To paraphrase a profoundly horrid song by Savage Garden, I knew I'd link this before I read it. David Ropeik, formerly a very good reporter for WCVB-TV in Boston (the ABC affiliate), takes a look at what it's like to cover the Boston Red Sox on a day-to-day basis. I generally think that the "how the press does its job" stories can be boring, but this one was pretty good, and it's about the Red Sox beat writers. So, as a hopeful future aspiring (sprinkle in a few more trepidatious adjectives) Sox/Bruins beat writer, I enjoyed reading this one. Here's the lede and nut graf, which say pretty much all I've ever wanted to say about being a reporter.
"Imagine attending every Red Sox game, home and away, for free. You have a front-row seat, and it's free. The airfare to the away games, and the nice hotels when you get there ... all paid for by your newspaper or television station. You get to be around the players, talk with manager Terry Francona every day, hang out in the dugout and the clubhouse. Sounds pretty good, huh?
"Now imagine that starting with spring training in February, and running into October if the Sox make the postseason, you are rarely home. You don't get to see your friends, your spouse, your kids, or sleep in your own bed very much. You work 12-hour days, sometimes 18- and 20-hour days, with no overtime. Some of the people you work with are friendly, but a lot of them are competitive and constantly looking to outdo you. Oh, and the players? Yeah, you get to be around them a lot. But many of them are kind of wary of being around you.
"Welcome to the life of a reporter covering the Boston Red Sox."
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