Writing the lede before the event

[ADifferentOkie]

http://www.slate.com/id/2164819/

"Why have a debate? AP has already written its lede: It's 3:15. The big South Carolina Democratic debate starts in 45 minutes. But you don't have to actually watch it. AP's Nedra Pickler has already filed her story, in the past tense.

Democratic presidential candidates largely stood together Thursday in support of a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and then sought to separate themselves on the details in the first primary debate of the 2008 race.

Now that's reporting! ... The depressing thing is the debate is so predictable she probably got it right. ... "

How do we feel about this -- writing, and apparently making available, at least a lede if not a story before the event happens.
I mean, isn't this dwarf territory, or is there a difference here that I don't see?

 

[RokSki]

isn't this dwarf territory

IMO, yes it is.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I see nothing wrong with writing this, the mistake is sending this to customers. As long as you go to the event and update, nothing wrong with being prepared.

 

[slappy4428]

Did she look around the venue, standing next to former candidates who vowed they'd be there for support, and see hundreds of supporters clad in Green and White?

 

[Moland Spring]

This is AP we're talking about. Isn't it possible she had to send an early to her subscribers before the debate? Doesn't AP have funny deadlines anyway?
I mean, I would never lede a game story with "Jim Jones had 25 points to lead the Grills to a 90-80 win" but AP does it every time with its early stories....
Same thing?

 

[ADifferentOkie]

I agree that sending it out before the event is the real problem. How can you make a story available before the event happens?
How did the writer know the debate wouldn't be canceled? Or a sniper didn't show up? Or Obama and Hillary didn't have sex right there on the stage?
You can't report the news before it happens.

 

[Moland Spring]

Isn't every State of the Union story written beforehand because copies are made available to ease reporters on deadline? Isn't it possible the talking points were given to this reporter... It seems this kind of reporting is different.
(Disclaimer: Writing the lede before the story is bad. But I'm trying to understand this situation)

 

[ADifferentOkie]

But a State of the Union is different than a debate, because it is scripted. A debate is not.
Even writing the SotU lede early is bad, but at least you have about a 99 percent chance of getting it right.
You have no idea what's going to happen in a debate.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I've written most of a lede before I go to games if I feel it's going to be a blowout. I just never PUSBLISH it until after the event.

Woops!

 

[cranberry]

Democratic presidential candidates largely stood together Thursday in support of a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and then sought to separate themselves on the details in the first primary debate of the 2008 race.

Obviously AP needs to send out an early lede as a place holder on an AM budget story like this. But it shouldn't have been written in the past tense. Seems like it could have been fixed by just saying, "Democratic presidential candidates were expected to largely stand together ... " Then you file your 1st Ld - Wriethru, Eds: DELETES 'were expected" in lede; UPDATES w/quotes throughout, etc.

 

[RokSki]

I've written most of a lede before I go to games if I feel it's going to be a blowout. I just never PUSBLISH it until after the event.

Woops!

Yeah, this is the key. Thinking about this more, I know I've written pieces in anticipation of what I thought was going to happen, I just haven't published them until I know that's what actually happened. It's nice to get your work done - or some of it - early, but you have to avoid the dwarf conundrum.

 

[FishHack76]

Any word on whether Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson were there? Also were they wearing Michigan State garb and cheering on Barack Obama?

 

[RokSki]

Any word on whether Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson were there?

Ask him:

 

[FishHack76]

Is that you, Gimli, or is that a recurring dream for Mitchie?

"I could so totally be a bad ass medieval dwarf! Oh yeah!"

 

[joe king]

I agree that sending it out before the event is the real problem. How can you make a story available before the event happens?
How did the writer know the debate wouldn't be canceled? Or a sniper didn't show up? Or Obama and Hillary didn't have sex right there on the stage?You can't report the news before it happens.

Wait, what channel was that on again?

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

The very idea is making blood leak from my eyes.

 

[sportschick]

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

 

[ZoeB]

Google "laphamization". Here, I'll help.

Sorry, Politbloggers like me are quite used to seeing it. It's one of the reasons why the profession of journalism is not held in high regard in many places. The fact that sports journalists think it's unusual says a lot for your innocence, and even ethics. It has been known to happen in sports too, but it's rare, and was usually only detected when the match being reported on was cancelled.

The AFP, AP, and Reuters are also constantly being caught out never letting the facts get in the way of the pre-written Lede, and so many of the photos coming out of the Middle East are either staged or photoshopped, only 70% could be considered genuine.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I see nothing wrong with writing this, the mistake is sending this to customers. As long as you go to the event and update, nothing wrong with being prepared.

Still, it does lock the writer in a little bit.

 

[lurking]

Maybe there is some reason why she needed to get a head start ... I remember once I had to cover an execution and I had about half the story written ahead of time, but the key difference is that it was the half of the story detailing why the guy got a needle in his arm, not the lead and the first few inches with the latest news.
This reminds me a little bit of when we send a stringer to a high-school football game and he has made up his mind what he's going to write about before he even gets there. Then you end up with the final graph of a 20-inch story saying "Jon Doe picked up a fumble and ran 99 yards on the final play for the game-winning touchdown."
I just think you have to go in with an open mind and pay attention.