One of the ongoing debates we have in our newsroom is about the use of wire copy, i.e. stories written by journalists elsewhere that we run on our news and feature pages. Some examples: Two stories this past weekend about cremations in Western North Carolina (They’re up) and whether Asheville’s luxury housing market is saturated (maybe); and a Washington Post piece today about Kukuwa, an African-inspired exercise dance that is sweeping the DC area. As a box on the jump noted, Kukuwa hasn’t quite shaken its boombsey in Winston-Salem, although there are similar workouts available.
I thought all these stories were interesting, but I also understand a bit of the disconnect. I read the cremations story and wondered if that’s happening in W-S (it is). It’s like writing about cooking with an ingredient that isn’t available at any of our local stores, or reviewing a movie that isn’t opening in the Triad for months, etc. What’s the connection between the story and the reader?
This is not an attempt to rationalize or justify the use of non-staff copy by any means, but I do think that one of the things that newspapers can do well is to educate people about the world beyond their berm. People don’t just wake up one day and decide they want to do Kukuwa or faux finish their basement walls or what have you. They have to learn about it somewhere, and they they act on their education. And for my money, I’d rather they learn about it in the Journal, regardless of whether the piece is written by a staffer or from a journalist at another paper.
Just a few words here about Norman Mailer, who died this past weekend. In one sense, he was a person who lived too long, who became a caricature of himself in the end, the novelist/writer as celebrity.
It’s important to look past Mailer’s ego and later-year eccentricities to focus on his work. The Executioner’s Song, written in 1979, is one of the best nonfiction books in the past 50 years. I haven’t read it in a while, but may have to reread. It is a powerful story about Gary Gilmore and the nature of crime and punishment.
Your host is Ken Otterbourg, the managing editor at the Winston-Salem Journal. It's a forum to discuss the media, from
AP GOT IT WRONG in your email daily update online. Myrick is a US House Member ... NOT NC House; that’s in Raleigh; she’s in Washington, DC. Just FYI ... voters are already confused enough.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Bush critic to challenge Myrick for N.C. House seat
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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CHARLOTTE, N.C.
A banjo-playing real estate broker who was critical in person to President Bush says he wants to be the Democrat to challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Sue Myrick in North Carolina’s 9th District.
That was our online mistake, not ap. Thnx for pointing it out.
wire copy is great. your section is entertaining, and the unknown hinson turned me on to an amercian masterpiece. using wire copy irks the public as street reporters know because we run into our readers on a daily basis. if you respect the reader, you’re on terra firma. i enjoy the movie wire copy. the art on hinson was super, great layout design.
norman mailer stabbed his wife. he automatically loses all credibility. my favorite writer was hunter s. thompson, who killed himself by gun. i still read him, but he is not my favorite writer anymore. name a mailer book. he never quite captured the great american book, but his masterpiece was founding the village voice. those who reject the mainstream media as liberal and badmouth the alternative liberal media are stupid. it is the alternative media that keeps the mainstream media straight. how many great investigative news stories are saved until a sunday edition when the circulation is highest? how many newspapers sit on stories, news breaking stories, because of the threat of libel? mailer created the village voice which has never held back, and the stories that they step on, and you know they must, must be thrillers.
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0116,cotts,23961,6.html
mailer stabbed his wife, nullifying his accomplishments. he was a macho terrorist. just because you wind up in playboy magazine doesn’t make you a great writer. respect the readers. they are uno. if you respect them, you can respect yourself.
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