Considering they are just a few letters at the top of a news story, bylines can be a surprisingly complex affair.
It's easy enough to earn a byline. Rewriting a press release or dashing out a few lines for some breaking news isn't enough, but you just have to produce something new – create something. Talk to somebody, or analyse some data for a new conclusion, and you get to see your name in print or light.
Journalism is not a highly paid profession, and it ain't getting any fucking better anytime soon, so getting a bit of credit is always welcome. It can make you feel like it's all fucking worthwhile, and all your friends and family can see it.
At their best, the byline becomes something of a brand, and a mark of quality. Produce enough good work, and people will recognise it, and look for more of it under that name. The byline assures the consumer that this is something that is worth a bit of attention.
But they also don't tell the whole story, and there is a strange responsibility that comes with the credit. The name at the top is the one who takes all the blame for everything to do with a printed or online story, even if their story has been considerably rewritten by editors, or given a headline and photo that have absolutely nothing to do with the writer. A dozen people could get their hands on the story, and only one gets the blame.
It also goes the other way - reporters regularly get credit for something that was completely missing from the original copy. A good sub or editor may completely restructure a story, give it a new intro, or even re-angle the whole thing, without any input from the credited person. The behind-the-scenes folk aren't in it for the glory, but it can still hurt when everyone on Twitter congratulates somebody else for their brilliant headline.
The other big issue behind the byline is that they are so easy to fuck up, especially when online editors can clone a previous story on the same subject, without checking to make sure it's the right person. Or a story that has been continually updated during the day might still bear the original writer's name, even if nothing is left of their work. It's easy enough to fix, but also unfortunately easy enough to fuck up in the first place.
So journos take the credit and the blame, and the byline is usually fully deserved and recognised. But like so much in life, they don't always tell the whole fucking truth.
- Ron Troupe
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