Chiefs WHITLOCK - Newspapers are key to democracy - Page 3

Hammock Parties · 12-20-2008, 10:41 PM

Run for mayor, yo!

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...ry/946541.html

People keep asking me what’s next now that King Carl Peterson has been stripped of his throne.

The answer is simple. You don’t understand this column if you believe the hunt for Peterson drove the content here. King Carl was a handy foil, not the focus.

His demise, however, has caused me to reflect about the industry I love.

Somewhere along my sophomore year of college, being a big-city newspaper columnist became my singular, professional obsession, replacing my childhood fantasy of playing in the National Football League.

My teammates would trace the career change to the spot on the bench my already-ample butt warmed along the sideline my re-redshirt year. They’re probably right. The humiliation of that second season sparked an intellectual awakening and evolution. It caused me to define myself beyond football.

I needed an identity. Journalist/columnist/entertainer/provocateur fit my personality rather nicely. They were the titles/characteristics that made my writing hero, Mike Royko, the best newspaper columnist of all time.

Perhaps it’s an embarrassing admission revealing the immaturity of my personal life, but I must admit I’ve known no greater passion than my infatuation with being a relevant newspaper columnist. It consumes me.

And now I’m scared.

The conventional wisdom is that newspapers are dying. We’re slashing employees, young people allegedly ignore us and what we report and say somehow matters less. A major newspaper in New York recently eliminated the sports columnist position. The two newspapers in Detroit announced last week they’re soon only going to offer home delivery three days a week.

We’re all hurting in this economy. The pain we feel at The Star when our valued colleagues are let go is no different from the pain you feel when a friend or loved one is laid off at Sprint, Hallmark or Ford.

But I want you to consider something when you think about the future of newspapers:

You can’t have a democracy without us. If newspapers are dying, so is our system of government.

That is not written as a plea to buy our product. It’s written as a plea for you to understand you have a stake in the newspaper industry. It’s written as a plea for you to value and seek good, reliable, challenging and thought-provoking information.

If you do those things, newspapers will survive the troubled economy and rebound with a product that makes sense in the instant-information age. Our democracy depends on it.

That probably sounds ridiculously self-important coming from a sportswriter. The conceit does not diminish the truthfulness.

Let me explain with a short story.

On the same day that Chiefs owner Clark Hunt relieved Peterson of his responsibilities as president/CEO/general manager, my alma mater, Ball State, officially announced that its football coach, Brady Hoke, had accepted a job at San Diego State.

Y’all know I love Ball State. I was insanely distracted on Monday when Peterson was chopped.

My mother, who lives in Indianapolis, called me to gossip about the news. She’d heard on her television evening newscast that Hoke left Ball State because the Aztecs offered $300,000 more than BSU. She repeated this bit of information to me, and I chuckled in a twist of amusement and disbelief.

Since late September, I had worked feverishly trying to get the Ball State administration, Indiana print and broadcast media and the school’s boosters to grasp that Hoke would have no choice but to leave if the school failed to invest in his assistant-coaching staff and coaching facilities.

I pegged my Cardinals as BCS-bowl threats during the offseason and realized that the school’s non-support of the program the previous five years would make Hoke, a BSU alumnus, tempted to leave.

The school’s president and athletic director — the Mickey and Mouse of Division I athletics — baited Hoke to depart by offering him a new contract that included no improvements for his assistants. It was an offer he had to refuse, and they knew it. After a 12-1 season that saw the Cardinals ranked in the top 25 most of the year, Hoke’s best assistants were candidates for other jobs. Already some of the lowest-paid assistants in their conference, they were not inclined to stick around for no new money. Hoke’s foundation at Ball State would be undermined. He had to go.

You can only find that kind of context in properly staffed, well-funded newspapers committed to journalism. We’re losing that. The Indianapolis newspaper no longer has a reporter to cover Ball State. The newspaper in Muncie, where BSU is located, has no competition and little incentive to dig for news. The real story that precipitated Hoke’s departure was never told.

It’s not good that we have fewer journalists scratching for the truth.

We can’t govern fairly without substantive information. Never give up on newspapers. We’re more worthy of a bailout than the jokers on Wall Street.

ClevelandBronco · 12-20-2008, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

...IMHO, it's just capitalism at its finest.

Yes it is.

I'll still miss them.

**cdcox** · 12-20-2008, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The Star I can understand; their writers are average, if not below average, at best. Plus, I honestly can't remember one piece of investigative journalism ever reaching national acclaim.

I'd be shocked if publications like USA Today, the NY or LA Times were in trouble and as BRC pointed out, the media is shifting.

I've was a subscriber to USA Today back in 1990 while living in KC because the local paper was so piss poor.

IMHO, it's just capitalism at its finest.

Sorry, but you subscribing to USA Today doesn't really speak very well for your credibility to judge journalism. I'll read it when I'm traveling, but only because it's free and I have dead time. It's like the People Magazine of newspapers.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-20-2008, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

Yes it is.

