Early Season Beat Writer Change at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette?

It depends on your situation in both cases. Wherever you are, in order to improve, you need someone who is going to work with you without acting like you're inferior.

I was fortunate enough to have this at my last paper. In the middle of my time there, we hired a man with 30 years of experience covering the Pac-10 to be our sports editor. With that kind of experience, he had every right to act superior.

Instead, he treated me as an equal from the beginning. He recognized that although he knew plenty that I did not, the reverse was also true. The result was that we learned from each other, and both of us as well as our sports section were better for it.

The point is that age and experience are not the sole determining factors in whether or not someone else has someone worthwhile to say. In this field, or in any field, really, you have to know when to listen and when to speak. There will be some situations where you know more than the other guy. There will be situations where he knows more than you, and you'll have to choose whether to learn or let your ego get in the way. This is part of what sets apart the best journalists.

 

Do it to me. That's proven to be popular.

 

Not the first person to come to this thread to rip Mr. Dunlap.

Imagine how many would come out of the woodwork if we were talking about a beat covering an important team, in an important city.

 

that's some weak-ass shit, Newton

 

You know the old saw about walking a mile in someone's shoes?
I walked two miles, and handed one of the sneakers to Colin.

Granted, his family dynamic is younger than mine, but the personal and professional situations aren't all that different.
It isn't easy, folks. For anyone who has been in the media -- or any profession -- for one minute or half a lifetime, you should realize how each set of circumstances provides their own advantages and disadvantages. The latter can suffocate some.

Please let your brethren breathe.

 

Oh, god, Nighthawk. Would you knock it off?

This situation of flaming Dunlap's credibility, in someone's first post, which shows that they came on here specifically to do that, obviously bringing up potentially true and plausible-sounding and damaging information (to people who might not know otherwise) like newton brought out is entirely different, in scope and motivation, than somebody picking on you because you might lack general experience by comparison.

With you, it's a matter of age, perceived experience and attitude that gets brought into question. But, you know what? You do NOT actually have to answer every criticism of you in such cases.

Sometimes, it's better to just let it go, let it pass, sit back, be quiet and get some perspective, and then, eventually, move on. It'll happen, if you let it. Just let someone else "win," as my mother advises in such situations.

You cannot seem to ever do that, though, and, you know what? That is why people keep ripping on you.

What newton came up with, on the other hand, is specific, potentially plausible, possibly track-able information that could be damaging. Big difference, and it is something that Dunlap should have responded to, if he so wanted and believed to be warranted.

 

dkphxf, I'm not dodging my words. You have yet to accurately paraphrase them, proving you don't get what I'm saying. I said more experience; you immediately went to an extreme and converted that to 20 years. I cautioned against trying to act like a peer when it's painfully obvious you aren't -- most notably because of coming on too strong, like you know everything. Further, I said pay your dues, and to you that meant no opinions are valid until a certain experience level. Again, I said nothing in any of your paraphrases. So, bad journalism. Again proving my point. But I understand why you don't get it. You're green. You don't know any better. (Sorry, I know it hurts, but it's true.)

I'm not basing this note of caution to you simply on this thread. It's based on months of observing your posts (and your PMs to me). Cocky little bastard, and yet, I was starting to like you. You're searching. That's good. You're asking questions. That's good. There's nothing wrong with you a little seasoning and humility can't cure. But even Nuke, when he was trying to announce his presence with authority, had a fastball. I hope you find your Crash Davis and are smart enough to listen. At your age and experience level, listening and paying attention will take you more places than opening your mouth (or posting) will. You're asking good questions about the business; you're just framing them in ways that make you come across as if you think the veterans of the profession have fucked it up almost beyond repair, and if they'd just listen to you, maybe a fix could occur. The fact that you can't even represent my words accurately, without your wild exaggerations, speaks volumes.

There's hope for you -- if you can manage a little humility and admit you have something to learn.

And NightHawk112005, you're right about mentors. I've treated my 23-year-old reporter with respect from the moment he walked through the door to work for me. I did that because he didn't walk in telling me how to run the place, telling me all the answers he has for fixing journalism, trying to show me how out of date I am. He came in with a willingness to work hard, and with a desire to learn. And he asked to be taught. Still does. This will come as a surprise to dkphfx, and maybe to you, but I'm confident he'd tell you I don't act like I know everything, and that I do turn to him for advice too. I let him take ownership of the department and the decisions we make. I learn from him about how 30-year-olds get their news, and about how 23-year-olds do too (dkphfx, by the time you're 30, those ways will be ancient, by the way). The reason I can work with this reporter in this way is he didn't come in acting like a know-it-all. I'm glad you had a mentor eager to show you the ropes. I'm guessing you made it easy for him by not showing up with a chip on your shoulder and the answers to everything.

There is something 30-year-olds can teach us about technology. There is something we can teach them about not using it to put shit out in the world. There are things 23-year-olds can teach us about being able to adapt and to use new platforms. We have something to teach them so they'll have something to say, so they'll know how to get to the core of things. We have something to teach them so they can go from tweet writer to beat writer. But forgive me if I try to rein in someone who thinks we don't know shit compared to him.

Funny, though. When I posted my rule for the real world, the "you" was the universal you. He took it to mean him. Hmm. Funny how, when you see a certain type of shoe, pick it up and put it on, and it fits, how it fits perfectly -- in such an uncomfortable way.

 

Man, I remember my first beer.

 

Does Nighthawk need a Crash or an Annie?

 

I think he said he hasn't had an Annie in more than a year, so that would be my vote.

 

what is wrong with you people

 

You people?