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Israeli TV station says “feh!” to good news
“Why don’t you ever cover the good news?” is a common criticism of the media as a whole.
We hear it considerably less at a community newspaper like The Daily Sentinel, where our values include reflecting a wide swath of life in our community, not just the aberrant, which is the very definition of news.
But make no mistake, that value comes at a cost. For a medium that is immediately reactive to ratings, the cost of good news can sometimes be too high.
In a column titled “The news you want” by Israeli journalist Yair Lapid, he explains why he abandoned a weekly 2-minute “One Good Person” feature that was a ratings sinkhole.
(Thanks to Poynter columnist Alan Abbey for spotting this item.)
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The Sun sets in New York today
The most recent incarnation of The New York Sun publishes its final issue today after a seven-year run whose history stretches way back to the era of the penny press.
Benjamin Day in 1833 brought newspaper to the masses when he priced copies of his New York Sun for only a penny — a fraction of what other papers charged.
With the tagline of “It shines for all,” the Sun had true populist appeal. Newspapers, subsidized by advertising, were suddenly something everyone could afford, and everyone had in common.
The penny press era dovetailed with other factors that contributed to increased newspaper readership: the Industrial Revolution, in which people had regular income and regular hours working in factories, and became increasingly urbanized as they moved off farms and to cities; and compulsory education, resulting in increased literacy.
Day changed the fundamental business model of newspapers, and broadened their appeal to a mass audience, changing also the kinds of stories journalists wrote. No longer were they only about the rich and for the rich. They were about everyone in the community.
The Sun of today has been losing money and unable to reach an agreement for a sale. In remarks to staff announcing the paper’s closure, Editor Seth Lipsky spoke about the Sun’s financial backers’ belief in the “ideal of the scoop,” a touching tribute to the idealism that drives journalism.
“They invested in the ideal of the scoop, the notion that news is the spirit of democracy, and in the principles for which we have stood in our editorial pages — limited and honest government, equality under our Constitution and the law, free markets, sound money, and a strong foreign policy in support of freedom and democracy. They liked the way the Sun reflected the dynamism of our city and spoke for its interests in the national debate.
They invested, too, in the joy with which you illuminated the cultural life of New York, in our willingness to spring to the defense of so many who are not always defended, in the thrill of our sports coverage, the verve and warmth of our society coverage, and in our efforts to bring together a community and give it voice.”
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Punctuation is delicious
I wasn’t kidding about the cookies. Thanks, Cassie!
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Happy; National, Punctuation. Day!
Newsrooms are one of the last bastions of the geeky grammarians, the wacky wordsmiths, the persnickety punctuators (the loquacious alliterators).
Need proof?
That’s commitment to the lifestyle! That sweet semicolon tat is on the arm of copy editor Cassie. We take our punctuation very, very seriously around here. Debates (read “fights”) regularly break out over when a semicolon, comma or simply breaking into separate sentences would be best.
So today is a special day around here, being National Punctuation Day and all. There will be punctuation mark-shaped sugar cookies and … I don’t know what else. Check out the National Punctuation Day Web site for a quick reference on various punctuation marks, breaking news about the serial comma and even a recipe for the Official Meat Loaf of National Punctuation Day.
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After this Nightmare on Wall Street, “free” never sounded so good
Looking back, all those summer stories about $4 a gallon gasoline and skyrocketing grocery prices are starting to seem like the good old days.
Well here’s some good news to celebrate: something free.
From the National Park Service:
Sept. 22, 2008
Colorado National Monument to Waive Entrance Fee on National Public Lands Day
All National Park Service sites, including Colorado National Monument, will offer free visitor admission on Saturday, Sept. 27, in honor of National Public Lands Day. All entrance fees, including commercial tour entrance fees and transportation entrance fees, will be waived on this day. Normally, a seven-day pass to Colorado National Monument is $7 for a private, non-commercial vehicle.