I'll still miss them.

I get it.

But I'm sure that the exceptional writers will find work, so hopefully it won't be as bad as you think.

Hopefully.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-20-2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

Sorry, but you subscribing to USA Today doesn't really speak very well for your credibility to judge journalism. I'll read it when I'm traveling, but only because it's free and I have dead time. It's like the People Magazine of newspapers.

Well, back in the day, they really covered national stories. If you'll recall, it was difficult to find daily transactions in the local paper for the Chiefs and Royals, let alone the rest of the NFL. The Sports Page (save for Sunday) was shared with the Personals and crossword puzzles.

I agree, USA Today isn't what it was under Ted Turner but it used to be a great newspaper, stocked with great information.

**BigRedChief** · 12-20-2008, 11:43 PM

We get more information about the Chiefs from this site than a Teicher column. Thats their issue. The "real" writerslike JOPO will survive.

The "journalist" is on life support. He/she will be replaced by something else on the internet still to be decided. A uber blogger or something thats trusted somehow.

**cdcox** · 12-20-2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Thanks for the info.

I have a feeling though that nice local papers (such as Phobia's new acquisition) are the wave of the future.

Major news can be found with the click of the mouse. Catching up on local events and your local high school sports can't at this point.

I think it's probably all just part of our ever-changing world.

Thanks again.

Most major locals are on line. You can read everything in your local paper on-line 5 hours before it hits the streets. I think locals need to move to a model where they are internet only (maybe a biweekly print summary for old people). Maybe form a partnership with Craigslist or something for advertising $.

ClevelandBronco · 12-20-2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I get it.

But I'm sure that the exceptional writers will find work, so hopefully it won't be as bad as you think.

Hopefully.

I'm firmly convinced that the creative economy will always be a great asset to us.

ClevelandBronco · 12-20-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

Most major locals are on line. You can read everything in your local paper on-line 5 hours before it hits the streets. I think locals need to move to a model where they are internet only (maybe a biweekly print summary for old people). Maybe form a partnership with Craigslist or something for advertising $.

There's not enough money in it to staff a newsroom.

The whole business model will have to be reinvented or it will die.

Hammock Parties · 12-20-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

We get more information about the Chiefs from this site than a Teicher column. Thats their issue. The "real" writerslike JOPO will survive.

The "journalist" is on life support. He/she will be replaced by something else on the internet still to be decided. A uber blogger or something thats trusted somehow.

The other part that kills guys like Teicher is a lot of their articles are just rehashes of the press conference. That stuff is available on the team website much faster than it hits the Star website.

I usually don't read Teicher's stuff unless it's a feature.

I don't know when teams started making press conference transcripts and video recaps available freely to the public but it hurt newspapers.

**cdcox** · 12-20-2008, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Well, back in the day, they really covered national stories. If you'll recall, it was difficult to find daily transactions in the local paper for the Chiefs and Royals, let alone the rest of the NFL. The Sports Page (save for Sunday) was shared with the Personals and crossword puzzles.

I agree, USA Today isn't what it was under Ted Turner but it used to be a great newspaper, stocked with great information.

Your memories don't match mine. I spent 20 minutes most days pouring over the Times sports section when the Royals or Chiefs were in season.

USA Today has always had the format of very short stories. Only 4 stories per day are allowed to make you turn the page. Two of those 4 were on the Sports page or the Entertainment section.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-20-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdcox

Your memories don't match mine.

Well, I am younger than you.

teedubya · 12-20-2008, 11:50 PM

newspapers need to adapt to the online world more effectively. I have some ideas under wraps that will make moving forward so they can make continued revenue.

Look at HuffingtonPost... it has MILLIONS of subscribers, and it is an online issue only.

In times of quick technological advancements... your business needs to be nimble and aware.

**cdcox** · 12-20-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

There's not enough money in it to staff a newsroom.

The whole business model will have to be reinvented or it will die.

Yeah, you're right. You've obviously given this more thought than I have. How will we support journalists in the future? The internet and media by the people for the people is all well and good, but we need an equivalent of the traditional media to set the direction, ask the tough questions at the press conferences, and do the investigative leg work. Any ideas?

ClevelandBronco · 12-20-2008, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ari Chi3fs

newspapers need to adapt to the online world more effectively. I have some ideas under wraps that will make moving forward so they can make continued revenue.

Look at HuffingtonPost... it has MILLIONS of subscribers, and it is an online issue only.

In times of quick technological advancements... your business needs to be nimble and aware.

You might want to take those ideas out of wraps quickly, because the best minds in the business can't figure this out and they've been working on the problem for years.

You could be a wealthy guy.

heapshake · 12-20-2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I'd be shocked if publications like USA Today, the NY or LA Times were in trouble and as BRC pointed out, the media is shifting.

