From my inbox

[pressboxer]

Waiting for me when I got to the office today was an e-mail with a couple of crappy phots attached and a little note that contained the following line:

Please pass this submission on to a reporter who will take a good look at this story and put together an eye catching article befitting the runner's accomplishments.

A group of locals participate in an event that included a 25K run and a 50K run. Not to belittle their accomplishments (I certainly won't ever run that far), but I have a feeling someone's going to be sorely disappointed. The powers that be already decreed a brief is befitting enough.

 

[SF_Express]

Waiting for me when I got to the office today was an e-mail with a couple of crappy phots attached and a little note that contained the following line:

Please pass this submission on to a reporter who will take a good look at this story and put together an eye catching article befitting the runner's accomplishments.

A group of locals participate in an event that included a 25K run and a 50K run. Not to belittle their accomplishments (I certainly won't ever run that far), but I have a feeling someone's going to be sorely disappointed. The powers that be already decreed a brief is befitting enough.

And, depending on the size of the paper, they have decreed correctly, obviously.

 

[pseudo]

But is it an eye catching brief?

 

[Ace]

You're gonna need a bigger brief.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

So what's the problem? People submit stuff all the time thinking it should be a headline. You use your judgment on what it's worth.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Do you write stories on your locals who run in marathons? Cuz 50K is longer than a marathon. Why not write a story on these people?

 

[Ace]

Do you write stories on your locals who run in marathons? Cuz 50K is longer than a marathon. Why not write a story on these people?

Yeah. You could just brief this race but maybe look at doing a feature on this group of foot-pounding locals.

 

[budcrew08]

Do you write stories on your locals who run in marathons? Cuz 50K is longer than a marathon. Why not write a story on these people?

Yeah. You could just brief this race but maybe look at doing a feature on this group of foot-pounding locals.

It sounds like it could be a cool feature. Is distance running big in your area? That could tie in as well.

 

[Overrated]

Do you write stories on your locals who run in marathons? Cuz 50K is longer than a marathon. Why not write a story on these people?

So, does that mean they work HARDER than marathon runners?

 

[Barsuk]

Do you write stories on your locals who run in marathons? Cuz 50K is longer than a marathon. Why not write a story on these people?

So, does that mean they work HARDER than marathon runners?

Nah, probably just as hard, though.

 

[Ace]

Do you write stories on your locals who run in marathons? Cuz 50K is longer than a marathon. Why not write a story on these people?

So, does that mean they work HARDER than marathon runners?

They don't work harder -- just longer.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

We all have our egos to contend with here -- "I'm not going to do a story because someone said I should. Then they'll think I did it because of them."
Only problem with that is there are some coincidental times when they can be turned into really good stories. Don't discount it just because it came from outside the newsroom.
As someone else said, take it on a story by story basis, and see what it is worth, if anything.