Being in the mass communication business and working for WGN-TV and the Tribune, we get lots of tips. They come in many ways beyond the phone call. The bulk of them get looked at, some checked out, and most don't end up on the news or in the paper. Many do. besides calling the WGN-TV assignment desk, or the Tribune City Desk, here are the two links for the station and Tribune respectively: wgntvinfo.com or go to Chicagotribune.com and I believe there's a link on the page to go to the tip form.
I present to you just a few of the tips that we get. There are literally hundreds a day, but we do go through them. Some are sad circumstances people find themselves in. Others are looking for publicity, be it for an author, an organization, etc. Some are crazy. They come from all over the world, as you'll see, and many are entertaining. I thought I'd present a few of them so you get an idea what we sift through. Keep in mind many are legit, they just don't always get coverage because of the sheer volume of news, requests, and space we have to present them.
Sometimes it's tedious going through each one, but in the end worth the effort. And then you get to, the one looking for love, sent to all members of our company, Just when you thought it was intended for you! Don't forget there are the scammers. A little smattering of samples we get. Here's the tip of the iceberg:
Hello good friend,
I am MR. B... Ch.. and I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting those fund transferred.Now I want you to contact my secretary Mr Morries Vincent. on his email address below and receive your compensation of $1.500.000.00USD dollars from him;
His name is Mr MorM.. V...
Kindly reconfirm to him the following information below;
Your full name________________________
Your address__________________________
Your country__________________________
Your age______________________________
Your occupation_______________________
Your Phone number____________________
Your Sex _____________________________
Note that if you did not send him the above information complete, he will
not release the cheque to you because he has to be sure that you are the real one in order
to avoid any illegal claim.
Ask him to send you your cheque.
Remain bless,
B,, C....
CHICAGOANS TO PROTEST IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAN'S PRO-FREEDOM STUDENT UPRISING
EVENT SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY JULY 9, 2009, 6-7PM
IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
tip: I have a story idea for you about how for some working poor, it literally doesn't pay to get married; it actually costs them precious money in the form of lost tax credits. Two prominent accounting professors (Saint Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame) researched the 2008 tax consequences of two individuals and their dependents and found it literally paid to stay single.
BIRTHDAY BASH: CHICAGO ESPN ZONE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY, RELEASES LIST OF TOP CHICAGO SPORTS MOMENTS OF THE LAST 10 YEARS
Would you like to do a segment on new and unique web tools that make the internet easier to use and more useful to the regular, non-techie, person? I can have someone come to the studio to do a neat segment on this topic with the latest and greatest, from a new no-programming-necessary-drag-and-drop website creation tool, to an online virtual-to-real scrapbook creation tool, to a new Artificial Intelligence search engine that puts Google to shame and several other cool new internet creations. What are your thoughts? Have a great day!
This is part of a longer tip, but later I will use the translator available on the internet. Hope there's no obcenities here:
你封俺的博客老子封你的命！哈哈，上海姓董的老子叫你封俺的博客！这是汉奸特务周恩来达赖李鹏李洪志李长春李光耀李嘉诚李登辉李明博李氏全球邪恶集团的重大损失！
This one is from India, we get a lot from there:
Also all the best girls in Delhi come attached with the most wrong guys. So you have to keep paying off all kinds of middlemen and street smart criminals to get to girls. And the girls encourage this criminal behaviour, creating a culture of criminality which permeates Delhi and India.
C'est un situation tres dangereux avec des personnes tres dangereux, qui essaye de me tuer.
Sie werden diesen Brief ziemlich oft in den kommenden Jahren bekommen, weil ich versuchen will, so viele Menschen wie möglich jeden Tag daran zu erinnern, was es bedeuten kann, an einer deutschen Universität zu unterrichten.
I haven't put each one in full because it would take up 20 or 30 pages. But hopefully you get the idea. I love reading them though! Let me know if you'd like to see some posted time to time.
pcurry@tribune.com
I present to you just a few of the tips that we get. There are literally hundreds a day, but we do go through them. Some are sad circumstances people find themselves in. Others are looking for publicity, be it for an author, an organization, etc. Some are crazy. They come from all over the world, as you'll see, and many are entertaining. I thought I'd present a few of them so you get an idea what we sift through. Keep in mind many are legit, they just don't always get coverage because of the sheer volume of news, requests, and space we have to present them.
Sometimes it's tedious going through each one, but in the end worth the effort. And then you get to, the one looking for love, sent to all members of our company, Just when you thought it was intended for you! Don't forget there are the scammers. A little smattering of samples we get. Here's the tip of the iceberg:
Hello good friend,
I am MR. B... Ch.. and I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting those fund transferred.Now I want you to contact my secretary Mr Morries Vincent. on his email address below and receive your compensation of $1.500.000.00USD dollars from him;
His name is Mr MorM.. V...
Kindly reconfirm to him the following information below;
Your full name________________________
Your address__________________________
Your country__________________________
Your age______________________________
Your occupation_______________________
Your Phone number____________________
Your Sex _____________________________
Note that if you did not send him the above information complete, he will
not release the cheque to you because he has to be sure that you are the real one in order
to avoid any illegal claim.
Ask him to send you your cheque.
Remain bless,
B,, C....
CHICAGOANS TO PROTEST IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAN'S PRO-FREEDOM STUDENT UPRISING
EVENT SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY JULY 9, 2009, 6-7PM
IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
tip: I have a story idea for you about how for some working poor, it literally doesn't pay to get married; it actually costs them precious money in the form of lost tax credits. Two prominent accounting professors (Saint Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame) researched the 2008 tax consequences of two individuals and their dependents and found it literally paid to stay single.
BIRTHDAY BASH: CHICAGO ESPN ZONE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY, RELEASES LIST OF TOP CHICAGO SPORTS MOMENTS OF THE LAST 10 YEARS
Would you like to do a segment on new and unique web tools that make the internet easier to use and more useful to the regular, non-techie, person? I can have someone come to the studio to do a neat segment on this topic with the latest and greatest, from a new no-programming-necessary-drag-and-drop website creation tool, to an online virtual-to-real scrapbook creation tool, to a new Artificial Intelligence search engine that puts Google to shame and several other cool new internet creations. What are your thoughts? Have a great day!
This is part of a longer tip, but later I will use the translator available on the internet. Hope there's no obcenities here:
你封俺的博客老子封你的命！哈哈，上海姓董的老子叫你封俺的博客！这是汉奸特务周恩来达赖李鹏李洪志李长春李光耀李嘉诚李登辉李明博李氏全球邪恶集团的重大损失！
This one is from India, we get a lot from there:
Also all the best girls in Delhi come attached with the most wrong guys. So you have to keep paying off all kinds of middlemen and street smart criminals to get to girls. And the girls encourage this criminal behaviour, creating a culture of criminality which permeates Delhi and India.
C'est un situation tres dangereux avec des personnes tres dangereux, qui essaye de me tuer.
Sie werden diesen Brief ziemlich oft in den kommenden Jahren bekommen, weil ich versuchen will, so viele Menschen wie möglich jeden Tag daran zu erinnern, was es bedeuten kann, an einer deutschen Universität zu unterrichten.
I haven't put each one in full because it would take up 20 or 30 pages. But hopefully you get the idea. I love reading them though! Let me know if you'd like to see some posted time to time.
pcurry@tribune.com
Leave a comment