The Athletic layoffs

I like those people too. But I really like the ones who understand that a promotion from reporter to columnist does not mean you stop reporting.

 

Perhaps the people with traditional mindsets aren’t seen as potential consumers because they can barely work a computer. I’m half joking.

 

Plenty of them still make it into the comments, and they quite literally paid to be there.

 

I think the Athletic is the Gene Bartow of journalism. Bartow was a fine coach who struggled to succeed John Wooden. The Athletic is struggling to succeed SI.

SI was phenomenal, probably the best magazine in the United States from the period of 1960-2000. How many times did you read something in SI and say "Holy Christ, that was good". The folks at the Athletic don't have the talent of DeFord, Jenkins, Smith et.al. They are good at their jobs. The Athletic reads like a really good, but not great, sports section of a major metropolitan paper in the 90's.

I subscribe to it because of the breadth, not the quality of their coverage. If I want to find out why the Sacramento Kings are losing lots of games I check in with Jason Jones who breaks down their matador defense. No one else besides the Athletic provides that for so may teams in an accessible format.

 

Lol. Of course not... Because it's not a fact.

 

Man, the amount of condescension in this post is insane. I'm not really sure how you got brainwashed into thinking all this, but you should keep this same energy with people in your newsroom and see how it goes.

 

Also, Chad, I'm a little confused here. Are you working in the business or not?

 

But back in the day when newspapers more widely read I think the columnists gave the section a voice. That voice may not have swayed public opinion but it was at least recognized.

I think the biggest reason that columnists are losing that recognition is, of course. the general decline of newspapers. But I also think that the beat writers on the most important local teams are more likely to express many of the opinions that in years past only the columnist was allowed to write. Which is a good thing. Because far to many columnists today may be good writers but do not report. They turn out a lot of potato chip columns. Tasty but of no nutritional value.

 

Got a full-time job in the business after my layoff, left that job recently for a job with more consistent hours (family reasons). But am still doing some contract work for the paper I just left. Hoping the business evolves so I can get back into it full-time when my kids are older.

 

Talk about not accepting reality

 

Lancey-

I have seen ample evidence of a strident/shitty columnist chasing away readers rather than attracting them.

Jay Mariotti did not need to be a columnist. His personality was bad and that came out in the writing - every day.

 

Diggin' the avatar, Dude.