#3 Thing I’ll miss about the Spartan Daily
A typical Spartan Daily writer, contemplating the most efficient way to misquote an interview subject.
A typical Spartan Daily writer, contemplating the most efficient way to misquote an interview subject.
Everyone who has ever worked for a college rag can relate to this one. You’re out doing the rounds, asking University students what they thought of the pep rally or whatever, when the Stupid Question of the Day pops up.
“Are you going to misquote me?”
Some like to precede the interview with this insulting question, while others prefer to wait until after the proceedings. People will often cite several incidents in which friends of theirs have been misquoted on various occasions by other Daily staffers, never mind that every semester brings in a new crop of writers, and, thus, the offending writer is typically long gone.
Apparently, the Spartan Daily was once helmed by a bumbling group of inane crackheads who, post interview, would run off cackling, inventing sentences that were never spoken, bothering only to get the victim’s name right.
On the one hand, it is difficult to fault students for being apprehensive about talking to the student press. After all, these aren’t exactly trained professionals. Inquisitions from, say, a long-haired jerk dude sporting ripped jeans and a five-o-clock shadow or a girl in Uggs and butt shorts that say “Pink” on the ass don’t exactly engender confidence in journalistic competence.
But really, we’re asking your opinion of the tacos at the Student Union. I’m pretty sure the Enquirer will lay off of you. If you’re that worried, decline the interview, or at least phrase it a little more delicately.
When you go for a burger, do you ask, “You’re not going to put arsenic in my McDouble, are you?”
When you drop off your dry cleaning, do you ask, “You’re not going to urinate on my clothes, are you?”
“Are you gonna misquote me?” What a jerky thing to say.
People, the Spartan Daily, or whatever your college rag is called, is not run by a group of crackhead jackals. Humans, baby, who make mistakes. We try hard to get it right.
That said, I’ll miss getting my blood pressure up every time this is asked. It’s an interesting high.
Tags: college, college paper, misquote, Spartan Daily
