By Joel Thurtell
[paypal-donation]
Far as I can recall, I started writing my book, Shoestring Reporter, 28 years ago. I’d just landed a job as a full time staff writer with the South Bend Tribune and was quite full of the fact that I’d done it without darkening the doorsill of a single journalism class.
My book was intended as a manual for other non-J-school types. The subtitle is How I Got To Be A Big City Reporter (Without Going to J School) and How You Can Do It Too.
The book would be in print now, except that I keep tinkering with the graphic elements. I have this fixation on displaying various artifacts, articles and journalistic memorabilia, and organizing the visual part of the show has been a bear.
Today, October 22, 2009, was the day I promised myself I’d send out all my permission requests. I need permission from each of the publishers of these graphic elements, and it seemed like a fairly straightforward thing.
Or so I thought.
Wrong in a couple ways.
In the beginning, things went fine. My old paper, the Berrien Springs Journal Era, said no problem.
Ditto The South Bend Tribune — just give us credit.
The Detroit News said fine, and good luck.
I’ve had permission from The Detroit Free Press for some time.
Gladly, said the Herald-Palladium of Benton Harbor.
Sent my requests out to HarperCollins to use part of a journalism textbook that reprinted one of my Tribune stories.
Got a fax off to The Indianapolis Star for use of a magazine story I wrote long ago.
The Progressive sent me written permission.
And then there is The New York Times.
The good ol’ Times.
I’d like to use a Times story I wrote back in 1979. They paid me $75 for the no-byline piece.
I filled out their online permission form and got a reply back posthaste:
Please be advised, the reuse of copyrighted material will incur a fee for the proper permission license.
Wow! They want to charge me a fee to reprint my own story!
Hard to believe.
I sent a note back:
I’ve asked to reprint an article I wrote for the New York Times in 1979. I understand that the Times will charge me a fee for reprinting this article. I wonder how much is the fee and if it is clear that the reason I want to include the article in my journalism textbook is that I wrote it for the Times. I wonder if this makes a difference in charging the fee, or if the fee might be waived since I was the author.
I understand these are hard times for the Times. But the world has gotten tight for all of us. I think I do my part by paying nearly $800 a year to have the Times delivered to my house each day. Must I now help save them from the dustbin of journalism by paying them for a story I wrote for them three decades ago?
That would give a new meaning to vanity publishing.
Drop me a line at joelthurtell@gmail.com
