Story concepts that need to die

I once worked with a guy who basically quit over having to do a Man On the Street story when the local team went to the big game.

 

Well, laughing at that is another bullet point on my resume for hell.

 

Not to pile on Gannett, but remember when Gannett made the fans the story? They demanded fans get quoted? Stupid. I do not interview fans, period.

 

That used to be a Gannett staple...what was it, Real Life, Real News. Gannett said these people should be considered "experts."
Which was another way of telling reporters that you are nothing but trash.
I needed another reason to hate Gannett.

 

I think this varies in importance according to region. I've lived in both extremes: In Alaska, articles explaining the current cold snap, warm streak, rainfall, snowfall or drought are pretty useful. In Florida, just tell me when a hurricane's coming or if I'm not allowed to water my lawn on an odd-numbered day.

All in all, you're hitting a topic that is constantly changing and affecting people's daily lives. The main problem with bad weather stories, IMHO, is that they're slammed out by the cops reporter in whatever time exists between typing up the blotter and 5 p.m.

 

I'll admit that 90 percent of "drunk fan reaction at the local sports pub" are shit, but like anything, it's tough to say ALL of them are shit.

My first year in the biz I had to do one of those pieces on Patriots fans reactions to the AFC Championship against the Steelers. It was shit. The quotes I got were terrible and most of the fans weren't particularly knowledgeable or coherent (the upshot was that I interviewed some rugby players and got a great feature out of them the following week).

But a couple years ago when the Red Sox opened the season in Japan, two local bars opened up at 6 a.m. and got some really good crowds for the start of the season. I got some great stuff there, from the 80-year-old couples who got up early to enjoy the game, to the college students who had stayed up for it, I got some great quotes (it was really less a reaction piece than it was about the atmosphere and camaraderie among the fans). The unusual circumstances did give it a somewhat unique angle.

But, yes, by and large, those stories are shit.

 

It was a Gannett imperative for years. There was a fantasy that it sold papers.

Fans have enough of a bullhorn in this godforsaken sports culture. The slackjawed unemployed uneducated divorced deadbeat yokel doesn't need to get to yell and blither in one more place than he already does.

 

20. Journalist tries a new sport and writes about it.

Let me guess - it's much harder than you thought. And you looked like a douche trying it. Thanks.

21. The mom who's a pro athlete story.

She's fertile and still coordinated. Great! Wow!

 

23. Columns bashing sports such as soccer or auto racing or water polo or whatever just because the columnist doesn't care for the sport. Hey, if that's how you feel keep it to yourself.

You think your take on how boring you think soccer or auto race is is unique or enlightening? Just makes you look ignorant.

 

Tim Cowlishaw, apparently, is ignorant.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/tcowlishaw/stories/091609dnspocowlishaw.3a16043.html

 

Eh. At least he got the other side in there.

 

24. Another Gannett story idea: We need to profile a minority person. Any person will do. Doesn't matter if they are actually newsworthy.