Tennessee bans Knoxville reporter

Right. But what I mean is that the marketing department is to be blamed for that kind of stuff - they really don't understand what it means to cover sports, but you can't blame the SE for that. You'd be amazed at the ideas some of these marketing people come up with - if it was up to them, we would all pose every week in promotional photos where we were painted in team colors screaming. Seriously. They typically have no clue that boosterism isn't the way sports operates, and it's tough to convince them that it isn't a tremendous idea.

 

I understood what you're saying. I'm not arguing that.

I think an SE needs to get involved and say the kinds of things I said, the kinds of things you and others here have said. We all agree there is no concept on the marketing side of what we do and how it differs from boosterism. A good SE and ME and maybe even EE should have a meeting and explain it, because in the end, the message being sent to the public comes from The Daily Bugle. Fans don't know "Oh, nice job by the marketing department." If it's on The Daily Bugle's trucks, it comes from the paper.

 

I think you're right - at best, the public is getting mixed messages. At worst, they believe that when a reporter services them by working hard to get the real story, he's defying the objectives of his own paper, because that's the message they have been delivered.

 

That's why I say you can tickle the same fan with the notion of comprehensive and even passionate coverage of the team by utilizing your journalistic resources -- a photo from one of your shooters -- instead of just painting a team slogan or cheer on the truck. It's a subtle distinction, but an important one that should be drawn.

 

I'm not sure I have a problem with everything alwayswrite said, but the truly unforgivable thing here is the editor publicly throwing Hooker under the bus. Even if you disagree with what your writer did, you NEVER do it that way.

 

Griffith was taken off the football beat prior to the 2005 season for several reasons. He's been doing basketball since then.

 

So Hack McElroy wants "the best" for a guy who LIED about an "ambush," putting the reputation of McElroy's own reporter at risk.

WTF is all I can say.

I don't blame UT for being assholes. That's what they do. I blame the paper.

Somebody mentioned contacting the UT president and the ASPE. In addition, how about a simple call to the NCAA? Or a simple call to the Scripps lawyers? Those calls might not do any good, but GEEZ! -- At least go through the motions!

 

Well the FWAA certainly needs to know, though surely they already do. But a formal call to Dennis Dodd won't hurt.

 

One of my favorite things to do is get media lawyers involved.

These media lawyers are either paid hefty sums by the corporations... or they are on hefty retainers... and they do VERY LITTLE WORK. In fact, I've found some of them are bored and like having an issue to deal with.

Maybe it never goes to court... But how nice would it be for the UT president to get a semi-scary legal letter from Scripps?

Okay, so maybe Hooker doesn't get his suspension revoked, but it does make an SIDs office think twice before pulling this bullshit.

But NO. Hack McElroy is too busy getting fitted for orange knee pads.

 

Luggie bringing the smackdown!

 

Bless you, Claude Felton ... a good man.

 

from the editor's blog