In celebration of National Public Lands Day, Colorado National Monument will host a “Family Fun Ranger-Guided Hike” for children ages 5-12 years old accompanied by parents or guardians. Together, the group will participate in a scavenger hunt, learn about animal signs and tracks, put those skills to use on the trail, and create a nature craft to take home. The meeting location is at the Devils Kitchen Picnic Area (near the east entrance), from 10 a.m. to noon. For additional information call the Visitor Center at 858-3617, 360.
* Cold Shivers Sentinel file photo by Christopher Tomlinson.
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Grand Valley Senior Daybreak celebrates 15 years of caregiver respite
If you or anyone you know takes care of an older family member requiring 24-hour care, you know the stress and strain on the caregiver.
No matter how much you love someone, it’s just too much for one person to take without an occasional break.
That’s where programs like Grand Valley Senior Daybreak come in. They offer a safe place to take older people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
Grand Valley Senior Daybreak celebrates its 15th anniversary today with cake and punch at an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. at its location at Crossroads United Methodist Church, 599 30 Road, in the Fellowship Hall.
Executive Director Marilyn Griffin said VA and Medicaid may cover expenses for eligible patients.
Caregivers often are the last to admit they need a break. If you’re in a position to nudge someone to take one, here’s your chance.
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Happy birthday, Isabel, Chance & Piper
Eleven years ago today I whelped this cute litter:
From this snoozy start, the kids have learned over the past 11 years how to shoot a BB gun, clean a fish, drive a tractor, barrel race, quilt, turn an infield play to first, sink a layup, decorate a cake, play the piano, guitar and drums, sing on key and use a pocket knife without requiring first aid.
I can’t imagine what’s in store from here.
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Twittering from a child’s funeral
The great thing about working in news now is that stories can be updated online 24 hours a day, as events unfold.
The challenging thing is knowing what’s too much, too soon, too terse, too unedited.
Such was the backlash to the Rocky Mountain News’ Twitter coverage from the funeral of 3-year-old Marten Kudlis, as reported by Westword media critic Michael Roberts. (As an aside, Roberts is from Grand Junction — a GJHS grad and Mesa College alum.)
Newspapers take their share of criticism over funeral coverage, and we’re no different. In general, we clear our attendance with family members; we don’t want to compound their grief.
In the Rocky Mountain News’ case, they were invited by family. The criticism is not that they were there at all, but that the Twitters were viewed as irreverent. It might be the first time I’ve heard Twitter controversy to this extent, but it probably won’t be the last.
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Showing some (arch) support for Mesa County Search & Rescue
If you’re saying an extra “thank you” today in your thoughts to the people whose job it is to help out the rest of us during disasters, think about putting your feet where your gratitude is by participating in fund-raising runs Saturday.
From the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office: Two Trail runs Benefit Search and Rescue
The Mesa County Search and Rescue Ground Team is ready to run this Saturday and they are inviting the public out to join them. Running will take place on the Kokopelli trails, just off I-70 at exit No. 15, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. The Alpine Bank Mary’s Loop 8 Mile and Kokopelli Classic 16 Mile trail runs are an annual event not to be missed.
Runners can choose between the 8 mile run (cost $25, or $30 on race day) or the 16 mile run (cost $45, or $50 on race day), and registration includes a shirt, schwag bag and food. There are awards for first, second and third places for both men and women, in various age groups and overall winners.
For more information go to www.sarevents.org or email mcsarcgt@yahoo.com. Participants can register at the trailhead on Sept. 13.
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Lefty? Right Wing? You be the judge
To work at a newspaper is to develop a tolerance for whiplash.
Someone overhearing my phone messages could be forgiven for being confused. Back to back, The Sentinel will be accused of being politically aligned to the left of Karl Marx or squarely right of Benito Mussolini.
I like hearing from readers, although sometimes I wonder if we’re reading the same paper. But viva la difference. Journalism should encourage spirited debate. But if something more scientific is required to reveal media bias, try this.
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Maverick with a capital “M”
It’s Maverick season — both in the national political and local sports arenas.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain often is described by journalists and speech-makers as a maverick. The term, rooted in the ranching West, seems to have stuck with the senator longer than Straight Talk Express did. The lure of alliteration probably helps, too.
