When preparation meets opportunity

Tell you a little story about my dad first and then I’ll marry it with something that came up recently.

First of all, dad was a sportscaster, and a pretty good one. He enjoyed a celebrated career that saw him cover Team Canada’s 1972 Summit Series, several World Hockey Championships, various Olympic and Commonwealth Games and just about anything else you could imagine if you’re into sports.

He had a tremendous work ethic over a 28-year career and a sense of responsibility to his audience that, in my opinion, is essential in media. However, I wonder sometimes if people tend to forget that in the rush to put stuff out there, post that blog or file a story to the web.

I used to worry about writing exams in high school, but dad would check in from time to time while I was studying and offer an arcane, but wise suggestion: “When preparation meets opportunity, son. Stay with it.”

It took me a while, but after seeing him crack the books, do the research and compile comprehensive files on those about whom he’d speak when the action began, I got the point. Preparation is vital if you’re going to succeed. If you have the facts, get them right and respect the audience or you’re wasting your time.

I know plenty of people in this industry and, indeed, this office who have dedicated themselves to a similar pursuit of excellence and I’ve been honoured to work alongside them. None of us are omniscient, mind you, but all of them strive to identify the issue, ask questions of key players and write stories that meet the high expectations of our many readers.

That’s why I can’t understand those who question our work ethic on Internet blogs and suggest we don’t do the homework. I’d like to be able to discuss the matter with these scribes, but most are anonymous or use pseudonyms so it’s pretty hard to call them up and make an inquiry.

Nameless individuals who suggest we don’t know our you-know-what from a hole in the ground don’t impress too much because anyone can stay hidden, speculate and make it sound like fact. Often it’s a relay of second-hand information that seeks the negative when it’s not necessarily there, and posits possible motive without fact.

They’ve heard a thing or two, drawn a conclusion and made a decision to post an opinion. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but let’s be clear: it’s a point of view and it could be mistaken. It’s often interesting and provocative, but does it serve the public interest? Does it meet the litmus test of accountability?

I don’t know. But I do know our team does its homework, prepares sufficiently and comes to the table ready to provide timely, relevant information week-in and week-out. They have a wealth of experience and are dedicated to serving the Kings County community on a front-line basis.

Indeed, preparation meets opportunity every time the phone rings and a story unfolds. It’s what we do and why I applaud the integrity of the people here who do it so well.