No one has contact me http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Got a wonderfully cheeky reply to my reply from the reporter whose email I posted up above:

Fortunately, I heard from many people who will do it for less.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by pynchonesque (edited 06-14-2001).]

Contacted many times, never replied. I don't want my name in print and since most of my travel is business related (call me paranoid) I don't want my comments here to be miscontrued, misquoted, mis---anything and then get back to my employer.


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I wish I were 1,000 miles away

Ft in the news today: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/002719.html

gave a lot of time to a reporter from Smart Money on booking travel on the internet - 3 interviews and 2 fact checks on the phone, over 2 hours of my time. She promised a copy which I never got. Finally looked up the issue online and I was all over it...Iby then it was too late to get ahard copy so I pritned form online...I emaile dher ot ask for a copy and she didnt answer till she was trolling for other FT'ers in another thread some months later...I posted my experience and she answered right away...apologized and said she forgot "in the Christmas rush" but never did send me a copy altho she promised to again...

So I will never again give my time to reporters without tangible benefits..

I'm also a journalist, and I've looked for more information or for people who've had particular experiences via Usenet and places like Flyertalk (although never here at Flyertalk itself since I no longer cover aviation.)

I also do pretty much what Sherlock 21B has described pretty well:

###BEGIN EXCERPT###

The few times I have contacted someone because of a post they made on a newsgroup, etc., it was always in specific reference to a piece of information they offered online.

If I'm looking for someone to interview on a specific subject, I'm more likely to post a message in a specialized forum asking if anyone with knowledge of the topic would be willing to speak with me. Then, I'll check on the credentials of anyone who has contacted me, if said credentials are important to the story.

##END EXCERPT###

I also talk with other reporters on both sides of the notebook -- meaning I've quoted them and they've quoted me -- because sometimes another journalist is best suited to concisely and accurately describe a situation. If that wasn't true, there'd be none of those weekend morning 'chat shows' on TV. (OK, that may not be the best example.)

I've received both one "form letter" solicitation (I replied to the e-mail and heard nothing more) and two phone calls from reporters (Washington Post and USA Today). I gave permission to use my name and overall was pleased with the accuracy of their reporting. I did request not to include my employer's name, which they honored.

Most of the comments above have related to the large/national publications which make it a little harder to develop a working relation with a reporter. We should all remember that this process works both ways, and in some cases we could use it to our benefit to try to pass a message across to an airline/hotel/etc. I've found that a quick call to your travel agent's boss/owner often gives a bit of insight about specific reporters and papers.

My opinion is it never hurts to keep an open door with the papers, and if you are good about establishing ground rules up front, you minimize your chances of getting burned.

I too get SPAMed from those people at the WSJ,I think I answered once. What really gets to me is they e-mail us use our replies in their stories( sometimes its the whole story) they get PAID and everyone thinks these guys know everything about the TRAVEL industry. I dont recall seeing FT mentioned too many times, so it comes off as though the reporter really knows their stuff.

I remember back a few months or a yr ago when there was a whole debate on FT about copyrights what is right and wrong.IMHO,the WSJ people although not legally infriging on any copyrights it would be nice to see them give credit to where its due FT, after all its FT and its posters that are really earning the $$ those guys are making. Not that everything comes from FT but I know a great deal does.

Not to mention that the WSJ on-line is a paying service (I subscribe). So they print articles that they quote you in but you have to pay to see them!




[This message has been edited by blairvanhorn (edited 06-14-2001).]

I see no reason for slamming the reporters looking for a story. If they walked up to you as you got off your flight with AA and asked you a question, it would be the same thing. You decided if you want to answer or not. Then move on. You don't get paid for that. AA would not get credit for referring you. Nothing wrong with any of this.

Now, on the other hand, I think they should promote the FT board, but maybe that is not what the story is about. And, I do agree that the story sometimes turns out so much different than where it started, etc.

Different issues.

I was contacted via email by an AP reporter last year before my LatinPass million mile run. He had seen that my itinerary took me through Guatemala city where he was based. I gave him my phone number, he called, and we agreed to meet at the GUA Marriott.

We did the interview as planned. The article was published a week or so later on the AP Wire and subsequently picked by countless newspapers and Web sites. I even had my own poll on CNN.com for a couple of weeks (Would you do what dhacker did to earn a million frequent flyer mile?). The AP got my name and age wrong, but so what?

The BBC saw the article in the International Herald Tribune and asked for an interview for The World Tonight. I did the interview on from the National Public Radio studios in DC with a reporter located in London. A couple of days later, a news radio station in Phoenix interviewed me live via phone from my office.

I had a blast getting all this attention and would highly recommend it. I did get each reporter to agree in advance to try to keep me from coming across as a nut case, and I *think* this was successful. You can judge for yourself if want:

AP Article

BBC Radio/RealAudio

KTAR Phoenix/RealAudio

I've been spammed by reporters and just hit DELETE. But a couple of WSJ queries have been polite, personal and informed. I've responded, and it's turned into a story once -- I was in the "Takeoffs and Landings" column on the WSJ's Weekend section last week.

Reporters have always relied on people like us for stories; they used to go hang out in diners and listen for tips. FT just makes them more efficient.

A message from an FT-roving reporter, which I am passing on to you at the reporter's request:

As long as you're posting my replies on FlyerTalk, too, please let people
know that I am always appreciative of their time and expertise, and do my
best to represent their thoughts and opinions accurately. That's my job,
after all, and I'm grateful whenever someone takes the time to respond to a
question that will help me to do it better.

I have only been contacted by a reporter who found me through FT one time. I politely declined his solicitation.

If anyone else wants to talk to reporters, thats fine by me, but I have no interest in being quoted or seeing my name used.