Do You Want To Be Like Jason?

No need to leave, Jason. Upon further review, I agree the piling on this guy was excessive and petty (but I don't see the bigotry, please explain how?) and I'm guilty too.

However, any adult professional journalist who sends a piece over the AP wire that is both poorly written and reads more like a cover letter disguised as a column has voluntarily made himself fair game for criticism (especially on a site like this) and better be prepared to take the heat.

 

I'm reading this discussion and getting the sense it has become a growing snowball of negativity. Why? There is little discussion about the message from the piece: The importance of black writers in this business. I am white and would love to be like Stephen A. Smith. He gets thought-provoking messages across, which is what a columnist should do. He also has great contacts, the backbone of good journalism. When stating this I have gotten dirty looks from some in this business, and it reminds me why there is a need for papers to state they are equal opportunity employers. This discussion gives me a feeling similar to those dirty looks.

OK, it's been established this story could have been written better. Now move on and try to bring something else to the discussion, please. Perhaps the story's message because that is worth discussing.

 

Silky --

Writing the story carefully and with precision will result in the message being discussed.

Writing the story poorly will result in the story being discussed.

 

It seems to me this was written to pair with the Spike Lee story. Also, being a white reporter I know I've been horrified when a white coach, player or other source drops some racist bs in my face (these are "good kids," not "gang-bangers") with a look like - "you know what I mean." There is a comfort factor between source and reporter if the source feels the reporter knows where they are coming from.

 

Gag me with a cover letter

 

ahhhh, playing the race card because you didn't get your way. i thought you were a lotta things, but a race-card mongering little bitch wasn't one of them, though. you have sunk to a new low. please do stop posting if you feel the need to continue to take this approach. it'd benefit all of us.

 

There is a huge, huge difference between this piece and what Krystal Grow wrote.

Krystal Grow was essentially belittling the job she had, saying she was too good for it, implying she should be out doing bigger and better things for a bigger and better publication.

This kid is showing a genuine passion for our business. No, the piece isn't great, and shouldn't have moved on the AP wire, but that's certainly not his fault. It IS disappointing that there's so much bitterness on this board, that time and time again the first impulse is to tear a young kid down, either for a young mistake or simply for not being a Mizzou-level f***ing stud.

That said, there's no racism or bigotry on this thread. None. This kid's getting ripped for the work and for being naive. I wish we could be better than THAT, but it's not a race issue. Hope you were having a bad day Whitlock and reconsider, because in general you've been a lot better than, "Stop being mean to Coach K - or this young writer - or I'm going to take my ball and go home," around here.

 

Are we being rough on the kid? fuck yeah.
I hate to say it, but this is a rough business. Parents, coaches and pro athletes wouldn't be any kinder. You must have a thick skin to do what we do.
On top of that, so many publications care more about just getting a story in the paper instead of making sure it's a good story. Sometimes i'm even guilty of that. Obviously so is the AP.
Could we have been nicer, probably. But there's no way this should have floated across the wire.

 

That's probably because my beloved white brothers - as members of the dominant, decision-making group - generally don't need anything special to get started.

As distasteful as some advocacy appears at times - even to a potential beneficiary - the work is important for those on the outside looking in. Like Frederick Douglass said 150 years ago, "Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did and it never will."

I suppose one could wait and hope power brokers did the right thing, opening the door due to their kind hearts and rational minds. But I suspect we would've made much less progress using that approach alone.

That's why "special groups" work to forge "special opportunites." Because they see a need.

 

why don't you hire jon then bruh? oh that's right, he's a shitty writer. you wouldn't have him.

 

Hiring qualified candidates despite their minority status: Good.
Hiring unqualified candidates because of their minority status: Bad.

 

i'll buy that bruh. but at the same time, i don't care what a person looks like when i'm looking to fill a position. i simply want a person who does their job and does it well.