Re: commercial blogs and other commercial writing

**j* e* m* s* <h*@sbcglobal.net>**

Editors and publishers are in a slightly different category when it 
comes to community involvement. I'm speaking from what the 
expectations were for me as a 20-year news reporter/journalist at two 
major dailies. Magazines can fall into a less rigid category, 
depending on the philosophy of the publication... O or Martha Stewart 
Living vs. National Journal or The Nation.

Reporters were to avoid any appearance of favoritism or anything that 
could cause readers to raise issues about his or her objectivity. 
Reporters had to pay their own way into movies, plays and concerts, 
buy books and records (later CDs and DVDs) for reviews. No political 
campaigning, no yard signs, no product or people endorsements, etc. 
In one section (sports) of the largest paper I worked for, the rules 
were a lot more lax. These were the rules at the two major dailies.

Even today as a freelance garden columnist in the Indianapolis Star, 
I include info about my membership in, say a local organization that 
may be having a program or garden tour I might be writing about. 
Sometimes an editor takes it out and sometimes it stays in.

jems

>Well, I'm editor of our city/regional glossy and one of the reasons 
>I am good at my job is my knowledge of the community, which comes 
>from being very active in the community. One cannot insulate/isolate 
>themselves from such involvement and have a good understanding of 
>what makes a place like Buffalo tick.
>
>Anyway, I can't live that way. So I remain involved and use my 
>common sense and judgement as appropriate.
>
>Elizabeth.
>
>
>--- On Thu, 3/5/09, frielster@aol.com <frielster@aol.com> wrote:
>
>>  From: frielster@aol.com <frielster@aol.com>
>>  Subject: Re: [GWL] commercial blogs and other commercial writing
>>  To: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
>>  Date: Thursday, March 5, 2009, 8:45 AM
>>  I live in a relatively well-populated area, but I work in a
>>  relatively small industry. If you've been in wholesale
>>  hort for a couple of decades, participated in trade shows,
>>  joined an organization or two, you can't swing a dead
>>  cat by the tail without smacking somebody you know.
>>  If I were to attempt to write about new perennials, or
>>  about a trade show, and NOT mention people I know or have
>>  worked with, I'd have very little to say.
>>  JF
>  >
>>
>  >
>>  This position might work in Indianapolis, but it's
>>  untenable in Andover
>>  Township, where everybody knows you and you know everybody.
>>
>>  Regards,
>>  Lois
>>  Visit: http://loisdevries.blogspot.com
>>
>>  On Wed, 4 Mar 2009 20:58:08 -0500 jo ellen meyers sharp
>>  <hoosiergardener@sbcglobal.net> writes:
>>  > I have had to decline journalistic assignments when
>>  they involved
>>  > writing about people I know or have worked with.
>>  >
>  > > jems

-- 
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
The Hoosier Gardener
Director Garden Writers Association
Writer * Editor * Speaker * Garden Consultant
Co-author,The Indiana Gardener's Guide
Editor, Indiana Living Green magazine
P.O. Box 20310, Indianapolis, IN 46220
E-mail: hoosiergardener@sbcglobal.net
http://www.hoosiergardener.com
http://www.IndianaLivingGreen.com
E-mail: editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com
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