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Topic: Lazy Sources: How do you deal with it?
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| Author | Message |
| burgundy | Posted – 6/13/2005 8:30:43 PM | show profile Now that I've branched out to a national scope from local reporting (my first as a freelancer), I've come upon a roadblock. I got a lead for a story that I think has some teeth. My main source has been pretty great about working with me. But all of a sudden she vanished: she hasn't returned my calls/emails in days. (This is science/medicine related - not a story about anything too sinister.) |
| burgundy | Posted – 6/13/2005 8:31:15 PM | show profile cont For my story to work, I need her to send me her contact list - friends, familiy, scientists and doctors - who can verify her many claims. When I asked her for this list she sounded happy to help. What is so frustrating about this is that I've spent so much time/money chasing this. I live in NY, she lives in the Midwest, so I can't just knock on her door. This is a good story and I don't want to let it go; and it's just a matter of time until someone catches wind of this...What should I do? Should I let the story die and eat the money I lost? Am I whining? Shit, I hate being a whiner. |
| limericks4all | Posted – 6/14/2005 2:22:23 AM | show profile You don't know what's going on. Maybe she got cold feet. Maybe she's just been out of town for a few days. However, do you really need her to hand you a list of contacts? Sure that's easier, but you can usually find sources on your own to call about someone you're profiling. In fact, you don't necessarily want only sources she's handpicking for you. <<But all of a sudden she vanished: she hasn't returned my calls/emails in days. (This is science/medicine related - not a story about anything too sinister.) << |
| burgundy | Posted – 6/14/2005 4:25:45 PM | show profile Never mind The list I needed from her was for peops who could corroborate her story from her end -timeframes and such ... But doesn't matter anymore. She called just moments ago and said she got cold feet. You were right. |
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