Letting SIDs cover their own schools

<<sound of record scratching>>

 

You gotta admit, flack just carries a negative sentiment automatically. I like it.

 

We have this guy in our area -- a former reporter/editor who has his own site and uses "flack" all the time in his crusade rants against government PR people. That's why I don't like it.

 

Since the paper is apparently admitting up from it is a report from the school itself, I guess I don't really have much of an ethical issue.

My much bigger question is, why exactly should I buy your paper? I understand the paper's financial issues, but as a consumer I don't see a reason to pay for a paper version of the school's website.

(Tangential complaint: I live in an NBA city where a key player is on the trading block. The local paper's coverage has consisted of excerpts from other newspapers and blogs that are covering the situation, and virtually no original reporting. Why am I paying for a dead tree version of Twitter?)

 

Now that I've settled into my hotel, I can opine.

Here's how I feel about this and what I've tried to do...

I get it. I'm not going to get the coverage I used to get or I used to give when I was on your side all the time. I was still covering HS games until this year. Doing it for $50 isn't doing it for me any more. I turned down a game Friday night to keep the book at my women's team scrimmage. It was more productive, especially the new Nike kicks Coach gave me....

I will help you do your job, but for frak's sake, don't expect me to do it for you entirely.

Will I send you stories and art because I know you don't have the staffing? Hell, yes. Part of your audience may not be reading my web site and social media feeds. Will I send you my best stuff? Hell, no. I'll post the equivalent of an optional on mine and keep the best photos for myself.

Since I had my head handed to me on the "We don't cover you because you don't generate page views" thread, I have no problem when you chose high school football or a major event instead of ours. It's when you lead your front with "Our columnists now have a podcast!" or "Kentucky Derby Parties Are Colorful! Here's 700 Pictures of Our Advertisers To Prove It!" or "Is The Football Coach Dry Humping A Dead Shark?" or "How Locals Feel About the State NFL Teams" fluff gets the coverage instead of our student athletes actual accomplishments that make it feel like we need to be doing your job.

I have my student writers use the same format AP does when covering basketball games, just not as time sensitive. I'm trying to make it so they're ready to cover a NBA game when they leave here. Objections?

Features? Don't use ours. Write your own. You can run my column, though, if you want. I get in my shots on Finebaum and Hill. I love it.

Here's some other real-time examples.
1) During homecoming week, I planned on doing a "Greatest Homecoming Games" story. Our beat writer wanted to do one as well. The younger version of me would have thrived on competition. But instead of competing stories, I helped him do his. He gets a nice write. I get one less thing to crank out during homecoming week.

2) We hosted a tennis tournament. Yeah, it's the middle of football season. For two days, I was thrilled with two sentences in the round up. Final day was Sunday. Dolphins and Jaguars were off, sports had a hole to fill. Sent in story and art. News editor filling on the sports desk slaps my byline on it. "My Gosh, the local paper just hired a stringer with the same name as me!" Laughed my --- off. Tennis coach was impressed. We got coverage, Monday paper gets a local story. Everyone wins.

3) Football team wins big on Senior Day. Senior QB throws 5 TD passes, ties a school record. Senior WR matches guy in NFL's career TD total. Spoon-fed the writer. He gets his story done 20 minutes quicker, which means we're at the bar 15 minutes quicker.

That's my rant. Maybe I am a flack and a hack. I'm a damn good one, though.

 

Winner!

 

I do agree with this post, Doc. It's absolutely true.

 

I like your attitude. Still think you guys don't need the newspaper when you have your own website. If they don't want to cover you, stress to advertisers you have the stories, the newspaper doesn't. Like your enthusiasm and your post though.

 

Thank you, Fredrick.

We've had that conversation with marketing about our web site, for the record. But I remain steadfast in that we still need the local shop to reach those who aren't going to our site....

 

I think Miami of Ohio was doing this like five years ago with the Cincinnati Enquiere after the paper cut that beat. I suppose it doesn't seem ideal, but I also can't see much value in investing resources in rewriting tennis and women's lacrosse press releases (sorry Dan).

 

Dan, as much as I like you and think you are one hell of a good SID, I doubt I'd be running anything other than briefs on women's tennis, soccer, golf. etc. That shit doesn't generate website traffic or sell newspapers. A good wire story would be better use of a newspaper's space. Love your first and third examples. They show you understand and recognize the real value of your job and you're doing it like an experienced guy that puts his employer first over his own personal preferences.

 

And Doc, that's EXACTLY what I would want from YOU when it comes to the non-revenue sports .... 98 percent of the time.