Closer to home, incoming freshmen at Mesa State College have been known to circle the bronze statue of the maverick mascot in the student quad looking for appendage clues as to exactly what the cow/steer/bull is that makes it a “maverick.”
Both usages owe as their origin Texas rancher/lawyer/legislator/some-might-say-carpetbagger Samuel Maverick who refused to brand his cattle. Those unmarked and unconventional calves were quite literally “Maverick’s” and over time the term stuck as “mavericks.”
National Public Radio did a spot on thehistory of the term. Wikipedia gives an extensive biographical account. Longhorn file photo from Cox Newspapers.
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Gabriele Mayer is more than the “face” for ovarian cancer awareness, she’s the voice of hope
02.28.08 Dear friends,
I am so sorry I have such bad news: I need to cancel my trips to Japan and to Germany for this year. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on Monday this week. Tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 29, I will have an operation in Denver at Swedish Hospital, then we’ll see how bad it is. I am hopeful it is not too bad, but please keep me in your thoughts. I will write again next week to tell you all about it.
Love, Gabriele
Following that bombshell email to her friends, Gabriele Mayer began her battle with ovarian cancer.
Over the next six months, the Mesa State College English and German professor emailed friends about the physical and emotional struggles that come with chemotherapy side effects and with facing your own mortality.
Mayer’s honest writing is sometimes painful to read. But her ebullient personality also enlivens her emails with jokes about her “chemo buzz” and “mega whopper” medications, about cheering for Germany in the UEFA Cup European Soccer Championship.
Reporter Amy Hamilton wrote about Mayer here. But you also can hear from Mayer herself, by downloading from the story a PDF of her personal emails.
By letting us tell her story, Mayer agreed to be the “face” for ovarian cancer awareness. But through her writing, she is the voice, the heart and the fighting soul.
Thank you and danke, Gabriele. Continued joy in your recovery.
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Papa (and Roy Clark) knows best about calling out propaganda
Ernest Hemingway, who honed his terse and direct prose as a newspaper reporter, said writers should develop a built-in BS-detector (my G-rated paraphrase).
Roy Clark, probably the greatest writing coach of all time (not that I’m his biggest fan — OK, maybe I am, but I wouldn’t break his cockadoody ankle or anything), recalled Papa’s insistence in this timely read: Here’s Your Handy-Dandy Propaganda Detector.
Clark shares seven of his favorite propaganda-detection tools, from Name Calling to Plain Folks, and distinguishes between emotional propaganda and rational propaganda.
Between now and Nov. 4, voters are going to need all the help they can get to navigate political speeches, advertisements, debates and media coverage. Sharpen your skepticism and put these tools to good use.
AP photo of Ernest Hemingway in 1939 working on “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at Sun Valley Lodge in Idaho.
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On covering Sarah Palin when you’re her hometown paper
Many years ago when I lived one near-starving (but for the dog salmon) summer in Alaska, I remember this about Wasilla, spotted between looking for work in Fairbanks and looking for work in Anchorage:
Wasilla was a bedroom community to Anchorage, full of new stick-frame subdivisions. It struck me as similar to Fruita with its own town center but a large commuter population.
Who knew a future vice-presidential candidate was right under my nose? Sarah Palin’s pluck from near-obscurity has done more than taken a nation by surprise, it caught the Anchorage Daily News offguard, too.
Editor Pat Dougherty talks about what it’s like to suddenly be the source for a curious country eager for all that can be found out about Palin.
Dougherty also bemoans the media’s stereotypical shortcut descriptions of our northernmost state. “It is in the nature of these things to be somewhat caricaturish,” he said. “We are a long way away and people are not that familiar with the state. The sketch is a little cartoonish.”
No one was skinning grizzlies in Anchorage when I worked there. Instead I cursed rush-hour traffic and window-shopped at Nordstrom’s. There was, however, the occasional moose on the golf course.
AP file photo of Sarah Palin campaigning for governor on Nov. 6, 2006, with her daughter Piper, 5.
