| Back to Home > Bulletin Board > Media Issues > Topic: Journalist faux pas? |
Topic: Journalist faux pas?
  Page 1 of 1   |
|
| Author | Message |
| stalliona | Posted – 6/17/2005 9:43:22 AM | show profile Hello all, Something happened to me recently that left me wanting to smack three grungy-looking self-proclaimed writers. Now maybe this is a rule that wasn't shared with me along my career path or I am simply out of the loop. If I am, that's fine. Please do enlighten me. I was at an event doing some light reporting for a small feature story on an artist's piece. After I interviewed the necessary sources, I thought I'd talk to a few of the minglers, get some feedback. COnt'd |
| stalliona | Posted – 6/17/2005 9:43:47 AM | show profile Journalist faux pas Cont'd Turns out that three minglers I introduced myself to said they were writers. So I asked them if they cared to share their thoughts on the event's cause. (I had no idea who they supposedly wrote for or if they were even there to cover the event) One of the ''writers'' asked me if I wanted attributed quotes and I said yes. To make a long story short they all but evaporated like I was the Grim Reaper! Even after I closed my notebook and said nevermind, off the record, human-to-human, ''How are you enjoying the evening?'' They didn't event want to really speak to me on a casual level. Truth be told, it pissed me off. Why were they so quick to respond like jerks, or is my perception skewed? |
| belinda | Posted – 6/17/2005 10:10:02 AM | show profile Your perception's skewed. |
| belinda | Posted – 6/17/2005 10:12:07 AM | show profile Starting off as a reporter and then recasting oneself as a buddy would raise anybody's suspicions. Sorry. |
| stalliona | Posted – 6/17/2005 10:30:55 AM | show profile Hmmm... I hear what you're saying. But WHY would their suspicions be raised in the first place? I guess what I'm wondering about is whether it is a NO-NO for other writers to give attributed quotes to other writers from different publications? For instance, if I work at Computer Geek magazine and I'm covering a Computer Geek event, but happen to meet some Garden Fiend magazine writers who are there, but aren't covering the event -- why wouldn't they want to talk? Is that against the rules? Now I don't know where this oddball trio was from, they may have been from a magazine in the same genre. If they were, what is the general rule about talking to writers from similar publications? I thought we were all one supportive, insightful, loving, cohesive family! Just kidding, I know we're not necessarily, but I was pretty confused. So that's two questions. Thanks |
| dbrittan | Posted – 6/17/2005 11:20:05 AM | show profile They must have been on the lam Stalliona, I'm as baffled as you are. Writers generally love to be quoted -- plus you would have given those guys a free mention of their publication(s). I could understand it if the tables had been turned. If one of them had approached you as a potential source, then learned that you were from a competing publication, he might not have wanted to plug your magazine in his own. Either way, for them to disappear without an explanation was rude. I have to conclude that they didn't want their presence at the event to be documented; somebody -- their spouses, their boss, their mothers -- thought they were someplace else. |
| even_newer-id | Posted – 6/17/2005 11:41:55 AM | show profile whoa, I find writers hate to be quoted because they know exactly how they can be misquoted, quoted out of context, etc. It's amazin how often journos, especially, try to weasel out of on-the-record conversations. that said, however, no one has to provide quotes. And if these writers were there on work for a possible competitor I completely understand why they wouldn't want to be quoted. What I don't understand is why you would want to quote them. What ere you looking for? Expert comment or man in the street reaction? |
| belinda | Posted – 6/17/2005 11:47:21 AM | show profile >>Now I don't know where this oddball trio was from, they may have been from a magazine in the same genre. If they were, what is the general rule about talking to writers from similar publications? << Talk to, OK; interview, not OK. Not OK to be quoted in competing or similar publications, and sometimes not OK to be quoted in any other publications at all. When you come onto someone first by asking for an attributable quote, then you want to start a casual conversation, how do they know you're not still fishing for quotes? I don't see anything weird about their high-tailing it away from you. It was their insurance against getting sucked into a situation they didn't want to be in. |
| stalliona | Posted – 6/17/2005 12:25:57 PM | show profile Okay, it's making sense to me There could have been a variety of reasons for their reactions. And professionally, I guess I can understand why one wouldn't want to contribute to a competitor's magazine. I was just trying to get the ''common man's'' reaction and then they told me they were writers, too. Guess next time, instead of trying to make conversation with writers at events, I'll excuse myself before they think I'm trying to extract some top secret info that'll get them fired. It just seemed a bit awkward and overdramatic, but I suppose everyone has a right to protect their paycheck. I just didn't think I was a threatening force. Thanks for the insight. |
| LAgal | Posted – 6/17/2005 12:44:59 PM | show profile Yeah, if they scurried away like mice, maybe that was a bit dramatic. However, I can understand being shy or reticent about being interviewed. That's why I'm on the ''other end of the notepad,'' so to speak. I get very uncomfortable when the tables are turned and I have to do the talking. I think that's just how some journalists are; we don't want the spotlight on ourselves. At least some of us don't! Also, yeah, if they wrote for a competitor, then it makes sense that they wouldn't want to be quoted. |
| limericks4all | Posted – 6/17/2005 2:11:41 PM | show profile Hard to analyze this based on what you're telling us. Maybe you approached the writers in a way that made them wary of you. |
| clairezulkey | Posted – 6/17/2005 5:20:42 PM | show profile Hey, maybe they're not writer-jerks, they're just art-jerks. I would probably feel a little hurt too but it's just one of those things where you have to remind yourself, ''It's not me, it's them.'' ------ Editor of MBToolBox |
| rv224 | Posted – 6/17/2005 9:45:00 PM | show profile When you are at such events, you should quote people that experts in the field or are related to the event. (in your example of a computer geek event, you should be asking the computer geeks questions, not journalists). |
| Page 1 of 1 |
|
