Looks like Mitch Albom and I are on the same page.
He wrote today: "Tom Izzo and Michigan State should rise above the media swirl."
I especially agree with this statement:
You can't just use the media when they suit you.
Exactly.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Are there lessons to be learned from the Izzo drama?
Anyone who paid attention to the will-he-stay-or-will-he-go Tom Izzo drama that ended last night with the famed coach's promise to stay at MSU for life knows that the story was, at times, nothing more than a swirling mass of speculation.
Which presented the media in charge of covering MSU sports with a modern-day, Twitter-induced Catch 22.
Cover the story on a daily basis and give fans what they wanted? Or ignore the story until Izzo made a decision?
As an MSU grad and basketball fan, I'm glad Izzo is staying. I think he made the right decision. I wanted to hug him just like his players did.
But as a journalist -- and the wife of a hardworking sports editor who has literally been awake for nights on end because of Izzo's indecision -- I gotta be honest. I was more than a little miffed by the tenor of the comments by MSU officials last night.
I even changed my Facebook status update at one point to say, "Are MSU officials done lecturing us yet?"
The past 10 days haven't exactly been a picnic for the media. It was actually a nightmare. A Twitter-chasing, cancel-plans-with-the-family, get-no-sleep, Blackberry-ringing-in-the-middle-of-the-night, some-idiot-just-claimed-online-to-know-the-answer-and-we-have-to-check-it-out nightmare.
Did the rumors get out of hand? Did the speculation drive you crazy? Yes, and yes.
But let's imagine the alternative, shall we?
One of the most famous and successful college basketball coaches in history is thinking about defecting to the NBA. An entire state is in an uproar over it, waiting on pins and needles. It's the only thing people can talk about at work, over lunch, on Twitter. Signs are cropping up along the freeways asking the coach to stay. People are gathering for candle-light-frickin'-vigils.
And…. The media does nothing. Cuz, you know, no decision has been made yet.
Come on! Want to see how fast readers/viewers burn down their media outlets in that situation? They would REVOLT and accuse the newspaper, radio station, TV station, etc. of ignoring something the community cared about.
Look, sometimes the STORY is simply the fact that everyone is talking about it -- rumor and all. The media had no choice but to cover it. The Izzo story was news. Period.
There are lessons to be learned from this, to be sure. I can't defend the rush to use unnamed sources who may or may not have known what the hell they were talking about. Nor can I defend anything said or done that was hurtful to Izzo's family. They're innocent bystanders who get caught in the crossfire of their husband/father's fame.
But there are lessons to be learned from the other side, too. (And after 15 years in journalism, it never ceases to amaze me that this lesson NEVER seems to be learned.)
It's really simple: In a major brewing story, when there is a lack of "official" information, people will make up their own.
Especially today, when tweeted speculation gets forwarded as fact.
I hope MSU officials will look at everything that happened and come up with a new communications plan that accommodates the new-social-media-world-order demand for public information. Some kind of plan that acknowledges the need for a daily comments on the rumors being tweeted and status-updated.
Trust me. Reporters and editors will be the first to thank them.
Which presented the media in charge of covering MSU sports with a modern-day, Twitter-induced Catch 22.
Cover the story on a daily basis and give fans what they wanted? Or ignore the story until Izzo made a decision?
As an MSU grad and basketball fan, I'm glad Izzo is staying. I think he made the right decision. I wanted to hug him just like his players did.
But as a journalist -- and the wife of a hardworking sports editor who has literally been awake for nights on end because of Izzo's indecision -- I gotta be honest. I was more than a little miffed by the tenor of the comments by MSU officials last night.
I even changed my Facebook status update at one point to say, "Are MSU officials done lecturing us yet?"
The past 10 days haven't exactly been a picnic for the media. It was actually a nightmare. A Twitter-chasing, cancel-plans-with-the-family, get-no-sleep, Blackberry-ringing-in-the-middle-of-the-night, some-idiot-just-claimed-online-to-know-the-answer-and-we-have-to-check-it-out nightmare.
Did the rumors get out of hand? Did the speculation drive you crazy? Yes, and yes.
But let's imagine the alternative, shall we?
One of the most famous and successful college basketball coaches in history is thinking about defecting to the NBA. An entire state is in an uproar over it, waiting on pins and needles. It's the only thing people can talk about at work, over lunch, on Twitter. Signs are cropping up along the freeways asking the coach to stay. People are gathering for candle-light-frickin'-vigils.
And…. The media does nothing. Cuz, you know, no decision has been made yet.
Come on! Want to see how fast readers/viewers burn down their media outlets in that situation? They would REVOLT and accuse the newspaper, radio station, TV station, etc. of ignoring something the community cared about.
Look, sometimes the STORY is simply the fact that everyone is talking about it -- rumor and all. The media had no choice but to cover it. The Izzo story was news. Period.
There are lessons to be learned from this, to be sure. I can't defend the rush to use unnamed sources who may or may not have known what the hell they were talking about. Nor can I defend anything said or done that was hurtful to Izzo's family. They're innocent bystanders who get caught in the crossfire of their husband/father's fame.
But there are lessons to be learned from the other side, too. (And after 15 years in journalism, it never ceases to amaze me that this lesson NEVER seems to be learned.)