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Press release files reveal Tic Tac-eating cat
Alert reader (yeah, OK, staff member) Samantha Stiles netted this one from the catch-of-the-day press release files*. Her introduction is funnier than the release.
*Despite my compulsive copy-editing instincts, I did not change the incorrect “it’s” (contraction for “it is”) to “its” (possessive; you wouldn’t say her’s, would you?). We’ll just let it serve as a grammar lesson.
From Samantha:
Here’s one for the press release files. Those cats … get me every time. And orange Tic Tacs really are THAT good.
The headline is the best part of this release. The rest is just details.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rosemary Davis Veux Marketing, Inc. Phone: (404) 975-4881 E-Mail: rdavis@veuxmarketing.com
Thursday, August 21, 2008 $10,000 Video Winner in Tic Tac® Mints Contest Announced Tic Tac® Cat Steals The Show While Target Gets The Dough Atlanta, GA- The Tic Tac® Brand has named Michael Beaudoin of Billerica , MA the $10,000 Grand Prize winner of its “Share Your Tic Tac® Moments” video contest. Mike entered a video featuring his parents’ cat Pepe’, which proved a hit among judges and online voters. His video, “Tic Tac®Cat”, was one of 16 semi-finalists.
The Grand Prize winner, who favors Orange flavored Tic Tac ® mints, also named retail giant Target as his favorite place to buy Tic Tac ® mints. As a result, Target Corporation will receive a $10,000 donation for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Since 1946, Target has contributed 5% of it’s annual income to support education, the arts and social services in local communities. Other contest finalists will receive a $1,500 Best Buy® gift card, a year’s supply of movie passes, and a year’s supply of Tic Tac® Mints.
According to William Colvard of Veux Marketing that created and implemented the promotion, response to the contest was “awesome” as demonstrated by the diverse mix of entries. “Clearly, Tic Tac® consumers are some very innovative people judging by their videos,” said Colvard. “It has been fascinating to see Tic Tac® mints inspire such originality and creativity.”
Michael Beaudoin, a personnel recruiter with interest in purchasing a home, said he created the winning video after considering and dismissing several ideas. The witty but wacky video depicts him racing the cat through the house to get a Tic Tac® mint. “I thought about it for a long time and asked other people about my ideas but nothing worked. Then, while I was visiting my parents in Maine, I woke up at 6 a.m. hearing bells jingling on the cat’s collar. I’m not a morning person but I kept hearing the bells and a beat started coming to me. The idea just hit me.” A former audio engineering student, Mike composed a song for the video which he says “everyone in the office is singing.” Contest videos can be viewed at http://www.mintertainment.com/.
The nationwide search for America’s favorite Tic Tac® Moment picked up some star power along the way as well. Visitors to the Mintertainment website were treated to video clips from the MTV Movie Awards and the “Deal or No Deal” Celebrity Golf Tournament in Hollywood. The celebrity Tic Tac® Moments, said Colvard, were not entered in the competition . Among them: “Deal or No Deal” host Howie Mandel and models Patricia, Tameka, Anya, Pilar, Marisa, and Leyla, John Salley (NBA Champion, “The Best Damn Sports Show Period”), Danny Noriega (“American Idol”), Beverly Mitchell (“7th Heaven”), Mia Michaels and Brian Friedman (“So You Think You Think You Can Dance”), Omarosa (The Apprentice”), and Jodie Sweetin (“Full House”).
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If your birth certificate says dad is “Boto,” have a talk with your mom
From the press release files:
What to make of this with the telepathic animal communicators, strip-searching orangutan and Baby Daddy Botos? Such weirdness usually is confined to Friday communiques but has splashed over to Monday this week.
Monday, August 18, 2008
ENDANGERED SPECIES HELPS CREATE MUSIC Music From The Pink Dolphins CD - Animal communicators translate for endangered dolphins message
Los Angeles, CA- This CD was created with the help of telepathic animal communicators who acted as translators between the endangered pink freshwater dolphins of the Amazon river basin and the Laurel Canyon Animal Company.
