• Powderhorn@beehaw.orgM
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    8 days ago

    Oh, yeah. That byline gives it away.

    Contributed Report = press release

    Staff Report = press release with minor changes

    Courier Newsroom = press release

    • PhilipTheBucket@piefed.socialOP
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      8 days ago

      Ugh, that’s upsetting. I have been reading Atlanta news stuff from the Atlanta bot but apparently some of it is this, I guess. My bad, thank you for information

      • Powderhorn@beehaw.orgM
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        8 days ago

        I mean, before I worked in a newsroom, I never really considered bylines. “Staff report” and its ilk are clever ways of saying “Sweet! We filled 10” without having to pay!" while intentionally looking like we did much to the copy (oh, I still copyedited the fuck out of it and spiked more than a few stories on account of needing a second source for this to be in the vicinity of journalism … simpler times).

        This shit’s generally stuff that should have to run under a “Sponsored Content” header, but if the advertiser can show a modicum of restraint, it can slip through, especially as there’s likely no copy desk to spike it and run AP copy of an out-of-state quilting bee.