Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute
Dan Oshinsky, a Reynolds Fellow, has confessed all the lies — some small, some big — he’s told about his startup Stry. The most minor is using the royal “we,” when Stry is really just him. Also a bit of an exaggeration: calling himself “Stry’s senior bureau chief” when no one is his junior. Has he really talked to media orgs about buying Stry content? Well, he’s talked with some folks, but any conversations have been general and focused on ideas. They’re certainly not “extensive,” as he sometimes says. A few others:
- “I’m consulting with lawyers and CPAs.” (Relatives, actually.)
- “Yes, the paperwork is in motion.” (He’s slow on this sort of thing.)
- “I’ve been focus group testing the concept.” (If by “focus group” you mean friends, family and professionals.)
- “I know what happens next.”
Oshinsky explains in the post the truth behind each lie. As for the last one, he writes:
I have hopes. I have dreams. And I have no idea what might become of me in the next eight months. But I know this: I’m going to try to let my stories speak for themselves. From here on out, if I can’t give the answer I want to give, I’m going to either have to:
A. Work harder to make it happen.
or, B. Get into a new line of business.
If you’re feeling confessional, post your lies below.
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