In keeping with its policy of creating music about, for and with animals, the Laurel Canyon Animal Company hired telepathic animal communicators Penelope Smith and Eros Christos to contact the dolphins and ask them if they wanted to participate in the creation of the music, and if so, what message they wanted included. The dolphins’ responses as translated by Smith and Christos were used as guides for creating both music and lyrics. The lyrics of one of the songs — Anima Mundi, are comprised entirely of transmissions received directly from the dolphins
The Pink Dolphins, also known as Botos, are native to remote areas of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America. For centuries, they’ve been a part of Amazonian myths that say at night, Botos transform (shapeshift) into handsome young men who seduce and impregnate young women. Hundreds of children’s birth certificates list “Boto” as their father to this day.
One of the only existing recordings of the voice of a wild Pink Amazonian river Dolphin has been incorporated into the music. The very unique voice of the Pink Dolphin, which has never before been heard beyond the Amazon, is now an integral part of this music.
Laurel Canyon Animal Company also had the music tested at the EEG Institute of Thousand Oaks, CA. The tests found that listening to this music can lower blood pressure and induce a Theta state that relaxes the muscles.
Award-winning author Sy Montgomery (Journey of the Pink Dolphins), animal communicators Penelope Smith and Eros Christos, conservationist Roxanne Kremer, and the Pink Dolphins themselves — helped create Music From the Pink Dolphins.
Skip Haynes, a hit songwriter and artist, and Dana Walden, a hit songwriter and award-winning composer, are neighbors in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. They started the Laurel Canyon Animal Company in 1999. Music From The Pink Dolphins is their seventh collaboration.
Laurel Canyon Animal Company’s first two projects were Ugly Dogs Need More Love, which was followed by Cat-A-Tonic. Next, they signed a parrot named Carla, and released a single called “I’m A Green Chicken” with Carla’s vocals leading the chorus. Subsequently, they partnered with Koko —the only lowland gorilla in the world who understands English and communicates through sign language — and the result was Koko - Fine Animal Gorilla. Haynes and Walden then sought out a modern-day “Dr. Dolittle,” intuitive animal communicator Dr. Kim Ogden, with whom they created Songs To Make Dogs Happy, the first musical CD approved by dogs for dogs which led to the creation of Music From The Pink Dolphins .
$14.99 at www.petcds.com Amazon.com
For more information, mp3s or review copies or giveaways
Contact: Skip Haynes • 323.822.1764 • skip@petcds.com
Sy Montgomery • Consultant
While researching books, films and articles, Montgomery has been chased by an angry silverback gorilla in Zaire and bitten by a vampire bat in Costa Rica. She has worked in a pit that was crawling with 18,000 snakes in Manitoba, and handled a wild tarantula in French Guiana. She has been deftly undressed by an orangutan in Borneo, hunted by a tiger in India, and swum with piranhas, electric eels and dolphins in the Amazon.
Roxanne Kremer • Consultant
Kremer is the executive director and founder of the International Society for the Preservation of the Tropical Rainforest & Preservation of the Amazonian River Dolphins (I.S.P.T.R./P.A.R.D.). An environmentalist, naturalist and conservationist, she actively works on the front lines of the Amazon basin in Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, developing innovative projects and sustainable positive alternative strategies to benefit the indigenous people, flora and fauna of the world’s largest remaining tropical rainforest.
Penelope Smith • Dolphin Communicator
Smith is a pioneer in the field of interspecies telepathic communication and the author of many books and recordings, as well as the editor of the quarterly journal Species Link. She is considered the hub of a growing worldwide community of animal communicators.
Eros Christos • Dolphin Communicator
Christos is a visionary writer, compassionate teacher and guide, powerful sound vibration healer, and dolphin and whale communicator.
Photos available for this release:
Music From The Pink Dolphins Cover Pink Dolphin Doughnut Dolphin Standing Dolphin Profile
To view photos, go to www.enr-corp.com/pressroom and enter Release ID: 161622
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Top 10 Reasons It’s Great for The Daily Sentinel to be downtown
So we’re not building a brand-new office out by the airport.
