For those of you who are journalists, you know there are a few — or few more than a few — things that non journalists don't understand about what we do.
And for those of you who are not journalists, writing is not just about selling papers and sticking it to the man... at least not for most.
Here are a few things that I've been thinking about for awhile that I need to put out there. You can agree or disagree, but remember this is my blog, so ultimately my opinion. :) Feel free to add to the list by leaving a comment.
12 things non journalists should know about what we do:
1. We do not know everything. So when a mistake is made, we do our best to correct it. Remember we are only human.
2. Our #1 goal is not to fill the newspaper or media outlet with only bad news. But if we didn't report it, readers would be complaining that we are not being transparent about what is going on out in the world. It's not like we created the violence.
3. Finding that extraordinary story out of an ordinary person is what makes our job fun.
4. A lot of the time reporters do not write the headlines you see in the newspaper.
5. Believe it or not, stories go through about three or more people before it's published. If there's still a mistake, it's possible wires of communication were crossed. Don't have a cow.
6. We can't possibly cover everything, especially if sources mention it the day it is happening.
7. Our entire day is not spent at the computer writing. We actually develop source work, go to meetings and interact with the public so you don't have to. You're welcome.
8. Just because something isn't newsworthy to you, doesn't mean it isn't to somebody else. The world does not cater to you.
9. "You can't trust the media," is a false statement. Journalists do not go out of their way to lie to you. (Oh and bloggers aren't necessarily journalists)
10. If a reporter calls you. Return the call promptly, please. We work on deadline, and in order to get all the facts, your cooperation is appreciated.
11. Journalists — at least the ones I know — do what they do for the public, for you. (Trust me, we don't make enough to be doing it for the money)
12. A 9 to 5 job... ha!
Another blog I found talks about what PR people should know about Journalists and visa versa. Check it out.
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Here are some things I thought of:
ReplyDeleteIn some situations, such as court proceedings, we can't get all the information right away. I often see comments defending a person charged with a crime and readers tend to blame the newspaper for ignoring or not getting facts. The thing is, we can't publish rumors, these people generally don't go on the record with us and most of the time, we have to wait for that information from the court.
If readers see a mistake, it is good to comment, e-mail or call. No we aren't perfect, but we have to try for perfection. It's our job to have the facts and spell things correctly.
The stories that people complain about the most are the ones people read the most. If we are "over covering" something or publish something seemingly stupid, those stories get a lot of readership and comments. If we didn't have those stories, people would complain that we don't.