Orlando

This probably needs a little clarification. Steve's post makes it seem as though they "had a former columnist" do this, as if it was an assignment. That would be silly, but it did throw me for a spin when I first read the words.

Steve's last column seems to be about Ginn. i checked that last night. I'm not sure of the significance of that. Maybe it was felt that a column was going too far, further than what might be ethically obtuse as straight reporting.

 

Orlando Plagiarism Charges Escape Much Attention
www.maynardije.org/columns/dickprince/040630_prince/

 

That's a pretty nasty shot. There's nothing wrong with writing a story that TV or a magazine or radio had first (better if you're first, but still). As long as they did their own reporting, what's the beef?

And the Emily Badger stuff was something they wrote about a couple years ago.

So all they had fresh was the veiled allegation. Pretty slimy on Orlando Magazine's part.

 

After reading all the good words about Van, I would have worked in Orlando in a second even after his passing, figuring his spirit and teachings remained.

Now I wouldn't touch a job there with a 10 1/2 foot pole.

 

At first this seemed like sour grapes given all the praise the paper has received here of late. And then I thought, most papers are mediocre when viewed from inside. People bitched that we should be better everywhere I've been. Most papers look better from a distance.

 

Remember, Frank, that most people wanted to tread lightly after Van McKenzie's death, which I think was the appropriate thing to do.

One other thing: I doubt Lynn Hoppes will be posting anything on here about Steve Elling, although I'd love to know what he thinks. Lynn only seems to pop up here to defend his staff, in sort of cheerily smug way.

 

Typical Steve Elling. Real class act. Nice he has to rip people indirectly in his post when he has absolutely no clue or background to stand on. Before he starts throwing shade lets just see... his nickname is Mr. Happy. Maybe because he is such an asshole to deal with. Where as I feel sorry he lost his job for his son, he went through editor after editor at the paper because no one could stand working with him. He constantly told the desk how stupid they were because he was told to write 30 inch stories and would write 50 and wonder why they needed cut. And it is just very sorry that he feels the need to rip three people I am sure considered him a friend. Classy, real classy.

 

Not defending what he did or wrote or anything, but someone must have valued his work if they switched him from editor to editor if he wasn't getting along with them.

 

This thread makes me wonder two things:

1. Will Elling's outspokenness here, his decision to bring others into the discussion, turn off prospective employers. (Not saying it should or shouldn't, just wondering).

2. Will Lynn Hoppes lose some of his exalted status here? Because it certainly would appear that Lynn really hung Elling out to dry on this one.

 

I don't know about that. If you are the new sports editor, you probably don't have enough pull to sway the editor if she wants to can one of your folks.

 

I'm sorry Steve lost his job, and I know he doesn't need to harbor any loyalty to a place that just fired him, and I know he's probably (and unsurprisingly) running a little hot right now, but when I read his note here -- and knowing nothing about him -- my gut first impression was similar to the above description.

I hate to say it, but I don't think he helped himself by posting here.

And I don't think, especially given Lynn's and the section's reputation, that we've heard the whole story, either.

No dog in the fight, and I know nothing about nothing. Just an opinion, is all.

 

You beat me to it. We might want to keep all this mind the next time we start slathering praise about this great, wonderful Orlando Sentinel.