Big deal. I was already dreading leaving downtown anyway.
What our beloved Daily Sentinel abode lacks in ambiance (windows, mostly), it makes up for in accessibility. Everything I need is within a 5-minute walk from right here.
So, in honor of all-things downtown, and to put off working on a month-end report, I offer:
“The Top 10 Reasons It’s Great to be Downtown”
10. Green Tea Smoothies from Main Street Bagels. Some don’t like its gritty goodness. Those people are wrong. The Green Tea Smoothie is a grown-up milkshake/lunch in a cup.
9. Watching for the first crocuses to spear through the soil in the downtown flower beds in the spring.
8. Hart Music. Where to start: the little cubbies of multicolored guitar picks, the trade-in amps in the back, the drum room downstairs, running into people you know making payments on their lay-ways: It’s ground zero for local music.
7. Colorado Riverfront Trail. There’s no bad day that can’t be improved upon by taking a walk down to the river and scribbling in the sand with a stick. I don’t know why it works, but it does.
6. La Paninoteca’s Main Street move to Coffee Muggers. Panini are served with delicately dressed salad greens. You leave feeling you’ve treated your body well.
5. Pollux’s buy-one-get-one-half-price rack. It’s a fun place to start even if you just end up just buying a T-shirt or $6 pair of Lucite earrings.
4. Blue Moon Bar & Grille, also known as The Daily Sentinel’s Northern Bureau. Greek Lasagna day, Monte Cristo sandwiches, Brad and Becky’s hospitality: It’s all good.
3. The Museum of Western Colorado. Have you ever climbed up in the big purple tower and surveyed your domain? If you haven’t, you should.
2. Brown Cycles and Ruby Canyon Cycles. Who doesn’t need a ding-dong bell or generator head lamp? All those bikes we’re all buying come with all kinds of cool accessories and these shops can hook you up.
1. We’ve been here since 1893. It feels like home.
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Happy birthday, Colorado — you don’t look a day over 131
From the press release files:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, AUG. 1, 2008
GOV. RITTER PROCLAIMS TODAY COLORADO DAY
Gov. Bill Ritter marked today’s 132nd anniversary of Colorado statehood by proclaiming Friday, Aug. 1, 2008, as Colorado Day.
COLORADO DAY August 1, 2008
WHEREAS, on July 4, 1876, at the World’s Fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the 100th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America, Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States, announced that Colorado would become the Centennial State; and
WHEREAS, on August 1, 1876, President Grant, from the Oval Office at the White House, proclaimed Colorado to be the 38th state of the Union; and
WHEREAS, Territorial Governor John L. Routt was elected as the first Governor of the State of Colorado and the territorial legislature was dissolved, allowing for a newly elected State legislature to be formed; and
WHEREAS, on August 1, 2008, Colorado will celebrate 132 years of statehood; and
WHEREAS, while Colorado Day recognizes and celebrates the history of our state, Coloradans undertake to serve the community on this day through volunteer projects and programs, giving back to the state and preserving its resources, which have provided for our citizens for more than a century;
Therefore, I, Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim August 1, 2008,
COLORADO DAY
in the State of Colorado.
GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this first day of August, 2008
Bill Ritter, Jr. Governor
#
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Cubs fans, keep an ear out for this name: Kevin Vicker
Mesa State alum Kevin Vicker is one of those students you don’t forget. When others did the minimum amount of work to quietly get by, he challenged himself and the material, and if something was eating at him after class he’d track you down and want to debate more.
He had a big voice and a big love for the Cubs, so I was pleased to receive this email (posted with Kevin’s OK). With this kind of focus, determination and hard work, I have a feeling Kevin’s going to make it all the way to the big show.
Note to job fair recruiters in Vegas: You want to hire this kid.
