Sports reporter, Jackson Clarion-Ledger

An update. We have identified a couple of finalists, so applications are closed. We hope to fill the job soon.
Thanks to all of those who applied.

Rusty

 

This one is filled...and they made a hell of a hire. Congratulations to Ross Dellenger, formerly of the C-L's bureau in Madison County.

 

Congrats to Ross and this is certainly no slight to him or his work but a paper as big as the C-L, despite of having an African American ME, has only one African American sportswriter and no women. In a town that is 61 percent African American in a state that is 37 percent African American covering a school that is 99 percent African American, that's pretty bad.

 

I don't know if you're referring to my response or not but if there is something wrong or inacurrate about the response, how about saying what it is instead of posting a cartoon?

 

Not that it should necessarily matter, but from what I understand, Jackson State is only one part (and perhaps an increasingly small part) of the job.

I also know that the Clarion-Ledger has had over the years some outstanding African-American sports writers.

And, if I may say, the fact that a white guy was hired to cover a SWAC beat at a very diversity-oriented Gannett paper speaks very highly of said white guy, because he has overcome some enormous odds.

 

Dellenger's a great catch and busted his ass at his stop in Alabama. He's a great catch.
If you're going to inject race and cite the color of the ME and the staff writer, could it be possible that the C-L simply hired the best applicant?
Just possibly, you're w-a-y out of bounds with your race baiting.

 

(1) THIS IS IN NO WAY AN INDICTMENT AGAINST RUSTY. He's a good guy.
(2) THIS IS IN NO WAY AN INDICTMENT AGAINST GANNETT. As an organization, it has done better in race relations and gender equity than most.
(3) IF ANYTHING ITS AN INDICTIMENT ON THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE.
I still find it odd that a business that is quick to chastise another industry about its racial and sexual makeup has trouble looking at itself in the mirror.

 

Or, maybe more and more young African-American journalists (because I'm assuming the JCL was looking for someone young) are leaving the business and finding something else to do.

I know, from personal experience, of at least five young African-American journalists who have gone back to school or have entered a new line of work because of the current state of newspapers. And that's just in the last calendar year. That number doubles going back as far as three years.

 

Way to go Ross. Good, hard-working dude.

 

Ross is a great guy and a good reporter. Congrats.

 

An in-house hire, and likely a good one.
Congrats to Ross.