Tom Shatel's column

[np_husker]

Shatel: Reports on injuries lead Pelini to ban reporters from practice

By Tom Shatel

WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST

 

Link

 

Mod edit: please don't include full text articles and just link them; thanks!

[Power-I]

I think this column was a lot more fair than the despicable one he had put up before this, the professional journalists version of a bitchy tweet.

[Saunders]

"Pelini said he was upset with reporters who called Fisher’s family and high school coach to get confirmation of the injury.

 

“The kid was still on the (operating) table last night, and people were calling the family,” he said. “That’s crossing the line.”

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-nebraskamedialockout

 

Shatel needs to STFU. That's complete bush league.

[macroboy]

"Pelini said he was upset with reporters who called Fisher’s family and high school coach to get confirmation of the injury.

 

“The kid was still on the (operating) table last night, and people were calling the family,” he said. “That’s crossing the line.”

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-nebraskamedialockout

 

Shatel needs to STFU. That's complete bush league.

 

The people that were calling the family are the ones that are Bush league.

 

But yes, Shatel's blog yesterday (and all of the "journalist" whining)was self-important cry-baby BS!!!

[zoogs]

So that clears some things up. Still, there's the issue that caused the b******* in the first place. It's about control. Pelini wanted to control how Fisher's injury went public. Pelini thought he — or NU — should have been the one to release news of the injury.

...

That's admirable and understandable. But as I told Pelini, journalists have a different timetable than coaches — if a top-line player is hurt, we're going to try to confirm it now. We're a news organization. It's our job to get news out accurately and quickly. I've had this conversation with 100 coaches in the past. I'll probably have it with 100 more.

 

No respect for this at all.

 

Additionally, Fisher's parents were supposedly notified before it became public.

[Captain K]

If you wait three days to report it, is the leg not still broken?

[knapplc]

The media sells information, and the fresher the information the better it sells.

[ESPY]

So that clears some things up. Still, there's the issue that caused the b******* in the first place. It's about control. Pelini wanted to control how Fisher's injury went public. Pelini thought he — or NU — should have been the one to release news of the injury.

...

That's admirable and understandable. But as I told Pelini, journalists have a different timetable than coaches — if a top-line player is hurt, we're going to try to confirm it now. We're a news organization. It's our job to get news out accurately and quickly. I've had this conversation with 100 coaches in the past. I'll probably have it with 100 more.

 

No respect for this at all.

 

Additionally, Fisher's parents were supposedly notified before it became public.

What's not to respect about Shatel being up front & honest with Bo about a journalist's timetable? That's actually a very professional way to go about his business IMO. Shoot, I'd say most journalists wouldn't even bother telling their sources about such a timetable.

 

And if it's the gotta-have-it-now timetable of a news organization you don't respect, I really don't know what to tell you (that goes for Bo too). Nebraska football is a big deal - we all know that. So, the things that matter most, like Husker football, are going to have priority for any news organization, & when they have priority that means journalists have to get the answers. It's all a matter of supply & demand. No doubt the journalist has to get accurate info in an ethical way, but when there's a demand for info, he has to supply it.

[AndyDufresne]

I guarantee that Shatel, Sherman, Sipple, Christopherson, or Barfnecht did not call Fisher's family. These guys feed their own families by putting Husker football content in their papers. They certainly aren't selling papers or attracting on-line advertisers with Blue Jay basketball or Lincoln Stars coverage.

 

They report news quickly and accurately, but know what lines not to cross. It was probably some small media outlet (or Dirk)that called the Fisher's, and it was Ekeler's friends who leaked practice information. Pelini was justified doing what he did, but probably would have been better served had he just punished the wrongdoers and not everyone in the media and all former players and boosters.

 

I don't have a big problem with this, but I'm not firmly on Pelini's side like many others here are.

[zoogs]

So that clears some things up. Still, there's the issue that caused the b******* in the first place. It's about control. Pelini wanted to control how Fisher's injury went public. Pelini thought he — or NU — should have been the one to release news of the injury.

...

That's admirable and understandable. But as I told Pelini, journalists have a different timetable than coaches — if a top-line player is hurt, we're going to try to confirm it now. We're a news organization. It's our job to get news out accurately and quickly. I've had this conversation with 100 coaches in the past. I'll probably have it with 100 more.

 

No respect for this at all.

 

Additionally, Fisher's parents were supposedly notified before it became public.

What's not to respect about Shatel being up front & honest with Bo about a journalist's timetable? That's actually a very professional way to go about his business IMO. Shoot, I'd say most journalists wouldn't even bother telling their sources about such a timetable.

 

And if it's the gotta-have-it-now timetable of a news organization you don't respect, I really don't know what to tell you (that goes for Bo too). Nebraska football is a big deal - we all know that. So, the things that matter most, like Husker football, are going to have priority for any news organization, & when they have priority that means journalists have to get the answers. It's all a matter of supply & demand. No doubt the journalist has to get accurate info in an ethical way, but when there's a demand for info, he has to supply it.

 

I mean, I don't get how Tom Shatel can hear Bo's reasons - and then suggest BO is being a control freak. Maybe Shatel knows the ethical boundaries, but what I saw was Shatel defending those who called Fisher's family by saying if it happens, "We're going to try and confirm it". That second paragraph I quoted was in direct response to this.