Hey Ms. Davis,
So, I landed an opportunity in minor league baseball. It’s a little disappointing in that it took over a year after graduation and it’s unpaid. But there was an immediate opening with the Daytona Cubs, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, in Daytona Beach, FL that opened up in mid-July and I took it. It was pretty crazy, in that I applied, was interviewed and was hired in less than three days. I had one day to pack and then I had to drive out here solo because my car is needed. I’ll be all done here in mid-Sept. and then I’ll be going back to Colorado. My hope is to attend a big pro baseball job fair in Las Vegas in December and land a paid position with a new team for the 2009 season, which would mean I would probably start work in January.
They keep me very busy, but, so far, it’s already been a great experience. I work at the stadium offices from 9-5 weekdays and help out w/ media relations stuff, like typing out game notes and preparing program inserts. I also get to do some of the less glamorous work, such as helping the grounds crew pull the tarp on and off the field (and in FL, it rains almost everyday), running errands around town, and cleaning the press box. I’m also working on getting some sales for the team, but I’m still not clear as to how much time I will have to devote to that. I’m still glad that I am learning, though because collecting sales is a part of the job throughout the minors.
All this so I can practice my broadcasting work. After 5, I get a team provided meal (if it’s a home game) and then I have to leave for the radio station at 6, so I can get there and get on air at 6:45 to host the pre-game show, which is 15-20 minutes long. Then I run the audio board for the game. While I run the board, I am responsible for doing two in game updates with scores around the league, so I have to track 11 other games. I also have to be writing the game recap story for the website, which needs to go up as soon as the game ends. Then, after the game, I take callers and host the post-game show, which has to run at least an hour.
One thing that made me think of you is that I made a major mistake my first day. I misspelled one of the player’s names in the game story. I was mad at myself because I know better than that. Yeah, it was my first day and it was on the heels of a three-day, 1800 mile trek across 2/3rds of the country, but those are just excuses. Fortunately, because I was new one of my bosses checked the story after I posted it and corrected the error. They were not as upset with me as I thought they should’ve been, but I’ve been triple checking each name now ever since. And, yes, that incident reminded me of you because I thought, “Jeez, Ms. Davis would’ve slapped me upside the head for that.”
I remember that I had the opportunity to talk to Thomas Harding, who writes the game stories for the Colorado Rockies website, on one of my trips with Prof. Evers and the sports reporting class to Coors Field. I remember Mr. Harding saying that he would write his story and then start writing a comeback story in the last inning, so he’d be ready if a late rally occurred. Knowing that helped me, although I have more going on during the game than he does, but I always keep that in mind. That being said, I hate writing this way. I feel like everything is so rushed and I know I could write better pieces, but the deadline doesn’t allow for much editing at all. The part that bothers me the most is that sometimes I come up with some really clever leads, or headlines or sub-heads, but then something happens in the game to where whatever I wrote no longer applies, so then I have to delete it all.
One thing that I think is really good is that after my first week, my boss said that it felt like I’d been here all season, so I must be fitting in as well as expected. I think I’m picking stuff up relatively quick, but it’s tough because everyone else is in their groove and actually kind of burnt out at this point. I’m fresh, but also unfamiliar with everything. Not the just the job, but the town and surrounding area too. I’ve been here for almost two weeks now and it feels more like two days, but things are starting to slow down, which is good. My actual first couple days felt like all this stuff was just being thrown at me and I was fighting to keep up. But that’s just the nature of how demanding the job is and during the season is the worst and everyone else started in January or is year-round, so under any circumstances it was going to be challenging to start in July.
Being a Chicago Cubs affiliate is an added bonus because I actually have to do a report on around the Chicago Cubs organization during my post-game show. Also, I was told early on that it would be fine, and maybe even encouraged, to include a topic about the Chicago Cubs during the show. I take advantage of that, but have yet to receive any local callers that want to talk about Chicago.
If you want to check out some of my work, you can go to http://www.daytonacubs.com/ a lot of the stories under “News” will have a familiar byline. Also, if you look on the right, and click the “Listen to the Cubs Live on 1380” box, it will bring up a live 24/7 stream of the radio station. The pre-game show is kind of boring because it is mostly me just reading script, but the post-game show is kind of fun because that’s where I get to take over basically all of the editorial content and also I get to interact with callers. If you tune in on a week night between 8-9 mountain time, there’s a good chance the post-game show will be running. The team is rarely off and game times are not as consistent on weekend days.
