Columnist opening in Orlando

A great post that says it all.

 

You can't compare Sterger to Hill in any manner. The investment SI's making in her is pocket change compared to what ESPN is with Jemele. Lots of unfair talk on this thread, but that's near the top of the list.

 

Oh, so now we're debating money and not the actual hire? Yes, Hill's going to be in a more prominant role. But ESPN did hire her with a specific role in mind, just the same.

 

To be fair to your students, if we (and I guess I can say we because I'm a month away from 37 -- everybody PM me to find out where to send your gifts! ) were coming up in the same environment as they are, we'd be worrying more about our blogs and less about Best American Sports Writing.

When we were making our way up, we were told that journalism would give you a low paycheck but was a noble profession. I think this generation, wisely, looks at the newspaper landscape and finds that a big pile of hooey. When we were making our way up, you had, if you were lucky, two newspapers in a city, which because of the limited media market could dictate and define the news to its readers, as well as limit the number and variety of voices that those readers saw and heard.

We all had 'tude and a need for instant gratification when we were young. The difference is, this generation has the ability to get it. Not just write it, but get it. And get paid a lot more for it than your journalism professors told you. (Side note: if Jemele Hill were getting paid $60,000 a year to write for Page 2, would some of you be as upset as you are?)

I don't find this an all-bad thing, especially because without the Internet, I would have not been able to return to sports from the wilderness I cast myself into 15 years ago when a lousy newspaper job market, and my own 'tude, led me to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Thanks to the new media landscape, as Michelle and others have pointed out, there is room for Bill Simmons, snarky blogs and stathead pieces -- and there is room for the long piece on Fredi Gonzalez's family journey. Everybody doesn't have to sound like Jim Murray. I'm guessing Jim Murray would find it ridiculous if everyone sounded like Jim Murray. There is no one standard for what a sports columnist should be, because the newspaper industry can't dictate one anymore. But the beauty of this new media landscape is that if you don't like a particular voice, you can ignore it.

As you probably might be doing with mine!

 

So good writing is what someone says it is? A Hyundai can be as good as a Ferrari because someone says it is? Let's not confuse interest in something with it being good. And I would hope newspapers would focus on what is good. I would like to see far more Ferraris and a lot fewer Hyundais in the newspaper lot.

 

Here's what I wonder:

If there used to be more call for long takeout pieces and investigative stories, and now the market wants instant gratification, what will the market insist upon when instant gratification isn't good enough? Will today's quick hits be the fated takeout pieces of tomorrow? And replaced by ... what?

 

take my judgment with anything you'd like.

Jemele Hill still sucks.

 

Of course a Hyundai isn't as good as a Ferrari. But some people buy Hyundais, some people buy Ferraris, some people buy Canyoneros. Differing vehicles for differing tastes. Same thing's happening in the sports-columning biz.

 

A Hyundai is better than a Ferrari if you like gas mileage. Or if you need to fit four people in it. Or if you think a Ferrari is too ostentatious.

 

Well, Dooley, your position seems to be that good writing is what YOU say it is. So, yes.

 

I do sincerely hope one thing. I hope Jemele is reading this thread and laughing all the way to her new opportunity.

 

Absolutely fantastic analogy and great post, Michelle. When you finally wise up and realize you're married to a boring hack, give me a call!

Why do people who use their real names on here say the most intelligent stuff? Coincidence?

Now, I'm going to say something that some people will misconstrue....but I don't particularly care because it's the truth. The unfair, over-the-top, inaccurate criticism of Jemele about this particular job opportunity can be directly linked to ESPN's toleration and promotion of Scoop's bojangling act for 18 months. You have to be careful about whom you allow on your platform and with whom you share your platform. I hope they're paying her enough to be linked to Scoop, because this, unfortunately, is what goes along with it.