 

He wanted time to tell Fisher's family members about it first. He wasn't happy when media outlets called Fisher's family and his high school coach in efforts to confirm internet chatter.

 

(The response being, 'That's admirable and understandable, BUT,' in essence, too bad.) I get that news outlets are on a schedule, but come on. Maybe I'm misunderstanding and "No respect" was probably too strong of a word. But to me this sounded like Shatel is trying to say that isn't a crossed line.

[ESPY]

So that clears some things up. Still, there's the issue that caused the b******* in the first place. It's about control. Pelini wanted to control how Fisher's injury went public. Pelini thought he — or NU — should have been the one to release news of the injury.

...

That's admirable and understandable. But as I told Pelini, journalists have a different timetable than coaches — if a top-line player is hurt, we're going to try to confirm it now. We're a news organization. It's our job to get news out accurately and quickly. I've had this conversation with 100 coaches in the past. I'll probably have it with 100 more.

 

No respect for this at all.

 

Additionally, Fisher's parents were supposedly notified before it became public.

What's not to respect about Shatel being up front & honest with Bo about a journalist's timetable? That's actually a very professional way to go about his business IMO. Shoot, I'd say most journalists wouldn't even bother telling their sources about such a timetable.

 

And if it's the gotta-have-it-now timetable of a news organization you don't respect, I really don't know what to tell you (that goes for Bo too). Nebraska football is a big deal - we all know that. So, the things that matter most, like Husker football, are going to have priority for any news organization, & when they have priority that means journalists have to get the answers. It's all a matter of supply & demand. No doubt the journalist has to get accurate info in an ethical way, but when there's a demand for info, he has to supply it.

 

I mean, I don't get how Tom Shatel can hear Bo's reasons - and then suggest BO is being a control freak. Maybe Shatel knows the ethical boundaries, but what I saw was Shatel defending those who called Fisher's family by saying if it happens, "We're going to try and confirm it". That second paragraph I quoted was in direct response to this.

 

He wanted time to tell Fisher's family members about it first. He wasn't happy when media outlets called Fisher's family and his high school coach in efforts to confirm internet chatter.

 

(The response being, 'That's admirable and understandable, BUT,' in essence, too bad.) I get that news outlets are on a schedule, but come on. Maybe I'm misunderstanding and "No respect" was probably too strong of a word. But to me this sounded like Shatel is trying to say that isn't a crossed line.

Ok, I see what you're saying. But, the words "credible source" still come to mind. Those media folks who contacted the parents did so because parents are typically considered credible sources, & whether they like it or not, they are definitely linked to any news related to their son. As a rule of thumb, a journalist needs at least 2 credible sources in every article he/she produces (of course nowadays it seems like having only 1 source will do) and "internet chatter" certainly does not count as a credible source. The media wasn't getting anything from Nebraska coaches & they probably didn't know if the parents had been contacted by the coaching staff. How would they know?

 

Now, I admit if I were Fisher's parents, it would annoy & upset me to get a call from media about my son's injury before I'd even gotten word from my son or the coaching staff. But, that doesn't mean the media is crossing the line by calling me about it. Crossing the line would be if media were harassing me for information in a way that is disrespectful or harmful to my reputation or well-being. This is neither.

[knapplc]

Ok, I see what you're saying. But, the words "credible source" still come to mind. Those media folks who contacted the parents did so because parents are typically considered credible sources, & whether they like it or not, they are definitely linked to any news related to their son. As a rule of thumb, a journalist needs at least 2 credible sources in every article he/she produces (of course nowadays it seems like having only 1 source will do) and "internet chatter" certainly does not count as a credible source. The media wasn't getting anything from Nebraska coaches & they probably didn't know if the parents had been contacted by the coaching staff. How would they know?

 

Now, I admit if I were Fisher's parents, it would annoy & upset me to get a call from media about my son's injury before I'd even gotten word from my son or the coaching staff. But, that doesn't mean the media is crossing the line by calling me about it. Crossing the line would be if media were harassing me for information in a way that is disrespectful or harmful to my reputation or well-being. This is neither.

 

Is this still the rule of thumb or is this a quaint throwback to the days of real journalism? I don't see two credible sources on a LOT of articles these days, and depending on the article, the article host, the journalist and/or the topic, often there are zero sources cited.

 

If we're talking about the quaint old days of journalism, the journalist should have the courtesy not to bother the parents while their child is on the operating table, but I don't think we're there anymore. I don't think we're talking about the good ol' days.

[RedNLeader]

I respect Bo's wishes to shut the media out. It's his team and he WILL do whats best for the team. We know he's not going to go callahan on us and the turn the place into fort knox.

[Street Novelist]

good for Bo...It really says something about our society when reporters cannot wait for a head coach to notify the family about a serious injury before leaking it to the national media. What ever happened to decency and ethics?

[huKSer]

good for Bo...It really says something about our society when reporters cannot wait for a head coach to notify the family about a serious injury before leaking it to the national media. What ever happened to decency and ethics?

But it wasn't the reporters that broke the story, it was friends of Coach E. Once it was out, the reporters acted on it. The non-official visitors should be instructed on what they can disclose.