Poll: Running feature stories submitted by SIDs

[BillySixty]

Wanted to do an informal poll about running SID copy. I'm not talking about gamers, but rather feature stories. I'm particularly curious if you'd be more likely to run a feature story written by an SID at a school outside of the coverage area for an athlete that went to a local high school then went away for college.

Do you do this currently? Have you changed your opinion about it? Would you do this more often if the quality of the stories was better?

 

[SoloFlyer]

Would you pay a PR person to write a feature about their client?

I'd rather pay a local college student $50 to place a couple phone calls and do a story that I need to punch up a bit than get something from an SID. I'm sure there are some SIDs who would do fine work. Some are probably even former journalists. But they're not getting a dime from me. They can help set up the interviews. That's their job. I'll find someone else to do the interview and write the story.

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Never. Quality has nothing to do with it. It's objectivity. Running something written by someone who works for the school just isn't right.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Not a chance in heck.

 

[cjericho]

The SIDs can use their school's website for the articles.

 

[BillySixty]

Would you pay a PR person to write a feature about their client?

I'd rather pay a local college student $50 to place a couple phone calls and do a story that I need to punch up a bit than get something from an SID. I'm sure there are some SIDs who would do fine work. Some are probably even former journalists. But they're not getting a dime from me. They can help set up the interviews. That's their job. I'll find someone else to do the interview and write the story.

To clarify, there is no money involved. This would be a feature story written by an SID or someone at the university for publication on their website, university magazine, game program, etc., that was offered to run in your section as well.

 

[BillySixty]

Never. Quality has nothing to do with it. It's objectivity. Running something written by someone who works for the school just isn't right.

Not trying to pick a fight here, but why isn't it right? I used to think exactly along those same lines, but then I had my staff shred to pieces, my budget slashed to next to nothing, and more and more responsibility shoved down my throat. If some SID on the other side of the state does a decent feature on a local athlete and offers it to me for use in my newspaper, I'm running it. I'm making sure it's known that the SID wrote it, but I'm still running it. A local-boy-does-good feature is going to read pretty much the same if an SID writes it or a staff member writes it.

 

[Old Time Hockey]

Here's one reason I don't think it's right: Those sports-department websites have essentially become another of your competitors. With their gamers, features, etc., they're inviting the people who are interested in Old State U to bypass you. I don't blame them for that; many of them have suffered with the declines of the papers that do or did cover them, and need to find some way to get the word out (or justify their existence since they're no longer placing stuff in the local paper).

Yeah, if they're out-of-area schools, the competition thing isn't really a factor. But it seems like this is just advertising, "Hey, here's something else we're not capable of doing ourselves."

 

[BillySixty]

Here's one reason I don't think it's right: Those sports-department websites have essentially become another of your competitors. With their gamers, features, etc., they're inviting the people who are interested in Old State U to bypass you. I don't blame them for that; many of them have suffered with the declines of the papers that do or did cover them, and need to find some way to get the word out (or justify their existence since they're no longer placing stuff in the local paper).

Yeah, if they're out-of-area schools, the competition thing isn't really a factor. But it seems like this is just advertising, "Hey, here's something else we're not capable of doing ourselves."

If the options were running a SID feature or nothing at all, would you take nothing at all?

 

[DanOregon]

A house ad would be better.

 

[cjericho]

To clarify, there is no money involved. This would be a feature story written by an SID or someone at the university for publication on their website, university magazine, game program, etc., that was offered to run in your section as well.

No money, then definitely not. If the SID was paying you or taking you out to the local nudie bar, maybe consider it.

 

[steveu]

Some sports journalists can actually become SID's? Wow. You wouldn't know it around here... every ad basically says "experience in a sports information office is REQUIRED!" Never mind I've essentially been doing the same thing most SID's have... lol

Back on topic... we do not run SID copy in the print edition, but our shop has an agreement with the colleges around the area to maintain a presence on our website. (We are an Advance shop, BTW.)