It's really simple: In a major brewing story, when there is a lack of "official" information, people will make up their own.
Especially today, when tweeted speculation gets forwarded as fact.
I hope MSU officials will look at everything that happened and come up with a new communications plan that accommodates the new-social-media-world-order demand for public information. Some kind of plan that acknowledges the need for a daily comments on the rumors being tweeted and status-updated.
Trust me. Reporters and editors will be the first to thank them.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Is plagiarism just an old-school concept?
Last summer, I was lucky enough to be a speaker at the national convention of Romance Writer's of America. Before my own session, I sat in on a workshop moderated by mega-New York Times bestseller Nora Roberts on the topic of plagiarism.
Roberts was notoriously the victim of plagiarism several years ago by another New York Times bestseller, Janet Dailey -- who admitted to copying huge chunks of Roberts' work and panning it off as her own.
Since then, Roberts has been a loud advocate in support of copyright protections for other writers. In her words, being the victim of plagiarism is like being "mind raped."
So I can't help but wonder how she would feel after reading this New York Times article about a 17-year-old German author who's bestselling debut novel has been shown to be full of stolen material.
Even worse than the plagiarism itself is the author's excuse. According to the Times, Helene Heggemann has defended herself by saying that she's part of a new generation who samples other artists' works freely to create something new.
"There's no such thing as originality, anyway," the Times' article quotes her as saying. "Just authenticity."
Maybe I'm just an old-schooler at the ripe age of 35, but let me state this very clearly for Hegemann and others of her "generation." What you call "sampling," I call "theft." And if you "sample" my work without permission, I will sue you.
How's that for authenticity?
Roberts was notoriously the victim of plagiarism several years ago by another New York Times bestseller, Janet Dailey -- who admitted to copying huge chunks of Roberts' work and panning it off as her own.
Since then, Roberts has been a loud advocate in support of copyright protections for other writers. In her words, being the victim of plagiarism is like being "mind raped."
So I can't help but wonder how she would feel after reading this New York Times article about a 17-year-old German author who's bestselling debut novel has been shown to be full of stolen material.
Even worse than the plagiarism itself is the author's excuse. According to the Times, Helene Heggemann has defended herself by saying that she's part of a new generation who samples other artists' works freely to create something new.
"There's no such thing as originality, anyway," the Times' article quotes her as saying. "Just authenticity."
Maybe I'm just an old-schooler at the ripe age of 35, but let me state this very clearly for Hegemann and others of her "generation." What you call "sampling," I call "theft." And if you "sample" my work without permission, I will sue you.
How's that for authenticity?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
How to Talk to a Reporter
It's unusual for a reporter to blog about a really great interview, but that's what I'm about to do. So often you read blogs about what not to do when dealing with the media. This time around, how about a good example of HOW TO TALK TO A REPORTER?
I recently cold-called a local home builder for an article about a refurbished historic home in our area. He was the contractor for the job. I called at 9:30 a.m., and he did everything right from that point on.
1. He took my call. He wasn't expecting me, but he took the call and gave me nearly 20 minutes. Compare that to a few months ago, when I called a local financial planner, seeking her expertise for an article. She took two days to call back. Needless to say, she missed my deadline and the boat.
2. He was honest. Want to know the fastest way to make a reporter roll her eyes? Pepper your interviews with lame, over-the-top positive quotes. Not this guy. He was honest. He said that when he first walked into the historic home to give an estimate for the job, he told the owners that they were making a mistake. It was too big of a job that had the potential to become a money pit. I would much rather do a story about a guy who can be honest like that, than I would about someone who gushes, "It was so awesome!" with every other breath. Repeat after me: Conflict is what makes every story worth telling.
3. He didn't try to oversell himself or his company. During the interview, he explained that his company specializes in historic refabs and reproductions. That was all I needed to know in the context of the article. He didn't try to sell me a thousand different angles that had nothing to do with the article I was working on.
The interview went so well that his own house and his company are going to be featured again in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Now THAT is a successful interview.
And THAT is how you talk to a reporter.
I recently cold-called a local home builder for an article about a refurbished historic home in our area. He was the contractor for the job. I called at 9:30 a.m., and he did everything right from that point on.
1. He took my call. He wasn't expecting me, but he took the call and gave me nearly 20 minutes. Compare that to a few months ago, when I called a local financial planner, seeking her expertise for an article. She took two days to call back. Needless to say, she missed my deadline and the boat.
2. He was honest. Want to know the fastest way to make a reporter roll her eyes? Pepper your interviews with lame, over-the-top positive quotes. Not this guy. He was honest. He said that when he first walked into the historic home to give an estimate for the job, he told the owners that they were making a mistake. It was too big of a job that had the potential to become a money pit. I would much rather do a story about a guy who can be honest like that, than I would about someone who gushes, "It was so awesome!" with every other breath. Repeat after me: Conflict is what makes every story worth telling.
3. He didn't try to oversell himself or his company. During the interview, he explained that his company specializes in historic refabs and reproductions. That was all I needed to know in the context of the article. He didn't try to sell me a thousand different angles that had nothing to do with the article I was working on.
The interview went so well that his own house and his company are going to be featured again in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Now THAT is a successful interview.
And THAT is how you talk to a reporter.
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