The LA Times had layoffs earlier this year and its parent company (Tribune Co.) has declared bankruptcy. The NY Times is mortgaging its building to cover costs and its stock has fallen 50% this year.

12-20-2008, 10:41 PM
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4630478	WHITLOCK - Newspapers are key to democracy Run for mayor, yo! http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...ry/946541.html People keep asking me what’s next now that King Carl Peterson has been stripped of his throne. The answer is simple. You don’t understand this column if you believe the hunt for Peterson drove the content here. King Carl was a handy foil, not the focus. His demise, however, has caused me to reflect about the industry I love. Somewhere along my sophomore year of college, being a big-city newspaper columnist became my singular, professional obsession, replacing my childhood fantasy of playing in the National Football League. My teammates would trace the career change to the spot on the bench my already-ample butt warmed along the sideline my re-redshirt year. They’re probably right. The humiliation of that second season sparked an intellectual awakening and evolution. It caused me to define myself beyond football. I needed an identity. Journalist/columnist/entertainer/provocateur fit my personality rather nicely. They were the titles/characteristics that made my writing hero, Mike Royko, the best newspaper columnist of all time. Perhaps it’s an embarrassing admission revealing the immaturity of my personal life, but I must admit I’ve known no greater passion than my infatuation with being a relevant newspaper columnist. It consumes me. And now I’m scared. The conventional wisdom is that newspapers are dying. We’re slashing employees, young people allegedly ignore us and what we report and say somehow matters less. A major newspaper in New York recently eliminated the sports columnist position. The two newspapers in Detroit announced last week they’re soon only going to offer home delivery three days a week. We’re all hurting in this economy. The pain we feel at The Star when our valued colleagues are let go is no different from the pain you feel when a friend or loved one is laid off at Sprint, Hallmark or Ford. But I want you to consider something when you think about the future of newspapers: You can’t have a democracy without us. If newspapers are dying, so is our system of government. That is not written as a plea to buy our product. It’s written as a plea for you to understand you have a stake in the newspaper industry. It’s written as a plea for you to value and seek good, reliable, challenging and thought-provoking information. If you do those things, newspapers will survive the troubled economy and rebound with a product that makes sense in the instant-information age. Our democracy depends on it. That probably sounds ridiculously self-important coming from a sportswriter. The conceit does not diminish the truthfulness. Let me explain with a short story. On the same day that Chiefs owner Clark Hunt relieved Peterson of his responsibilities as president/CEO/general manager, my alma mater, Ball State, officially announced that its football coach, Brady Hoke, had accepted a job at San Diego State. Y’all know I love Ball State. I was insanely distracted on Monday when Peterson was chopped. My mother, who lives in Indianapolis, called me to gossip about the news. She’d heard on her television evening newscast that Hoke left Ball State because the Aztecs offered $300,000 more than BSU. She repeated this bit of information to me, and I chuckled in a twist of amusement and disbelief. Since late September, I had worked feverishly trying to get the Ball State administration, Indiana print and broadcast media and the school’s boosters to grasp that Hoke would have no choice but to leave if the school failed to invest in his assistant-coaching staff and coaching facilities. I pegged my Cardinals as BCS-bowl threats during the offseason and realized that the school’s non-support of the program the previous five years would make Hoke, a BSU alumnus, tempted to leave. The school’s president and athletic director — the Mickey and Mouse of Division I athletics — baited Hoke to depart by offering him a new contract that included no improvements for his assistants. It was an offer he had to refuse, and they knew it. After a 12-1 season that saw the Cardinals ranked in the top 25 most of the year, Hoke’s best assistants were candidates for other jobs. Already some of the lowest-paid assistants in their conference, they were not inclined to stick around for no new money. Hoke’s foundation at Ball State would be undermined. He had to go. You can only find that kind of context in properly staffed, well-funded newspapers committed to journalism. We’re losing that. The Indianapolis newspaper no longer has a reporter to cover Ball State. The newspaper in Muncie, where BSU is located, has no competition and little incentive to dig for news. The real story that precipitated Hoke’s departure was never told. It’s not good that we have fewer journalists scratching for the truth. We can’t govern fairly without substantive information. Never give up on newspapers. We’re more worthy of a bailout than the jokers on Wall Street.
Posts: 278,147

12-20-2008, 11:43 PM	#35
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3059627 VARSITY	We get more information about the Chiefs from this site than a Teicher column. Thats their issue. The "real" writerslike JOPO will survive. The "journalist" is on life support. He/she will be replaced by something else on the internet still to be decided. A uber blogger or something thats trusted somehow. __________________ Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. -YODA
Posts: 79,076

12-20-2008, 11:50 PM	#42
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $9480002	newspapers need to adapt to the online world more effectively. I have some ideas under wraps that will make moving forward so they can make continued revenue. Look at HuffingtonPost... it has MILLIONS of subscribers, and it is an online issue only. In times of quick technological advancements... your business needs to be nimble and aware.
Posts: 36,652