Do Not Write About Your Children

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2003 6:21 am

It's bad enough when a newspaper indulges a staff member. It's a complete puzzle when an outside contributor is used.

Bakelite · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2003 4:37 am

In the early 70s, a couple years of my childhood was documented in a column my mother wrote for the Warren, Pa., Times-Mirror and Observer, where she worked as the living-section editor.I can assure you that these people are doing no favors for their kids.[ April 09, 2003: Message edited by: Dean Betz ]

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2003 5:07 am

Clips!

Bakelite · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2003 9:00 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Clips!<hr></blockquote>On behalf all children who have been the subject of personal newspaper columns by their parents, the answer is "no."

majorbabs · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2003 10:26 am

On the other hand, my child wrote a colum for his college newspaper about my grief and coping skills when my parents (his grandparents) died. So, maybe the reverse works? As long as it's not cutesy?

aforr71 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2003 12:12 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by majorbabs:
On the other hand, my child wrote a colum for his college newspaper about my grief and coping skills when my parents (his grandparents) died. So, maybe the reverse works? As long as it's not cutesy?<hr></blockquote>I hope so. I wrote a tribute column to my grandmother for my college paper. It was probably sappy as all get-out, but she liked it.

bobvim · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2003 11:05 pm

No offense to those who have written about themselves or their families, because I'm sure many of the stories were touching, but this has always struck me as fairly lazy, and more "personal writing" than journalism. It's fodder for diaries more so than for newspapers. I think our readers expect us to dig a little deeper into what's happening in the world, not provide observations about what's going on at their dinner table.

majorbabs · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2003 12:33 pm

I think it depends how you use it.In the case I cited earlier, an issue in my life was used as the McGuffin for a larger story about similiar issues in readers' lives. Not a news story, certainly, but worthy column fodder. Just because it's personal doesn't mean it's simply dinner-table discussion.

dmfugitive · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2003 5:23 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by aforr71:
I hope so. I wrote a tribute column to my grandmother for my college paper. It was probably sappy as all get-out, but she liked it.<hr></blockquote>too bad none of your readers did.

majorbabs · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2003 10:36 am

"Too bad none of your readers did."Do you know that for a fact? I bet not. So neither of us like to read sappy stories. A number of people do (they have all the Yanni CDs) and for them, maybe this story had value. Even if it didn't, let's not snipe at each other about this stuff. I've done my share of stories nobody read, and not because they were sappy.

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