Hi Steve, Since I work at a newspaper as a photographer and understand your frustration, I think a fact sheet is a great idea. Reporters would really appreciate an FAQ-style, one sheet resource. Here are my suggestions on what to include: * Your name and phone number plus one or two other sources to reach and their numbers * Definition of meteor, meteorite, meteoroid, asteroid * Average speed of meteor/meteorite as it enters our atmosphere and then strikes the ground * Average price of the most common type of meteorite (ordinary chondrites) found in a typical fall plus the range as you mentioned * Common misperceptions about meteorites: they're hot, they come down flaming, they're all worth a million dollars. * Where meteorites come from and why they're important to science * Where to send a suspected meteorite to be tested
I hope this helps. Bob On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 8:06 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello List, > > I was greeted this morning with a front page story in the Baltimore Sun. > While it could have been worse, it made me realize I need to do something > to help writers focus on the facts and the real story and not to slide over > and just use the more sensational answers or comments given in an > interview. > > Also, some reports do actually attempt to do more research on their own > before writing, and sometimes they interview amateurs that are even better at > saying not-so-smart things like those of us with experience are also so > good at doing. > > As Darryl mentioned the other day, reporters tend to resist writing from a > Press Release and usually will work to manufacture their own story from > the ground up based on what they uncover in their interviews. > > So maybe a solution might be a "Fact Sheet" I can have preprinted to give > to the reporters at each interview. > > Of course, if I am not asked a certain question by a reporter, there is a > greater chance I won't offer that fact in my interview. Or if I do, it can > be out of the context of the interview and the reporter might not > understand why what I said was important. > > Time is often a restraint, both in the interview and in the writing to > meet a deadline, so it isn't always the reporters fault that they don't get > around to asking the questions that would paint a clearer picture. > > Maybe a Fact Sheet could be in a F.A.Q. fashion? Or just stated as Facts, > billet style? > > So, I would like some help from you guys. > > I would like some suggestions as to what should be included in a fact > sheet, so that when handed to the reporter, they can refer to it during > and/or > after the interview as they might need. > > For starters, I can list my name and contact information, that would be > good. (Nothing worse than one's name being spelled wrong in the paper.) > > I can list my correct age (which is 43 not 42 as erroneously stated in > today's story). Which does make you pause, if a reporter can't get someone's > age correct, is it any wonder that other aspects of the story might get > skewed a little (or a lot) one way or another. However, in the case of > Robert > Haag in the Astronomy story a few years back, they listed him as 40 years > old and not 50 years old. A "typo" I am sure! ;-) (Or as someone hinted, > maybe a little slice of Zagami under the table might have helped that typo > to not be spotted in time!) > > How about "Why are meteorites are valuable to science?" Q, with an > appropriate and pithy answer. After all, if it wasn't for the science, we > really > wouldn't have much in the way of higher demand for many of our meteorites. > > Of course, there is a collectors market. And while the words "treasure" > and "hunter" together can give a negative connotation, they can give an > adventurous one as well. And we all have to admit, while it is not all just > for the money, that does play at least a part in why those of us in the field > do what they do. How can the fact that we are also hunting for the source > of knowledge, not just cash be stated? > > I suppose I could go through all the media stories I have seen lately and > pull out the errors and try to find out why the reporter might have got the > reporting of it wrong. Then find a way to stress, in the Fact Sheet, what > is the correct take should be on it. > > For example, after talking about how most meteorites are "common" and > don't offer all that much valuable new information, others do. I went on > that > some are far more desirous to researchers than others, and to collectors as > well. In that context I mentioned that "meteorites can be worth from 5 > cents a gram up to over $1,000 dollars a gram." > > There seemed to be some negative reaction from the York newspaper's story > here on the M-List where that range was mentioned. Well, now the Baltimore > reporter (who was in the same interview as the York reporter) decided to > drop the range I had given and just somehow averaged it all out to: > "hundreds of dollars per gram" instead. Probably shorter and easier that > way for > him. I am sure his editor appreciated it being shorter, in fact, maybe it > was his editor that shortened it for him. > > Of course, factually both reporters are not incorrect as to the values, > and doing a search on any dealer website and on ebay shows both of those > statements to be factually correct. However, maybe I can state that a fact > on > my Fact Sheet that majority of all meteorites are worth from $0.20 to $2 > per gram. And that certain factors determine why they might be worth more or > less than that range. > > Any other suggestions? > > Oh, I would imagine Ruben might suggest that I add that "Fossils are not > found in meteorites." > > Any others? > > Steve Arnold > of "Meteorite Men" > > **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy > steps! > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221323031x1201367232/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd= > JulystepsfooterNO62) > ______________________________________________ > http://www.meteoritecentral.com > Meteorite-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
