Dear dimwit on the phone

Angry voicemail awaiting me when I got in today: "I've been reading your paper for a long time, but I was wondering why you don't cover our soccer team. Are you waiting for them to lose? I'm thinking of canceling my prescription."

 

I hope you called back and suggested he talk to his doctor about increasing his prescription.

 

Soon as the caller talks to his doctor about why they dropped Mary Worth.

 

Got a call Friday with a lady telling me twice how she was "very unhappy" that we dare write a perceived negative column on the day of a team's home opener.

"Are you for them or against them?"

Not surprisingly, she did not leave a phone number.

 

Got a grandma call today about the kid who led the team in TDs and rushing yards this season wondering why (1) his picture hasn't been in the paper more and (2) why I didn't mention that the big-city paper wrote an article about him.

1) In a nine-game season, he has been pictured after three of them (which is more than any other player).
2) That's not our policy, nor should it be.

Well I'm so proud of the person he is, and I thought the big-city article was great, and our family didn't even know about it. But we pick up your paper every week and didn't see his picture the last couple of weeks, even in the group photos (which there haven't been, by the way). I know his parents would be so mad that I called, and they always talk about how all the kids should be recognized...

**I swear she said all of that about three times, but most importantly, how you gonna say that last part, but cry that I don't put in your grandson enough?**

But she was very happy (and a bit embarrassed that she called) when she learned that his picture will be in the paper this week because he scored the team's only touchdown, and that I will be writing an article on him between football and wrestling (dude is a state title contender).

EDIT: forgot that she also said it's one thing that he was mentioned in the article every week, but that pictures will mean so much more and will help the community recognize his accomplishments.

 

This call always gets me going, just like when Bigtown Banner announces their all-region team and they wonder why we aren't doing a story on it. Lady, do you walk into McDonald's and see a big sign showing what the specials are at Burger King?

 

Wouldn't it be great if that was actually an acceptable response?

 

Dear Podunk Press,

You never cover us when we write about your scrappy athletes!

Angrily,

Big City Paper

 

I've actually used this one (or one similar, ala does Macy's tell Gimbels) before, and it has worked. These types of emails/calls have ebbed considerably in the last year since we started choosing our own all-county team. There's always the one parental unit that is convinced we're costing Little Jimmy a scholarship because we're not reprinting someone else's news, but that comes with the territory.

EDIT: Posted as Ace was posting his response, which made me ROFL!

 

That's great that your grandson got featured by the big-city paper. We were considering doing something on him, as well, but I think we'll look somewhere else since that story has been done.

 

Hey...that's enough letting this thread slip into page 2

Just to show you can never win...

We cover 10 high schools in the area, and one of those schools often gets a bit more coverage simply because it is the most successful in the area. Their teams are consistently near the top of the standings, so they are playing in more of the big games.

Anyway, we often get the complaint that we cover said school too much. But this week fans of said school have been ringing me off the hook complaining that we're ignoring them. The crux of the problem...the girls soccer team earned a share of the league title with a blowout win over the last-place (and winless) team, and we had the audacity not to send a reporter to the 7-0 match.

Of course we were there two days earlier when the top two teams played to a scoreless draw in what was truly the league championship game. Geesh.

 

"Our team didn't get on the front page. Our boys try just as hard."
Didn't your team lose?
"Yes"
Well, there you go. The inside pages are for the teams that try hard. The front page is for the winners.
"Oh"
...
Actual. Conversation.