1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

TJ Simers on changes in Los Angeles Times sports section going into effect Monday

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Mr. X, Jul 4, 2023.

Page 12 of 14
  1. Preacher Roe

    Preacher Roe New Member

    I think it is pretty obvious -- based on the effusive praise for the hire -- that the now-USC AD is a Friend of the National College Football Media. Which plays into who breaks this (and who will break things moving forward).

    That said: Not having Cohen on the candidates list a few hours earlier is a bit of a black eye.
     
    Preacher Roe, Aug 22, 2023
    #133
  2. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    I think it was noted earlier that "The LA Times reporter offers no benefit to a source."


    (definitely is a black eye, and pretty abysmal)
     
    SixToe, Aug 22, 2023
    #134
  3. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    Are we saying the LA Times wasn’t “national media” back in the salad days?
     
    dixiehack, Aug 22, 2023
    #135
  4. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Not like we have today, no.

    These folks - and I respect many of them - basically live on their phone, on X and in studio spots. The person who broke the Cohen to USC news also broke the “ODU names starting QB” news. Citing “sources.” A store like that benefits ODU more than it does in any reading audience.
     
    Alma, Aug 22, 2023
    #136
  5. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    The LAT cited many sources in their Sunday story about the AD search -- and Jennifer Cohen was not named once.

    That is, yes, a black eye and a major credibility hit. What were those sources saying yesterday morning?
     
    MileHigh, Aug 22, 2023
    #137
    HanSenSE likes this.
  6. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    It is, I suppose. I actually think the LAT tried. Just...whiffed on the candidate. 15 years ago, there's probably hell to pay for a whiff like that, but not now.
     
    Alma, Aug 22, 2023
    #138
  7. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    You suppose?

    They "tried?"

    They did a (alleged) deep dive into the search, and less than 24 hours earlier. USC names someone that none -- NONE -- of their multiple sources brought up.

    This ain't AYSO and orange slices. Good job, good effort.

    That is major failure. I'm not saying heads should roll but WTF on the reporting of this.

    Of course. there won't be hell to pay since anything that happens after 3 p.m. doesn't get into the newspaper. And if there isn't hell to pay for such a major whiff, then the LAT sports section should go the way of the NYT sports section.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2023
    MileHigh, Aug 22, 2023
    #139
    I Should Coco, Liut, poindexter and 4 others like this.
  8. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    If you put out a top five candidates list the day before a hire is made and the choice isn't on it, that's really, really bad. Like maybe someone new needs to be on the beat bad
     
    Della9250, Aug 22, 2023
    #140
    poindexter, SixToe and Slacker like this.
  9. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    I can agree - and do - with everything you're writing and simultaneously tell you that it doesn't surprise me they missed.
     
    Alma, Aug 22, 2023
    #141
    Liut likes this.
  10. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    IMO, that's not going to happen.

    Whether or not it should be, the perceived currency for a newspaper beat writer is no longer breaking this kind of news. I know it happened with UT/OU going to to the SEC, and USC/UCLA going to the Big Ten, but neither situation was a hire. IMO, the agents own and control the flow of that news. They don't seek out the local papers.

    The perceived currency now, IMO, generally revolves around enterprise features that win awards and are recognized by peers. Beat writers are rarely producing for the reading public. Simers comes from an older school to which few now belong. Folks on a beat barely compete at this point. Everybody's buddies.
     
    Alma, Aug 22, 2023
    #142
    Liut and BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo like this.
  11. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    That's the problem. It SHOULD be a major surprise they missed. On many levels. From the top down. It's the damn World Champion. In their backyard. With reporters supposedly on the ground.

    But it's clear the LAT sports section has gone the way of the horse and buggy.
     
    MileHigh, Aug 22, 2023
    #143
    Liut likes this.
  12. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    I'm not saying that it's going to happen.

    I'm also not saying they should have had the hire before anyone else. I get that they can feed it to some national pundit or talking head. My point was that if you can't even have her in the candidate pool, that's a pretty big problem about how plugged in the reporter is.
     
    Della9250, Aug 23, 2023
    #144
Page 12 of 14
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page