As referenced above, I've weighed in on my definition of "stringers" and how it works (or doesn't work) here at the Reader: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/…
Over the course of the subsequent 136 comments below that blog, I haven't changed my stance, but I DO acknowledge the value and growing importance of non-staff individuals turning in reports to the Reader. So much so that, when I see a solid stringer report on the Reader site, I say so in that report's comment section, and I've even been known to offer public advice to stringers, on how to both improve their reports and on aspects of the Reader's "house style" that could help them SELL their reports to the paper. I do it publicly so all aspiring stringers can checkitout and either use or ignore ---
We're all swimming in the same pool - why would I want to pee in it? Whatever makes the Reader a better, stronger paper only solidifies my own job security -
The issue here seems to be this stringer having identified herself as a Reader reporter. Man, if I had a dollar for every time someone wouldn't talk to me just because I'm with the Reader....
Anyway, my sideburns are probably older than a lot of people reading this, so I tend to apply to stringer identification the same rules that used to apply to freelancers writing on "spec," or speculation, which is just a trade term for "If I write it, maybe somebody will eventually pay me."
As a freelancer, the basic rule was that you tell prospective interviewees something like "I'm a freelancer, but I hope to sell this to ________________," and name a few potential media buyers. Back when there were a lot of papers and magazines to sell to, this worked fine. Sometimes the interview would go ahead, sometimes not.
If you were on a specific assignment from a specific editor at a specific paper or magazine, THEN you could say "I'd like to interview you for ________________," and name just the one publication.
If this writer was assigned to talk to the Mayor's office by Reader eds, then it was fine to identify herself as such. If she was working on "spec," I think the old rules would still apply, where she should have said "I'm a stringer reporter who hopes to sell this to one of the local news outlets." There are many to cite - UT, SDNN, Troubador, etc. — January 15, 2010 12:06 p.m.
Sorry, Citizen Journalist
OR she could have identified herself as having a journalistic blog, which is true, withOUT mentioning the Reader. A local blogger like Rosey at sddialedin is a genuine reporter who just happens to do it on a blog, so most doors are opened for her, as anyone can look at her site and see she's a hard working journalist. Even if her "publication" is self operated and created. I'm not surprised the Mayor's office would be down on talking to the Reader - even our cartoons mock city hall. A glance at any Reader issue's City Lights column could have provided fair warning that mentioning the Reader is no way to get a red carpet walk into city hall --- or several local nightclubs, as I can personally attest (if you ever meet me, I'll show you where my back teeth were knocked out by bouncers at one bar whose owner was angry about a Reader report....being shown the door isn't the worst thing that can happen to a Reader associate)— January 15, 2010 12:06 p.m.
Sorry, Citizen Journalist
As referenced above, I've weighed in on my definition of "stringers" and how it works (or doesn't work) here at the Reader: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/… Over the course of the subsequent 136 comments below that blog, I haven't changed my stance, but I DO acknowledge the value and growing importance of non-staff individuals turning in reports to the Reader. So much so that, when I see a solid stringer report on the Reader site, I say so in that report's comment section, and I've even been known to offer public advice to stringers, on how to both improve their reports and on aspects of the Reader's "house style" that could help them SELL their reports to the paper. I do it publicly so all aspiring stringers can checkitout and either use or ignore --- We're all swimming in the same pool - why would I want to pee in it? Whatever makes the Reader a better, stronger paper only solidifies my own job security - The issue here seems to be this stringer having identified herself as a Reader reporter. Man, if I had a dollar for every time someone wouldn't talk to me just because I'm with the Reader.... Anyway, my sideburns are probably older than a lot of people reading this, so I tend to apply to stringer identification the same rules that used to apply to freelancers writing on "spec," or speculation, which is just a trade term for "If I write it, maybe somebody will eventually pay me." As a freelancer, the basic rule was that you tell prospective interviewees something like "I'm a freelancer, but I hope to sell this to ________________," and name a few potential media buyers. Back when there were a lot of papers and magazines to sell to, this worked fine. Sometimes the interview would go ahead, sometimes not. If you were on a specific assignment from a specific editor at a specific paper or magazine, THEN you could say "I'd like to interview you for ________________," and name just the one publication. If this writer was assigned to talk to the Mayor's office by Reader eds, then it was fine to identify herself as such. If she was working on "spec," I think the old rules would still apply, where she should have said "I'm a stringer reporter who hopes to sell this to one of the local news outlets." There are many to cite - UT, SDNN, Troubador, etc.— January 15, 2010 12:06 p.m.
