It's official (now): Whitlock leaving the KC Star

The KC paper wanted Whitlock bad enough they offered him the sports editor job, if you believe what he said on the radio.
That's after his being out 3 months in protest. Obviously his brand name was worth it to the newspaper. Obviously by their actions, the higher ups at that newspaper felt he was their sports section.

 

Key phrase in bold.

 

Whitlock as sports editor? No, I don't believe it ..........

Unless the editor offered it just to see if he would be willing to show up in the office five days a week. Seems impossible to fathom.

 

From what I recall, Whitlock pitched the idea of becoming sports editor because he wanted to save the sports section. (Insert laugh track here.)

 

Sorry, Twoback, I'll trust my eyes and ears and experience first. I've seen too many corners cut, too many events and assignments that would have fallen to a writer who -- oops! -- isn't available because he or she is doing the moonlighting work.

Which poisons your staff morale and their respect for management. They'll ask the grunts to put the newspaper job ahead of family, holidays, vacations, whatever. But they'll bend rules to accommodate a few staffers' second jobs.

Usually the people who claim you can serve two or more masters equally well are the people who are trying to serve two or more masters to chase two or more paychecks. (And before you wonder, yes, i had a radio side job for a while and I know it intruded on the day job. I was glad when it ended, though I naturally missed the money. But it was the right thing for the paper to give it my full attention.)

SEs get enamored of these stars and the alleged cheap promotional value, and forget that they're the ones who created them in the first place and thus can replace them.

The only arrangements that seem to work -- and keep the newspaper in the forefront, while sharing the "wealth" -- are the ones run by the papers themselves. Think Philly does something like that and Chicago, where multiple staffers participate in TV or radio arrangement, not just the same 1 or 2 stars.

 

So apparently Jason Whitlock isn't taking over as sports editor. Who's the leader in the clubhouse?

 

If you knew who I was, you could ask my bosses how it has worked.
I am certain they would tell you there are those who can make it work.

 

Congrats to you then. Seriously. But I'd still contend you are in the minority.

I've seen more corner-cutting than gut-busting when the hours spent earning easy money (radio/TV) start to impinge on the hours required for the harder money (print). Print bosses who tolerate or even foster that are undermining their product and their staffs. But it gives them someone "cool" to talk about with the other department heads in their meetings. (Was that too Fredrick-like?)

 

Wilbon is a terrible example, really. He's good on TV, so good he could leave the Post for TV and probably will eventually do it.

There are more than a few who are not good, especially some of those who host radio shows wherever. They're on the radio as a co-host or whatever in part because of their status as "columnist for the so and so." And they don't have the voice or the talent or the presence for it. They just don't. And yet they'll kick around in a sound booth for 3-4 hours a day burning up all of their creative energy on goober callers and pointless minuate when they could, you know, reporting and writing.

 

I have a question. In this long thread, Fredrick is the only person who has backed Whitlock. I think this is insane and sad. Where are the Whitlock supporters? If any of you know them, call them and tell them to fucking post on here. This is one sided. I still say if what Whitlock alleged is true, he did an important thing on that 4 hour radio show. Cmon people; be fair here. There have to be some current or laid off KC Star reporters who could state their opinions on the matter.

 

"Jimmy's gonna get you, Kramer! Jimmy holds grudges!"

 

George is gettin' upset!