Covering prep sports - with a child on the team

That's bullshit, one of those pitches he took was strike three and then the hit was an error

Kidding. I am not a huge fan of the setup, but I have been convinced that given the staffing limitations and other workplace and community factors, it can be managed.

 

If you're a professional, it's a huge conflict of interest, small market or major metro it doesn't matter. Stop immediately.

Your first story is a clear example why this is simply not tolerated at professionally operated newspapers.

If you're not a professional, cover them all you want. Your credibility will be worthless, but then again, you're not a professional so it won't matter.

 

He obviously doesn't care, because he has continued to report on his kid's team. He had his mind made up before he came on here looking for a pat on the back.

 

Doc,

I think that's a decision that's gotta be made by higherups. If you're the one-man department at a small paper, do you just up and quit covering stuff the day your kid makes varsity? Do you tell your kid he's not allowed to play varsity because you have a job to do and that creates a conflict?

Hell, how many adults COACH their own kid at the prep (or even college) level? Is that not a conflict of interest --- or least potential conflict of interest --- just as great or greater?

I would go have a talk with my supervisor and explain the situation and also tell him/her what my preference is and be prepared to live with the decision.

 

A few years back there was one of the small papers near here that had a one-man sports staff. There was one high school in town for them to cover. The sports editor's brother was the boys head basketball coach.

 

If you cover the team you kid plays on, it's a conflict of interest. It doesn't matter how fair you appear to be, it's a conflict of interest.

That's kind of the definition of a conflict of interest. It's the appearance of bias that's the problem.

 

I suspect that is quite common.

 

In this case, the paper has another reporter that could handle the team that has the reporter's kid on it. It's a simple solution, but he wants to watch his kid play and also wants to be a sports writer. The point Doc was making is that if he was a professional, he would pick one or the other.

 

Not according to some of these young, gung ho types that have never lived and worked in a small town. They just wouldn't cover boys basketball. "Sorry readers, it would be a conflict of interest."

 

You must be a great journalist with all those assumptions.

 

It's a conflict of interest.

I am not saying you shouldn't cover the team (although if you can find anyone else to cover games involving relatives that would be ideal).

But you can't act like it's not a conflict because you are being fair. It's still a conflict.