Disclaimer: the first half of this is a master class in what journalism types call “burying the lede.”
Despite three quarters of a century in the game, Western Outdoor News is, believe it or not, a “small shop.” Like many family-run businesses, that means employees have to wear a lot of hats.
Our General Manager is also our IT guy, livestream producer, podcast host (there’s chatter of its return, stay tuned) and occasional sales rep along with all that comes with general manager-ing.
WON’s owner does payroll, checks in anglers at the Cabo Tuna Jackpot, and all manner of spreadsheety things requiring two monitors. Her daughter (wife of the GM) handles accounting and is equally involved in that dual-screened-Excel-document grind.
And that’s just what I know those two do, which I know is just scratching the surface.
Our sales guys also host charters, are Swiss Army knives at tournaments, act as travel agents at times and are heavily involved in consumer shows all over the state and beyond. Basically, wherever there’s an EZ-Up Canopy, there’ll be WON sales guys.
WON’s graphic design wizardess is also involved with IT, light proofreading, heavy idea slinging and logging hours at the shows.
Along with a ton of writing, editing, proofreading and wrangling freelancers all over the west, I too host charters, work shows and throw a ton of dumb ideas against the wall hoping that one will stick.
WON’s Tournament Director, Billy Egan, has a role that only gets busier and more hectic as events are added to the schedule. He also has a sales role (event related or otherwise), hosts a couple WON trips of his own (want to fish Cedros with him? You’d better hit him up pronto!) and feeds me newsy items to look into.
Despite this constant state of hustle, not once did I ever think I’d get SCOOPED by Billy Egan.
In journalism, a “scoop” refers to an important news story first reported by a news organization or reporter). Journalists call this “breaking” the story. – NewsLit.org
There I was, fresh back from the ICAST show in Orlando when Egan sends me a video he shot on-the-spot of the fish carnage at Laguna Niguel Lake. This after he was tipped off by an angler, and he headed down to the lake he fished as a kid.
There was commentary, video images, “B-roll,” a call to action and a promise to “interview people and get to the bottom of this.”
A day later, damned if he wasn’t interviewing people and getting to the bottom of it. During that same 24-hour period, the story spread like wildfire on social media, and next thing we knew, WON was getting inboxed by alphabet news organizations looking to interview Egan. And you know damn well they knew they got scooped by WON!
I texted Egan suggesting he might be in line for a “POOlitzer” if he keeps this up.
Also within a day, O.C. Parks was scrambling to clean up the lake, checking equipment and monitoring lake conditions.
WITHIN…..ONE…..DAY.
As a journalism guy, I am taught to cover the news, not become the news or cause it. As a member of the outdoor media, we are also players in the game with a real interest in protecting the activities we love. So it’s a little different for us compared to a regular ol’ news reporter covering just…whatever happens within their beat.
So, I found myself armed with the information Egan provided in multiple videos, intel from experts he talked to as well as his own knowledge of the fishery, its history and its recent challenges dating well before thousands of fish went belly up last week.
While I’m writing the story – a no brainer for “above the fold” on page 1 along with a teaser on the cover – I found myself feeling guilty. Slapping my name atop this thing Egan did all the legwork on. I considered sharing the byline with him, but it gets weird when the guy who wrote the story is quoted in it, so that couldn’t fly. I also considered ending it with an Editor’s Note, one of those italicized deals at the end of the story where I can let WON readers know that this was very much an Egan thing, but I would have had to keep it short, and bury it within the paper wherever the story jumped to.
Egan scooped everyone (having a “source” who knew to message him is certainly part of the journalism game), including WON’s own Managing Editor, but because of the aforementioned wiggle-room built into outdoor media, he did indeed become the news if not make it, to an extent.
Action resulted in very short order in the form of scooped up fish carcasses, closer monitoring of equipment and water quality, and most importantly, the knowledge that the outdoor community is watching and ready to hold slackers accountable. I think they call that, “speaking truth to power.”
Even if management directs more energy toward Laguna Niguel Lake in order to avoid another PR nightmare, so be it. Works for us.
So, Egan, that story might have by byline because that’s how this game works, but that was your deal. You got a couple Pacificos in Cabo or White Claws in Havasu coming your way on me.
Consider them your Poolitzer.
