Reporter wants interview

[Valigator]

Hey everyone, got a phone call from our local paper last night, seems the guy stumbled across my website and wants to do a piece on me for the Sunday paper...as nervous as I am about it, its still a good thing and will get the information that I think is so important out. If you haven't been there, I try and interject my bullish personality into it...alot of it is not pretty....wish me luck...Val

http://townofdavie.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=7

[popplecop]

Go for it, I know you will do a Great job. Good Luck.

[Dan Morris]

LOL, go for it...just chew each word before you say it! Black sometimes prints as White. You'll do fine.
Dan

[Nulle]

Go for it and tell it like it is lol

[GoodOlBoy]

Good Luck Val!

GoodOlBoy

[Aim to maim]

I recommend you review your prior postings on your website and be prepared with answers about any which might seem to come across as a bit strident.

Think for a moment before answering each question asked of you. Although it is a highly emotional issue, try to leave emotion out of your responses.


Do not assume that the reporter is supportive of your cause, even if that seems to be the case.


Hope it goes well.

[denton]

Val, I have a very low opinion of reporters.

I would say that you should not only not expect support, you should expect that what you say will be twisted and quoted out of context.

The truth is by and large irrelevant in modern news reporting. Newspapers are not in the business of selling news to subscribers. They are in the business of selling audiences to advertisers. Controversy and sensationalism increase circulation.

Stick to a few simple, strong ideas. Don't say a lot--just the few really important things. Think carefully about each answer, and structure your responses so that they cannot be twisted. If you prepare a handout with some hard to dispute facts and figures, a lot of what you give him will probably be reported.

Expect your view to run with a counterpoint from some poor, misunderstood child molester (sniff) who has paid his debt to society, and (sniff) just wants to be left alone, so (sniff) he can get a job and raise a family.

My first lesson on this? A zillion years ago, when I was in college, and spring nights were warm, we had a great water ballon fight between some of the dorms. It was all in good fun. The Director of Housing came out to check, saw that nothing was amiss, lobbed a few water balloons, and left. A couple of losers threw a few rocks, but we ran them off. We found that a VW with a sunroof was the equivalent of an armored personnel carrier. We even helped clean up the broken water balloons from the lawn. Headlines in the next day's paper: 800 Rock Throwing, Jeering Students Rioted Last Night at BYU.

[Valigator]

I spent and hour and 1/2 with the reporter and the photographer and tonight at this late hour I still don't know what slant they are gonna take on this story, I am in real estate, I am a sex offender hunter...I was under the impression the guy was gonna do a piece about real estate values and sex offenders..I got up at 4 this morning and researched everything I could find concerning both...right now I don't know if they are gonna do a story about people like me who are going to HURT values or people like me who are gonna help by changing the laws and driving the numbers down, guess we will find out when the story is printed...another words I could be the @@@hole or the hero...

any bets...

[Valigator]

Aim to Maim...if you go to the site, and read just a few entries, my post are harsh and cut to the bone...man I will tell you I do not pull punches....delicate and docile are not adjectives you would read on my site from me...in fact I sometimes think well, Val maybe you should word that a little different, then I say you know what "it" thats the way I feel and I say what most people think...I did get a private message once from a cop from the city and he said, "the guys come in everyday to see what you wrote" it the highlight of the shift"...so coming from them on a site thats takes them to task is a compliment...

[TheeBadOne]

Good luck in your interview.

All the best

TBO

[denton]

I hope it all turns out well. And maybe you got lucky and drew a reasonably bright, honest reporter. It does happen from time to time.

If not, a friend passed this along a few days ago: The right thing rarely happens at the right time and in the right place. Fortunately, we have the press to corrrect this for us.

Whatever happens, be sure to post it. Enquiring minds want to know...

[BILLY D.]

hey lady

you don't have to be ms. sweet, but you don't have to turn into rosie o'donnel either. be rational, explain your point, don't give them any more than they ask for but fully explain your reasoning.

and don't ever, ever lose your cool.

by the way i'll bet on the latter. your a trained professional and you deal with customers every day. that reporter is just a customer and he wants what you got.

they asked you for the interview, you don't owe them anything. if you don't like the line of questioning tell them so. be firm but state your point.

good luck lady, just remember, we are all pulling for you. dazzle them with brilliance, and kill 'em with coolness. while the reporter is giving the interview make believe he's standing there in his underwear in front of the camera.

god bless

[Slim-Zippy]

Val,

Good Luck and I hope that all turns out well.

You have more courage than most folks and I am proud that you have taken a stand on a ugly subject that no one wants to confront publicly. Most people hide behind PC or apathy and complain a lot, while you are at least attempting to take action.

[swampdogg]

valigator if people don't like what you say they don't have to listen. me personally anyone who abuses a child in an way shape or form doesn't deserve a jail cell. they deserve a .22 bullet to the back of the head. many moons ago a nephew of a friend was molested by a friend of the mom. i was only 18, but after i saw that little boy i would have gladly done away with that piece of sh## slime ball and not have lost a minutes sleep. if you can do anything like that to another human let alone a child your a waste of skin in book. sorry got a little crazy for second started rambling, but i think criminals have it a little to easy. any ways i used to live in FLA over in the tampa area never did get as close to the gators as you do, but i still saw a few eyelashes every once in a while keep up the good work.

[Valigator]

You guys are the best...thanks...Val