Diversity at SI

Great point, Len. Presumably the respected Len Shapiro from the Washington Post.
I'm told that Sally Jenkins and Johnette (SP?) Howard, two of the best feature writers anywhere were completely screwed with at SI -- that their copy was fucked with more than the guys plus less desirable assignments -- and just about driven out of the place. That last less to do with journalism and more to do with the mentality there.

 

Maybe. I liked Chadiha's voice on SI.com better than Taylor's. It seems Taylor has been positioned as one of the voices of the site. Chadiha often came up with a different angle that made you think. Instead of the predictable stuff from King, Z, etc. Taylor is good, don't get me wrong. But if you're going to be the sole black writer at SI, I'm expecting someone like Ralph Wiley whose writing moves you. Demasio I thought was one of the more underrated football guys. Enjoyed his stuff since the Washington Post and I thought he was getting warmed up at SI. He did a feature on Marvin Harrison, a guy who I had barely seen quoted before, that he completely knocked out the park. But it's all a matter of taste. If you're at SI, you're at the top of our profession.

 

That's sad.

 

That's pretty funny, except if poverty means a six-figure salary as I'm sure all of SI's writers get, I wanna be poor.

 

I think that post referred to students going into journalism school, not getting an offer from SI.

 

Whitlock would be great in that spot.

 

There are two sides. I heard that Jenkins was acting as if she was her dad -- that she was a prima donna who freaked out if an editor wanted to move around her copy. I didn't know Howard also had a hard time there. But if true, that may be a pattern. With talent like Selena Roberts and Karen Crouse out there, how does the place not have a single female senior writer? And the only female editor there is Sandy Rosenbush. THAT's sad.

 

I don't think Whitlock would be a fit at SI. We're forgetting that Rushin and Reilly were once considered to be brilliant feature writers and top-notch reporters. Whitlock is certainly provocative, and has a name in the industry. But SI would have to loosen it's writing standards.

 

In the end, all Rushin was doing was Air and Space and all Riley does is his column. Let Whitlock do a column ...

Whitlock, have you had any offers?

 

If I were SI I'd be more worried about fact-checking some of his claims (droopy pants equaled gay in prison) but as a column writer he can bring it.

 

If SI fired Nunyo and Rushin was let go and all that, even with Chadiha's departure, what makes anyone think they're going to fill this spot? Didn't the mag just have a purge? Doesn't that assume they'll leave it unfilled?

 

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