The Soup Is Ready
Outtakes: FEARS OR PHOBIAS? “I have a fear of being publicly ridiculed, but I have a phobia of caring about it. I also have a fear of being made notorious for what I’m not about.” WORST TV COMMERCIAL? “That’s like describing your least favorite intestinal parasite, which could be anything from Taco Bell.” WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU READ IN WAITING ROOMS? “I’ll take up Vanity Fair.” FIRST HEARTBREAK? “The first girl I ever kissed broke up with me on my 18th birthday. Her loss.” PREFERRED ‘PUTER? “I really don’t care, which is why I own a Dell.” DO YOU DO VIDEO GAMES? “For the moment, I have better ways to be lonely and not talk to anyone.”— January 13, 2010 10:48 p.m.
Record Release Roundup
CD Release Party | Chris Cutz's "Shots" + DJ Who's "Hollow Earth" Friday, January 15 at 9:00pm http://www.facebook.com/l/94c1f;www.207sd.com / http://www.facebook.com/l/94c1f;www.floatsd.com— January 12, 2010 5:17 a.m.
Dirty, Suspicious
RE #12 - timeliness IS a major hurdle for weekly pubs like the Reader. I probably "lose" at least a dozen stories a year that were greenlit, written, submitted, and slated for the print edition, when they got killed due to another pub getting a definitive report in print before we could. It's even harder now with so many bloggers also on the local newsbeat. Stringer reports aren't held to exclusivity preferences, but certainly being the first person in the door to get something otherwise unreported onto the website is as plus. The ability to do daily reporting, and even "live" blogging from events like Comic-Con, is one of the greatest things about how newsgathering and reporting has mainly moved to the internet. That said, tho, you'll probably note that the stringer reports that end up in the paper itself are a bit more beginning/middle/end than this account. A story like this need not ripen for "two or three days" - there are a bunch of things you can do in an hour or less to fill out a story like this. If it was MY report and I wanted the speediest finish for a "scoop," a few minutes poking around the county assessor's site for crime statistics in that neighborhood would probably yield a solid 'graph that wouldn't even require a phone call. Take out a few sentences from what you have, replace with a certified and applicable statistic, and you've got something that feels far more meal than snack - there are any number of other alternatives that may take a bit of effort, but probably not a lot of time. An even better (and less clinical) approach (albeit one that wouldn't work many places outside the Reader) would be to tell us about a time YOUR car was stolen. Or that you found a stolen car. Or that a high school friend was arrested for car theft, or your dad taught you to hotwire a Porsche - anything in your own life and experience that you make applicable to the matter at hand. That approach works here because, as someone else commented, the Reader is a different animal than most - it's unusual to find so much first person reporting and "journalism with an agenda" outside of columnists' soapboxes. But that's a big part (IMO) of this paper's appeal. Something like 13 or 14 years ago, when I was first doing Reader articles, the publisher gave me a rule of thumb that has rarely failed me. You'll find this Reader "rule" evident in everything from City Lights to the staff blogs, reviews, Blurt, and even I think in the letters-to-the-editor the paper chooses to publish each week. He said "Our job isn't necessarily to inform, nor even to entertain, but rather to ENGAGE." It may not be journalism 101 (it's almost the antithesis of what reporters learn about keeping themselves and their POV OUT of their writing), but the best and busiest Reader writers seem to be the ones you feel you KNOW, just from reading their stories. Even the ones you know well enough to dislike ----— January 11, 2010 8:25 a.m.
