Look Busy   

OH, THOSE STORIES YOU'LL do anything to avoid. Hey! Are you really on the phone, or are you just trying to avoid these most-dreaded assignments?
It's hot! It's snowing! Boy, it's rainy! The weather story--unless it involves a tornado, hurricane or another bona fide weather event--strikes fear into the heart of every reporter. Nothing dampens a journo's spirit (to borrow an oft-used weather-story phrase) like coaxing quotes from hapless folks loading up on toilet paper or box fans.
The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year, aka the day after Thanksgiving, which apparently mandates anecdotes from shoppers about the combat policy they'll employ to cadge little Susie this year's Tickle Me Elmo.
Localizing a huge news event that really has nothing to do with your area. It could be a new Surgeon General's report. It might be a stupid comment from a member of Congress. Whatever it is, an editor just saw it on CNN and wants reaction to go with the story. (You may also know this as, "What are you doing right this second?")
The generic holiday feature. Veterans Day? Fourth of July fireworks? Oh, dash it all , let's just run " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on the editorial page again.
The reaction story assigned at 4 p.m. that could have been handed out at 10 a.m. (Oh, those late-afternoon news meetings!) This might have been newsy had it gotten under way in the morning, but now anyone foolish enough to be by a phone who can string a sentence together will have to do as a source.