where a 15-year-old girl finished the race, collapsed, was taken to hospital by ambulance. She was dehydrated. Hers was the first of four races on the day and she was back to collect her first place medal.
Asked her and her coach what happened, what they did for her at the hospital, if it had happened before, whether she had a history, that sort of thing.
She asked me to please not make a big deal of it because "we had a lot of runners who did well."
I told her I'd try not to overstate it, but I had to report it, it was a big part of the story. (Her team won three of the four titles).
I think I wrote that
"Podunk High comfortably won three of the four team titles at the blah, blah, blah.
"Perhaps comfortably isn't the right word."
Described the situation, put in a quote and moved on with the rest of the story. Not sure if the kid or the school was happy with the way it was handled, but I felt it both addressed the situation, covered the story and put the event in its proper context.

 

[Ace]

Notepad, just how is this not a complicated situation?

I've had several coaches do the exact same thing when asked why Little Johnny or Suzy didn't play. If it's something as complicated as anorexia or any disease and the coach won't or can't say what it is, the best thing is to say the injury or illness was undisclosed.

Stuff like that should never see print, unless the player is open about it, in my humble opinion.

You just answered your own question.
It isn't complicated at all. You write, "Suzy Sausageswinger didn't play due to an undisclosed illness."

How. ****ing. Hard. Is. That.
Journo101

NP,

It seems to me the issue wasn't reporting that Susie Swatter didn't play, the concern by the reporter was could he have handled it better or done something differently.

And it seems to me an issue is whether this a bigger story. I'd say it very well could be and that's a tough thing for many journalists who are strapped and busy and often don't want a possibly story that's going to be difficult take a lot of time popping up in front of them.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Notepad, it's still a complicated issue no matter how we handle it.

And if you read the entire thread, I was one of a handful who said to just say it was undisclosed.

 

[WriteThinking]

There could potentially be a broader story here -- maybe even a good one. But, serious care needs to be taken not to make assumptions or make this episode out to be more than it may actually be, too.

There is a big difference between a girl "trying to lose weight" and not eating enough, possibly out of inexperience, lack of knowledge, and a desire to watch her weight, and then, perhaps, suffering the consequences one time when she overexerts and overtaxes her body -- and someone who is actually suffering from anorexia nervosa, or exercise addiction.

People who are dieting -- including many adults -- often have done the former, not taking in enough nutrients, calories or liquid for what they're doing, because they're trying to lose a few pounds and just aren't being conscious or careful enough about what they are, or are not ingesting. It's just a mistake, a risk, that people make/take, out of ignorance or in hopes that the benefits will outweigh that risk. Sometimes, they don't even know or think there will be problems.

It is a physical, physiological issue with the body that will arise with anyone, beyond a certain point, and in certain circumstances.

People with anorexia, by contrast, are conscious of every single morsel they do or do not put into their mouths. Contrary to many just trying to lose weight, they know just exactly what they are doing, and their self-image is distorted to an extreme and potentially dangerous degree.

In short, it is primarily a psychological problem, relatively rare, and will not, and does not, happen with everyone who is trying to lose weight.

Big difference.

I would not assume this girl has any kind of eating disorder (unless the coach told rpm something to that effect on an off-the-record basis, which is almost what his "out" and suggestion of "protection" sounds like).

Not without lots more serious, in-depth reporting.

 

[tapintoamerica]

If the event is important enough to be covered, then an issue like this -- a player requiring medical attention in full view of spectators -- is important enough to pursue. You describe what you saw. If the coaches don't want to talk about it, that's their right. (And in these days of HIPPA and other cumbersome laws, they're probably terrified to talk.) But you do have to ask as many credible people as time allows.

 

[Mark2010]

Wow.

I guess it depends what info you have, when you have it and how confident you are in your sources. If the girl was in bad enough condition to be hospitalized,yeah, it's pretty serious. Which is more important, a player's life and health or the outcome of a game?

I had a situation years ago where a star player was arrested for petty theft before a playoff game. Missed the game while in jail and the team lost. Got a statement from the police and we printed it.

Had another situation where a star player (D-I scholarship) was kicked off the softball team the night before state tournament for boozing. Parents begged me not to report it, I told them I HAD to report it. That's part of a journalists' job. We cover people and events. Not just scores and highlights.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Sometimes you cover someone who skipped lunch. Make damn sure it's bigger than that before you suggest it is.