Kill them with Kindness

Sometimes there are days in a freelancer's life when everything seems to be going wrong. Sources flake out of you. Editors are breathing down your neck. The words aren't flowing. It's rough. (Thankfully for me today is not one of those days, which is why I opted to write about it now.)

I've found often times the sources tend to be the most frustrating thing. They want to review their quotes and have small changes they want to see fixed. They won't return phone calls, or don't like being put on speaker phone. Sometimes the men think that you must not know too much since you're a girl, which I find to be especially true in business writing. All of this can lead to a difficult interview, in-person or over-the-phone.

The best solution, is a two-fold approach. First, kill them with kindness. Make it apparent you are on their side. Just searching for the facts. Not out to malign them or their reputation. Second, help them see you are knowledgeable about the subject matter. You know what you are talking about. You are aware of the terms and players.

Sites I Visit Daily

In keeping with yesterday's blogs I love post... I thought I'd highlight the sites I visit daily for work and for fun.

Google News - True it is full of a lot of random articles and stuff that is pointless. But I love that it highlights the top stories all on one page so I can see what's what in a minute's scrolling time.

Yahoo - Ok, only for email do I venture here. I think the stories featured on the site are usually superfluous fluff and a waste of time. (Although I do like the games on yahoo.)

Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) - This is the go-to place for fashion bloggers to get tips on their skills, the latest news and experience community.

MapMyRun - The best site I've found to track my daily runs around town. It's great to both plot a run and track where you've gone.

Mashable - The most current and interesting Social Media guide with frequent updates and a wide variety of content.

Facebook - True life, I've been a member since its first year. Do I get a reward for that? I also keep this to friends and family members and steer the business connections elsewhere.

LinkedIn - Professional facebook. I find the groups to be the most fruitful and interesting aspect of the site. My profile.

Blogger - Obviously between Write Beyond and ModlyChic I'm on blogger a good portion of the day. Plus I follow a number of blogs this way.

Media outlets I read/skim daily: NYTimes, BBC, St. Louis Post Dispatch, CNN, Crain's Chicago Business

Go Ahead Ask the Question in Writing

Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn posed the debate about sources answering questions in writing. His blog entry 'Let Me Ask You This Question In Writing' debates that a written response from a source isn't anti-journalism as some claim it to be. And I'd have to agree.

Admittedly, I use written responses to queries/questions often in writing. To me it’s a way of getting the solid facts needed for a story and gives the source a chance to think through their responses. I’ve found that most of the time a written answer is more easily quotable and more factual than a telephone conversation.

Does it work for every type of story? No. The interviews where you need to dig deep and ask pointed follow-up questions in the hopes of catching someone off guard and getting the full truth need to be done in a person-to-person or at least voice-to-voice method.

To me, here are the benefits of written answers from sources:

• Facts, facts, facts. The source can verify the important facts and figures before sending them over. And in the reporting, a writer is less likely to misunderstand or misquote information.

• It values thought. When someone is writing out an answer they usually don’t fill a paragraph with nonsense. On the other hand when talking to someone, it is usually pretty easy for a source to wax on about a topic giving information that is neither crucial nor important to the story.

• It works with both schedules. Receiving written responses to queries can work in a reporter’s favor. Maybe the source doesn’t have time to dedicate to a 15-minute phoner, but who doesn’t have time to answer a couple questions with the blackberry that is attached at the hip all day long? Likewise for a reporter working on a number of stories at once this helps clear your schedule.

• Faster follow-up. After a phone interview you might have one or two small details you wish to follow up on. Placing a phone call to the source and then waiting for that person to call you back and hoping you are by your desk so you don’t begin a game of phone tag can be frustrating. With e-mailed responses it’s easy and time efficient to shoot an e-mail with a follow-up and have the source confirm or expand upon a particular point.

• It protects your reporting. An e-mail trail of the conversation can protect you with solid proof that the source told you something exactly as it is portrayed in the article. These e-mails are a gold-mine especially if a PR person calls upset about the piece, or your boss wants to confirm the facts before the story goes live.