Land of the Lost
I grew up when Sid & Marty Krofft shows like LOTL were new, and always found Land to be their weakest work. Well, maybe not as bad as Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on the Krofft Supershow, but LOTL was no PufnStuf or Lidsville. Certainly didn't seem worthy of resurrecting on TV, let alone in theaters. Speaking of the Kaptain, how is it that - in an era where bands often went by their initials (ELP, ELO, BTO, CCR, etc) - nobody noticed what happens when you do that with Kaptain Kool and the Kongs???— January 9, 2010 10:45 p.m.
Dirty, Suspicious
Followup need not take "several hours of leg work, calls, frustration" - SDPD has a press spokesperson with the scoop on what can and can't be told to inquiring press about any given case, whether a day old or years old (Dave Cohen, last time I called). Usually takes just two short calls - one to log your inquiry, and then they get back to you with whatever they're allowed to say. The FIRST time you call, you may have to jump thru a few identification hoops - pointing to your Stringer blog on the Reader site may or may not help. The speediest course thru such an endeavor would entail asking that officer-on-the-scene for the case number off the report he was filling out. THAT's usually the hardest part, and seems like this stringer finessed her constable encounter well enough to find him helpful --- I usually charge for consultation but, again, this stringer report shows much promise. Fred is right about the insight we get into how cops (this cop anyway) identify suspicious cars. In fact, that would be a great "lead" to open a writeup with - once you have a closing to finish with. To finish doesn't necessarily mean "case solved, so-and-so is in jail" - could instead be a pithy quote from the victim named in the report. Or actual factual statistics about vehicle-related crime in that neighborhood, especially on that street block. Or ask another cop in the area about ways the residents can lessen their own risk of being victimized. Or walk into the nearest bar and ask if anyone has ever had their car stolen nearby, interviewing anyone who says "yeah" (they're in a bar, they're gonna be thrilled to tell you all about it). 'Kay, school's out - lock the door when you leave ---— January 9, 2010 12:12 a.m.
The Year in Restaurants
Viva la Nicolosi's! Best sandwiches I ever ate in SD - glad to hear they're back. They used to custom bake a white sauce eggplant and spinach pizza for me that I still dream about some nights....maybe that's why I keep finding bite marks in the coaster on my bedstand...— January 8, 2010 6:55 p.m.
Sex: The Annabel Chong Story
I wrote Annabel's first big-budget movie, the superhero spoof Sordid Stories, and got to know her a bit while we worked on a comic book version of the film. I've regaled friends with tales of being on the set while she filmed porn scenes, but my best, er, sordid story about Annabel involves the time I drove her home from a 50-man...how to put this....uh...."back door" film shoot. [WARNING - "YUCK" ALERT, read on at your own peril] So....While she was riding in my back seat, I kept looking in the, uh, rear view mirror, to see her (wearing a short dress) sliding back and forth across the vinyl bench seat every time I took the slightest turn or lane change. It was like I had a freakin' Slip-N-Slide back there or something. WTF?? After I dropped her off, I noticed my back seat was smeared with what I can only politely describe as, uh, leftover lubricant from her film shoot. Takes a lotta lube to accommodate 50 men. Needless to say, that was the last time I gave Annabel a ride. I'm lucky her butt didn't stick to my back seat like a damp suction cup (although that WOULD have kept her more stationary, made less of a mess, and perhaps saved me the HUGE tip I had to give my car detailing guy later that day).— January 8, 2010 6:46 p.m.
Dirty, Suspicious
Not that anyone asked me, but this IS at least PART of a news report. If this stringer had followed up with the officer on the resolution of this case, and THEN told the entire account (still in 250 to 300 words), THEN you'd have a Reader report. By a potential Reader reporter. The initiative and instinct to interview the cop upon seeing the scene was a perfect startup effort - however, it was premature to report until there was something TO report. When you only have the beginning, it's no more than fodder for the police log ("Jes the facts, m'am"). When you acquire/uncover the middle and (ideally) the END of the story, THEN you have a news report. Free advice from the staff (because this IS a very good start for a story - it takes a reporter's constitution to walk up cold to a cop on duty and interrogate!! Good work)— January 8, 2010 2:57 p.m.