letter the sixth: and you are? ...

Whenever I attend an event, I often see people get angry and/or offended when a politician or some other person in the public eye doesn't remember him or her. My rationale is that a good public figure does remember people but, in seeing countless people a day with days, weeks, months, what have you in between sightings, there is a strong chance you might not get remembered by someone you see in the news all the time.

Sometimes, it's the same way with journalists. People call. People write. People talk to us at events or in the street.  A reporter's job is to talk to strangers all day. The person who has mostly carried this site with submissions admits that some people get forgotten. It's nothing personal He tries to humor everyone who calls (something even I wouldn't do) but not every thing can be covered and not every thing someone thinks is a hot tip is a story.

Near 5 p.m. today, this note apparently was dropped off. The contributor has no recollection of this person whatsoever or what stories she could possible be talking about.  The contributor wonders, if she wanted something run so badly, why didn't she call or submit something or request a talk about whatever it was since she was already in the building?

We journalists (well, at least not the ones on the idiot box) are not ruthless bogeymen trying so see whose life we ruin today by hiding all good news. I mean, if you think you have an awesome story, persistence pays off. If the reporter politely declines, again, it's nothing personal and you often have another news outlet to try. If no one bites, I'm sad to say that just might not be that compelling. But it's the truth.  We can't please everyone and write about everything; it is impossible. It didn't have to come to a passive-aggressive note but at least this leads to keeping this site alive while I hope and pray to Edward R. Murrow that I get enough submissions to be a little more discerning about what winds up here.

By the way, if you haven't picked up from this ludicrously long preface for such a short note, the contributor feels sorry for forgetting this woman (unless the stories are about how her cat took a magical trip to the moon). And I'm not one to pass up trying to get people to understand how journalism works (albeit through a site of strange correspondence). All I'll say further about this is that contacting the media is a two-way street. A simple call saying, "Hey, remember when you said you were going to do something on ___" could have sufficed. And she could have at least refreshed memories in her leditor.

Dear [NAME]

I am upset that you did NOT contact me about 2 stories that I wanted published in the [NEWSPAPER]. They are newsworthy.

Thank you

[SIGNATURE]



For the record, our contributor said, she was called and was not at home. Probably because she was in transit when the call was placed.  The contributor also said trying to remember who she is and what she wants is still drawing a blank.