Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Never stand up a mayor
OMG!I feel terrible!
Last night before I left my desk for home, I realized I was not as satisfied with a story that was due the next morning.
I had to postpone or cancel a meeting I had scheduled for this morning with the mayor in the small Bay Area town I'm covering. Had I kept the meeting, I would have lost time to complete the story in a reasonable time.
So, what did I do?
I left a message on the mayor's voicemail and also sent an email.
She didn't get either and showed up to City Hall to meet me. (Her office is not at city hall.)
Twenty minutes past the time I'm supposed to have met with her, she calls the newsroom. I pick up the call and she's obviously annoyed. I try to explain to her why I couldn't keep the appointment and then also told her about my messages.
She seemed okay on the phone to schedule an over-the-phone interview for this afternoon. But she never called. Instead, her assistant called me about 15 minutes ago needing an address to snail-mail me some information from the mayor. She also highlighted that the mayor was sort-of upset that I "stood her up."
Ouch.
Totally not my intention. But I realize that in most cases intentions don't matter.
I'm going to call the mayor and apologize again, as I did when I spoke to her on the phone this morning.
But, Jesus. I hope I have not alienated a valuable source.
My editor says this type of thing can usually be smoothed over.
Let's pray he's right.
Labels: city politics, frustration, mayors, schedules
continue...Thursday, June 05, 2008
Budget story woes
I'm writing a city budget story and I'm overwhelmed. I have no idea how to approach it. And really, I've not begun to seriously attack it yet.But while procrastinating I found this page, published in 1998.
"Dave Herzog: Twenty tips for covering and writing about budgets"
Hopefully the tips will help. I'm kinda embarassed to ask my editor, just yet.
Anyone else got any tips or site with tips about writing city budget stories?
Labels: budget, city politics, financial, journalism
continue...