Lynn Hoppes: Keep your passion alive

"How we did it"

Despite laying off a bunch of people and crying poverty, we were still able to send a 25-person team of writers, editors, photogs and online producers to Beijing for the Olympics at the mere cost of $300,000 ...

 

Obviously s/he wasn't passionate enough.

 

It's easier to be passionate about your profession when you know that paycheck is being deposited into your bank account every other week. Keeping that fire when you're out looking for work after 15 or 20 years in the same job, that's tough to do.

 

And that will cost the revolution a scholarship.

 

Why, thank you Tom!

I would run, if my joint had seen fit to promote me to that lofty position when it was open quite a number of years ago (then again, I probably would have been fired by now for standing up a little too vociferously for some writer, desker or idea). Now, if there were a national organization of newspaper sports journalists -- not by sport, which the writers covering the pros and colleges have, and not just for the bosses -- I would run for that. Thankless and frustrating a gig as it might be, especially these days.

I think SportsJournalists.com is the closest thing we have to such an organization, at this point. And it seems like a good thing that most of our voices are equal, rather than relying on some executive tier.

oh and fishwrapper, thought your "halftime speech" metaphor nailed it. I just expect the president of APSE who has just felt -- and dealt -- some of the pain of this industry to focus more on that (and the lack of futures for many of us in a career-sense, beyond just marking time and clinging on). I also expect him to kick his brethren in the butts for ideas on taking care of the troops, not just keeping their "passion" high to do more of the brass' bidding. The SEs are, week in and week out, part of the process of creating this new gulch between them that have jobs and them that don't. If they have surrendered into being company men, then they cannot blame a single staffer for surrendering his or her passion.

 

Joe, I appreciate your "passion."

I state this fully, absolutely cognizant of the many men and women that lost careers -- and their communities that lost stewards -- the last two weeks. In no way do I want diminish the hurt and the suffering:

Coming first hand, I know every editor in that chain just had the worst two weeks of their professional lives. A nightmare, a fog, a long stare they still can't shake. Whether they're able to -- or choose to -- convey the decimation in a suitable forum for profession consumption is another matter.
I walk into the office and I see survivor's remorse. From every rung of editor, writer. The passion not lost, but taken from them.
I guarantee everyone knows the reality. When I leave the office at night, I find it analogous to leaving the hospital room of a sick friend. Man, does it fucking hurt.

 

Time to call on Frank Reich.

http://www.buffalobills.com/history/AFCWildCardPlayoff.jsp

 

And that's what he should have written. It certainly has more depth and insight than his piece of crap.

 

OK, OK...I have to speak up a bit.

I'm not going to get into Hoppes' column. But first, I guess I have to rip in him a sideways way by telling Tom Petty that I disagree with him totally.

Working aside from their fulltime jobs, APSE presidents HAVE been agents of change over the years. The people who run for the vice-presidencies that lead to this job should know what they're getting into and be prepared to commit to the work necessary to be agents of change as well.

APSE has made a lot of young sports editors better ones, and they've made a lot of young managers better ones, too. They create a single-voice dialogue with AP. They create a single-voice dialogue with the big league commissioners.

They created the Sports Journalism Institute, which actually takes action with regard to something we're always talking about: getting more minorities into our departments.

Is APSE political? Sure. Is it perfect? Hell, no. But I really think it's unfair to characterize those who belong to it or are officers for it as people who care only about contests and being well fed.

A lot of people over a lot of years have done terrific work through APSE, and I think that just needs to be noted.

(Full disclaimer: I was a very active member in the 1980s. Haven't been for years, although now that websites are allowed full membership, I'm at least in the organization again. But I haven't discussed or been involved in APSE business since about 1990.)

 

Couldn't agree with SF Express more. Well said. The support I've gotten from other SEs (and deputies) through APSE has been enormous. Just look at some past presidents: Glen Crevier (sp), Mike Fannin, Jerry Micco, Don Skwar. Ask them for advice or a favor, and you'll get an instant answer. You'll get help. Same goes for pretty much everybody else I have met through APSE. Those judging weekends are no picnic, either. The group has advanced sports journalism significantly. It's easy to paint a broad picture of eating and partying, but don't forget the work. Cover an NFL game some weekend. The reporters bust their asses, but they also eat and drink pretty well during the weekend, too.

 

Lynn: You have always been a stand-up guy on this board and used SportsJournalists.com to offer some jobs, criticism and insight. You're not a saint but if you are a sinner, you are far from the worst. I don't work as a full-time writer for a newspaper and am just a freelancer trying to scrounge up some extra money to spoil my daughters, while enjoying sports and writing. I know people who have suffered from this newspaper depression - and make no mistake about it, this is an economic depression for people working for the people whom you represent.

Your words about Scott Carter showed compassion and understanding. And if you had left it at that and acknowledged that this is a troubled time, I probably would have no problem with this.

But here are your words: But, in the case of Scott Carter and my exiting employees of the Sentinel, everyone handled it with class and professionalism. Each will try to find a job in this field and each will question whether they made the right call to do this over again.

Would I, if given the chance so many years ago, join this profession again?

I would like to think so.

The basic tenets about this business are the same: getting the big story and being in front of the news, telling stories that people would like to read and see, giving people information that would enrich their lives, giving them commentary on why something happened along with the how.

As we go forward, you as a sports editor need to remember that.

Scott still remembers. He still has the passion, even though he was let go.

I hope to remain in sports journalism and continue a career I have come to love not only for what the job entails, but the passion and competitiveness of the people in it," he said. "For the most part, quality of the craft truly matters to the writers and editors, it's just too bad so often that the business side doesn't seem to appreciate or even know what good journalism is."

Listen to Scott. He's out of work, but he understands this business.

So go forward, show compassion for your troops and show passion for your industry.

(continued)

 

You talk about passion for the industry. This industry right now doesn't include Scott Carter (I don't know him at all) at the present moment. Is there a passion or a competence from publishers, managing editors, executive editors, or management? How can a sports editor have "passion" when they don't have the resources or support? You are in a relatively secure situation. You have less control as far as quality than you did three years ago. That passion doesn't matter to management, and that will come down to sports editors and people in the department.

reading your comments, I wonder if you are really in touch with the situation. I don't mean that to be harsh, I'm just saying how things look to me. And one other thing: is the APSE website or SportsJournalists.com more relavant at the present time? Are we to listen to you or to someone like the Moderator? What does it mean to be in APSE - how many people are just waiting for the next cutback?

Is APSE part of the problem or part of the solution?