Dear dimwit on the phone

I once covered a softball catcher who was nicknamed Yogi. The coach called her Yogi. Her teammates called her Yogi. Her parents did as well. I even called her Yogi when I flagged her down for a quote. In the story, she was Kathryn.

 

Easiest way to solve any of this is ask the kid.
One of our football players was James, but his teammates and coaches called him Jimmy. I asked him which he preferred to have in the paper.
"Well, I go by Jimmy but my mom would probably like it if it was James, so use that."
Done and done.
Basically, fuck the rosters. If there's a question, do what we're supposed to - ask.

 

So why was she Kathryn?

The original Yogi Berra was nicknamed that by friends as a teen. His parents certainly never called him that, but that nickname sure stuck.

 

Simple. Because her name is Kathryn.

 

So in a story about Yogi Berra you'd refer to him as Lawrence?

 

You mean Lawdie Berra?

 

I watched a daily reporter ask a school counselor his name after a workshop.

"Is your name Christiper?"

"Yes, buy I go by Topher."

Story ran as "Christoppher. Makes no sense to me. He's Topher, just as I am Bill.

WilliamT is some other guy.

 

Mark: Just for the record, that comment is offensive to us at weeklies.

Thanks. Have a nice day.

 

You must not read many community weeklies, because the good ones are a rarity.

 

Our weekly (OK, three times a week with daily Web updates) has won our state press association's general excellence award for the top circulation class for the last 22 years.

The contest has been going for 22 years.

 

Sounds like you don't have much competition.

 

We do - we happen to do good work.