Dear dimwit on the phone

The phones have been relatively quiet for several weeks. That is about to change.

 

What'd you do?

 

We had an emailer this week complain about the lack of coverage for the local U18 softball team. We published a submitted photo with a cutline, but no writeup. Basically tried to frame it that we were giving the boys (Legion baseball) coverage but not the girls.

They forgot to mention the fact that we were never provided a schedule of when the softball team was actually playing, so its not like we could cover the games anyways.

 

Once the Great and Powerful Football Machine starts to warm up, so does the phone. Plus, we'll start getting "fall" softball calls about two weeks before high school football season starts.

 

Local summer swim team didn't give me a schedule this year, nor did it provide meet results. I guess they don't want attention so badly now that numbers are down and they don't dominate every other team any more.

Local summer swim team calls this afternoon wanting coverage of their banquet at 6:30.

Um, nope.

 

Those kinds of calls always amaze me.

 

Dear dimwit who wants a story done,

Yes, I am aware that you are planning to buy an ad. Yes, I did speak with the publisher, who told me we could do a story if you bought the ad. No, that does not mean I am going to be in the office 24/7 and you just show up hoping I'm going to be there, especially when you keep picking the lunch hour to come by. Why can't you just leave a phone number and ask I call you back to set up a time like everybody else does?

 

Ugh. Should we read "could" as "would"? Or does that mean there's wiggle room and you won't have to produce content on demand?

 

No, he did say "could." He expected the person in question to buy an ad, though.

 

You are headed down a slippery slope.

 

I think I just took one for the Dimwit Hall of Fame.
Woman calls up wanting a correction because her name appeared in the court report as being charged with the sale of less than 2 grams of meth.
She was mad because she said her indictment reads that she was charged with sale of less than 1 gram.

She was nice enough, and the second time she called (I'd passed it along to our news editor, who didn't call her back right away), she just said, "It's embarrassing enough, you know?"

 

The stupid is strong in that one.