To narc? Or not to narc?

Ummmm, I'm not writing a story dude. And after talking to some folks who know the freelancer better than I do, it appears to be a "don't ask/don't tell" situation where everybody apparently knows it's going on but the guy has been around so long nobody wants to fuck him over.
And that's fine. I'll let it slide. But I've lost respect for both the freelancer and the management at that paper (though not the staff writers).
Thanks for the feedback, though I've got to say I'm a little stunned there isn't more righteous indignation. I mean, isn't that what this board specializes in? Or is that only when Jimmy Joe's mom calls to bitch about you not getting her son's name in the paper?
Or maybe it's like Chelcie Ross said in Hoosiers when they were trying to get Norman Dale fired: "There's... two kinds of dumb, uh... guy that gets naked and runs out in the snow and barks at the moon, and, uh, guy who does the same thing in my living room. First one don't matter, the second one you're kinda forced to deal with."

 

I would be righteously indignant, but if I can get a gig covering a pro team from my couch, I don't want to ruin it.

 

Either post his name here or deal with it. Seems like you want him busted. Then bust him.

 

BTW, it's not that I'm pro this guy doing what he's doing.

But I'd love to read some of his gamers to see if they'd warrant this special coverage.

 

Everyone but his readers I assume.

And, while I don't think you should turn in a story about it -- you're a sports writer after all, and this isn't a sports story -- I do think it's a story for someone.

If any other company in town was perpetrating a fraud on its clientele the newspaper would write about it. (There was just a wave of stories about restaurants misidentifying fish for example.)

Why should this go unexposed? Should the industry hold itself to the same standard it holds other industries?

It's a shame that this is the kind of thing usually left to an alt weekly or a blog to expose.

 

We can't even talk about our own salaries here due to custom. You think a reporter will write a story like that?

 

I just don't see what anyone gains from either the reporter or a co-worker tattle-tailing on the competing newspaper.

Since the journalists on the message board are split on this issue, I am going to guess that the readers are going to care less.

And maybe it's just me but doesn't this work in the original poster's favor? He's at the game and in the locker room so he has access to material that the guy on his couch doesn't. Why would he want a competing newspaper to be forced to send a writer to a game, a move that would likely improve the product in that competing newspaper?

As long as the other guy isn't stealing quotes that the original poster went and got, then whatever. I'm not going to respect the other newspaper but asking a co-worker to write a story about newspaper fraud? Please.

 

So, the steakhouse on Main St. is marketing their steaks as USDA Prime, but in fact their buying the cheaper USDA Select.

Is this a story?

Or, should we just give the restaurant owner a pass?

 

Baron?

 

Just let it go. It's not your problem.

I'm sure you have enough problems on your own without wading into something like this.

 

Are you sure the management at the newspaper knows this is going on?

 

Apples and oranges.