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Topic: unused sources
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| Author | Message |
| glurf | Posted – 8/16/2005 8:56:06 PM | show profile I am worried I am missing out on some kind of etiquette. I was on a tight deadline for a story, spoke with one source (who was not really very helpful) for about a half hour by phone. When I tried to arrange a follow-up by e-mail or phone, I was told it was not possible by my deadline. I replied via e-mail that if that was so, I may not be able it include that source in the story, and apologized for any inconvenience. con't |
| glurf | Posted – 8/16/2005 8:56:34 PM | show profile unused sources con't. A day later, I received an irate e-mail from the source’s assistant, who said the source dictated it to her because source was out of town, accusing me of underhanded tactics, wasting source’s time, and threatening (!) source. They also said they woudl contact my editor to report all this. I don’t think I did anything wrong. Don’t writers often do more interviews than is necessary for a story? Sources are not always used all the time, are they? And I thought I was doing the polite thing by letting this source know that they might not make the final cut. Am I wrong? No one has ever reacted thatw ay before. Luckily, my editor was cool about it but now I am paranoid about every source (there were others who didn’t pan out either) and am adding a disclaimer like statement about how they may not be used and I understand if they don’t want to waste their valuable time. |
| lenagrove | Posted – 8/16/2005 10:02:41 PM | show profile I often am unable to use sources because the editor cuts them or goes in a different direction. I always apologize that their name didn't get used, but I send them a copy of the article and thank them anyway. I've never had anyone act impolite about it. Could your tone have been misinterpreted? Did you come across as annoyed when you made the second call? If you were polite and professional, then maybe they're just not nice people! Better luck next time! |
| limericks4all | Posted – 8/16/2005 10:14:54 PM | show profile It's very common to interview people and not be able to quote them in a story. You did nothing wrong/ |
| limericks4all | Posted – 8/16/2005 10:14:55 PM | show profile It's very common to interview people and not be able to quote them in a story. You did nothing wrong/ |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 8/16/2005 10:48:51 PM | show profile Sounds like your source thought they were ''all that'' and once they learned they wouldn't be in the story decided to bully you. That's petty. I agree, you did nothing wrong. ------ Lotus665 |
| SFElisaW | Posted – 8/17/2005 2:47:59 AM | show profile My read on this is that the ''assistant'' also serves as a publicist (either formally or informally) and they were trying to pressure you to get the source in. Certainly anyone who has ever been interviewed before has heard the long disclaimer that most journalists give that inclusion in the story is contingent not only on what you write but what your editor edits. You did nothing wrong. I suspect the ''assistant'' is new to the process. |
| clairezulkey | Posted – 8/17/2005 4:22:39 PM | show profile | email poster I too have gotten 'yelled' at for not including a source who wanted to be promoted in an article. And just recently I was interviewed for a piece but not included. I just figured that my quotes didn't work for the piece. You didn't do anything wrong. Just don't ever promise somebody that you'll say one thing or another that they want to see reported. ------ Editor of MBToolBox |
| The BPM | Posted – 8/17/2005 4:49:34 PM | show profile I interview tons of people every week and usually only quote 10% of them in articles. You did the right thing, except I wouldn't make any promises about using their stuff in articles. In fact when told the contact wouldn't be available I'd have just ignored it and moved to the next interview. As a reporter it's not your job to send them articles that include mention of them. That's one of the first rules in PR which I used: never ask the reporter for the article, find it on your own. This person who berated you is a jerk and I'd have put my foot 3 feet up their arse. ------ www.wordnbass.com book and music news |
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