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Annual byline count?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by big green wahoo, Aug 8, 2010.

Page 2 of 4
  1. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    We are supposed to have two bylines per publishing day, which works out to 12 per week. This comes from the suits at corporate headquarters, not the local editors. The last edtior quit when his job was threatened for not enforcing this.

    The solution, of course, is to write a bunch of crummy briefs and slap bylines on them.
     
    RickStain, Aug 9, 2010
    #13
  2. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    I would hope blog posts would count as bylines. Last week, I had six bylines and 11 blog posts.
     
    Cosmo, Aug 9, 2010
    #14
  3. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Agreed. If the front office is gonna push web before print, the've gotta count blogs. Can't have it both ways ...
     
    HanSenSE, Aug 9, 2010
    #15
  4. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    I don't have one, but I usually write 25-30 stories per month, plus do pages. My SE is a workhorse and writes a lot more. Haven't been at my current job during football season, so my total is going to jump quickly.
     
    Stitch, Aug 9, 2010
    #16
  5. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    I think I hit around 250 last year and that was a non-beat gig.
     
    mustangj17, Aug 9, 2010
    #17
  6. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Wouldn't words published (print or electronic) be a better barometer?

    I guess column inches are too vague these days.
     
    93Devil, Aug 9, 2010
    #18
  7. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    No - words published? That would encourage writers to length to stories that don't merit that kind of length.
     
    Moderator1, Aug 9, 2010
    #19
  8. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    True...

    But slapping a byline on a six inch story is not the same as counting one byline for a 40-50 inch Sunday feature.
     
    93Devil, Aug 9, 2010
    #20
  9. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Well, no. But those even out, you'd hope. And a good editor knows who has done a lot of longer stuff. That's why I said earlier that byline counts are only a small part of it.

    During your basic football week I'd have 12-14 stories. A few were under 10 inches, a couple were over 20 and most were 14-16. It all evens out. During the "offseason," I might only do 4-5 stories a week and they'd tend to be longer.

    As I noted above, too, something like the Marcus Vick situation can run up the count. We did a ton of shorter stories over the course of several weeks. Original content merits a byline, whether it is five inches or 50. So it can be inflated.

    A good editor knows who is working and who isn't, regardless of a byline count.

    Funny aside on the Marcus Vick thing: The Washington Post went to a retired writer on contract to cover VT, Ken Denlinger. Great great guy, a lot of fun to have around on the beat. He had a contract for 60 stories, about right for a football season the way they did it. Of course, the shit hits the fan with Vick and he hits his 60 with about four weeks left in the season. And that was it.
     
    Moderator1, Aug 9, 2010
    #21
  10. onebigfella

    onebigfella New Member

    My shop counts bylines AND VIDEOS. Big chart on the wall for video counts. What a joke.
     
    onebigfella, Aug 9, 2010
    #22
  11. WriteThinking

    WriteThinking Well-Known Member

    You have got to be kidding about this...
     
    WriteThinking, Aug 9, 2010
    #23
  12. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    You know that is a hell of a family when I ask you if you are sure you are not talking about Mike.
     
    93Devil, Aug 9, 2010
    #24
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