Used your Aggie background on the job?

[anonymous]

I'm looking for examples of when Aggie journalists have used their
knowledge of the university on the job. Big or small, funny or
serious -- Can you name a time when your own Aggie background
prevented an error or enriched a story?

These are being collected for use in building a case that it's good
for the university to have A&M graduates working in the media. But
examples can be positive or negative, anonymous or identified by name or organization -- your choice.

You can e-mail them to me at aggiejournalists (at) gmail (dot) com, or post them here -- I posted this anonymously to illustrate that you don't have to register to post.

Thank you! Sue94

[Lisa Dalzell Sthingyer]

I am a member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of '01 and have worked in both the Beaumont and Tyler markets during my broadcast career. During my time in Beaumont, I was asked to cover the 5 year anniversary of the bonfire collapse. Because I was attending school at the time, I believe I was better able to convey the emotions from 1999 because I had lived it and witnessed it. I feel it made for a stronger story.
It's always fun talking about the university and reminiscing... ESPECIALLY during sports. I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed ribbing my co-anchor over the past 2 Thanksgivings because he is a t-sip fan. You can talk about camping out for those tickets, just how big Kyle Field and Reed Arena are, etc.
Being an On-Air Aggie definitely has its perks!

Lisa
5, 6, 6:30, and 10pm Anchor
CBS 19 - Tyler

[oakman90]

I was working as weekend sports anchor/reporter at KETV in Omaha when the SWC joined the Big 8 to form the Big 12. My knowledge of the Aggies and their former conference mates was a big help. I also did a story on Aggie traditions for Nebraska fans heading down to College Station.
I also added to the Bonfire story and gave it a personal touch. I was in the Corps and worked all four years on Bonfire.
I've now moved to news (anchor the morning/midday shows) and am quick to add my Aggie two-cents whenever A&M plays the Huskers.

John Oakey '90

[Frank Smith]

The day the bonfire fell, I came in on my day off to work the story for our copy desk at The Morning News. I can't recall specific errors that I caught at night, but I can tell you that all day long I fielded questions such as "What's a red pot?" "What is 'push'?" and "You mean it's not unusual for students to be working the site at 3 in the morning?" It was a terrible day, and nothing mitigates that. I do think the fact that Aggies were in newsrooms across the state helped people understand the dynamics that were at work. The old saying about not being able to explain A&M to others is wrong; lots of us do it every day. -- Frank Smith

[Sara McDonald]

Last year on Valentines Day, I decided to write a fluffy feature about people's most memorable kisses. I remembered this anthropology class I took when I was a freshman, taught by a professor who was an international expert on kissing. I called him for the story, and he gave list of interesting facts from his research. I've also interviewed vet school professors for a story about hurricane evacuation for pets.
So the point is, having Aggie journalists out there who will occasionally drift back 'home' to find a source helps the universitys PR efforts.
Plus, as any reporter will tell you, wearing that Aggie ring and interviewing someone who has one also is often a step toward a more open source.

[Rebecca Rothfuss]

When there were numerous stories coming out about how there weren't enough buglers to play taps, people in the newsroom where I work now questioned the use of "taps" lowercase without quotes.

I knew from several stories about Silver Taps that it's capitalized only in that case.

I know this seems like such a trivial thing, but it was very difficult for people to get a handle on how to handle taps since it isn't a formal title or a song name. As far as copy editing goes, it's a nightmare of disagreements.

My experience with copy editing in Aggieland helped me provide a solid reason for why taps is treated the way it is.