Patch.com
Patch.com staffer Tom Troncone — a former Asbury Park Press and Record newsman — is asked about his site scooping other news outlets on Gov. Chris Christie using a state police helicopter to attend his son’s baseball game.
I got a call from someone yesterday morning who told me that Christie would be arriving in a helicopter at his son’s game. They didn’t know if it would be a state police helicopter or a private helicopter like Corzine used to use. I sent a photographer out there just to play it safe. When he arrived, security told him that he had to move way away from where Christie would land. Luckily, he had a very long lens with him and was able to still get the shots.
I come from a print background and, to be honest, my first instinct was to hold the photos until I knew he was in the air, so that we could ensure our exclusive. But this is a different media landscape, where it’s about getting readers info as quick as we can, so I had the photographer drive to my house and dump the photos directly onto my laptop. It’s not really so much about media competition anymore, it’s about serving a community.
The photos got up so quickly that The Record was able to see them and get a photographer there before he left. That’s why we have him arriving and they have him leaving.
The Star-Ledger used a contributor’s photos for its coverage.
> NYTimes.com: Christie helicopter pictures first appeared on Patch.com