If you can’t ever peek in live, but still want to listen, you can go to http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t450 to hear archived broadcasts. You must register to listen to the archives, but it is free. Unfortunately, MLB often calls in after my pre-game has already started and they tend to hang up early in my post-game show because they are pretty much just interested in catching the game. Daytona is not a high priority for them, and actually, some teams in the Florida State League don’t even have broadcast teams, and we are one of only two broadcast teams that travel with the ball club. Of course, I never get to travel because I’m the studio guy (back at the “Cubs Den” as we call it). But again, I just hope this brief internship deal leads to a job where I can at least make some money. I think I have some skills and I want to start working for money at some point, even if it’s not a lot at first.
Anyway, it was my name gaffe that made me think of you, so I thought I would take a minute and get you caught up on what I’ve been up to.
— Kevin
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Scooping up after the Mesa County Fair
Sunday morning found my family loading up rabbit cages, stacking up chairs and folding tables for storage at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.
After fair, it’s all-hands-on-deck for all exhibitors to help with clean-up. It’s that kind of work ethic that endears 4-H to me.
Fair Ambassador and ambivalent tiara-wearer Megan McKee, 15, said it best in a story last Saturday: “If you’re in 4-H, you aren’t a high-maintenance girl.”
Reporters Melinda Mawdsley and Samantha Stiles were all over fair coverage this year. (Did you see the video of 5-foot-1 Melinda with a 15-foot python around her neck? Now that’s entertainment.)
Photographer Dean Humphrey was on the grounds nearly every day and brought back some amazing photos of exhibitors and their animals, and bull-riding.
Photographer Gretel Daugherty’s shots of the livestock auction Saturday captured all the conflicted emotion that comes with making money and parting with animals.
Just about everyone in this newsroom had a hand in fair coverage at one time or another.
Enjoy the slide show from this year’s event, and see you at the fair next year.
Fifty-one weeks and counting until we unpack those cages, chairs and tables.
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Mesa County Fair week
This is one busy week at our house, and all across Mesa County it’s the same wherever there are 4-H or FFA kids.
It’s the Big Show for kids who have spent the last year raising animals or making things like this:
That’s my son, Chance. A veteran birdhouse-builder, thanks to the mentorship of his grandpa, he decided to go in a different direction for this project with a funky, crooked-house plan. He had his judge interview yesterday and felt really good about it.
That’s the thing about 4-H projects: Not only do members have to plan, document and complete a project, they also develop their public speaking skills. My kids will be at the fair every day this week for various projects. I’ll be out there as much as I can, too.
There was a great fair schedule of events in the paper Sunday. You also can see the schedule online. Entertainment reporter Samantha Stiles gives the full rundown on how many farm critters there are, where to get tickets and even how to save $1 on admission.
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Sheesh. That’s a good example. Forced “good news” can be just that: forced.
... read the full comment by Laurena | Comment on Israeli TV station says "feh!" to good news Read Israeli TV station says "feh!" to good news
Half a million years ago, when I was barely 19 and the editor of a small-town weekly newspaper, I decided to do something like this. We called it “10 who make a difference” and encouraged the community to nominate the ten people who made the
... read the full comment by Daniel | Comment on Israeli TV station says "feh!" to good news Read Israeli TV station says "feh!" to good news
I’m reminded of an answer on a high school biology test that still bugs me.
The question was “What is the most effective method of birth control?”
I answered “condoms” from the short list of options. The teacher
... read the full comment by Laurena | Comment on Happy; National, Punctuation. Day! Read Happy; National, Punctuation. Day!
With all of this hoopla, it’s a pity that your newspaper isn’t more accurate. I often see factual as well as grammatical errors. Perhaps you should celebrate punctuation every day, instead of just once a year.
... read the full comment by Joe | Comment on Happy; National, Punctuation. Day! Read Happy; National, Punctuation. Day!