a reporter's reporter

[Alma]

212,

Nothing personal. Trust me there. To suggest that is to suggest every journalist who writes a "tough column" about some coach is grinding an axe.

My issue, if you need to call it that, is the culture of journalism. That includes the kinds of things Canzano said in the interview and has written. Some of my beliefs are popular but not practiced, some of them are just unpopular.

 

[jgmacg]

Alma has a personal thing with Canzano. What he'd do, write about your girlfriend or something? Canzano's column on the blonde demonstrated that the league has a skewed culture with poor views of women. The latest one, a couple of weeks later, was on an exotic dancer who purported to be raped by a couple of Jazz players. His blog has since updated because (shocker) canzano landed an interview with the victim/woman. I think writing about this stuff is far different than writing about Bill Martin's sexcapades. Just my .02.

Rape is a crime. And it's news. And it's different than consensual sex.

 

[Boom_70]

The blonde story is the perfect example of that! Do you have some personal issue with Canzano or The Oregonian? Do you work for the Blazers or represent any of the players?

The level of paranoia on this thread is breathtaking. I don't know Canzano, don't read the Oregonian, don't watch basketball, don't have a vested interest here in anything other than the practice and craft of journalism.

If that is the case how can you even render any opinion about the NBA and its players? How can you render any thoughts on Canzano?

What gives your thoughts here any credibility since you are now on record as not knowing or caring about the main characters?

You come off like Mike Lupica when he writes about hockey.

If you are practicing the craft of journalism it seems to me that you need some basic level of understanding and interest in the topic you are writing about. The great sportswriters all have this ability. You can always tell the ones who do not even have a rudimentary idea of what they are writing about.

Henry in many ways you were a pioneer in this type of journalism. Now its commom place. Back in your day it was a rarity.

Would you share with us some of the dilemma that you had with things that you saw in The Bronx and whether or not to write about them?

 

[jgmacg]

The blonde story is the perfect example of that! Do you have some personal issue with Canzano or The Oregonian? Do you work for the Blazers or represent any of the players?

The level of paranoia on this thread is breathtaking. I don't know Canzano, don't read the Oregonian, don't watch basketball, don't have a vested interest here in anything other than the practice and craft of journalism.

If that is the case how can you even render any opinion about the NBA and its players? How can you render any thoughts on Canzano?

What gives your thoughts here any credibility since you are now on record as not knowing or caring about the main characters?

You come off like Mike Lupica when he writes about hockey.

If you are practicing the craft of journalism it seems to me that you need some basic level of understanding and interest in the topic you are writing about. The great sportswriters all have this ability. You can always tell the ones who do not even have a rudimentary idea of what they are writing about.

Henry in many ways you were a pioneer in this type of journalism. Now its commom place. Back in your day it was a rarity.

Would you share with us some of the dilemma that you had with things that you saw in The Bronx and whether or not to write about them?

Save the selective cutting and pasting for the Anything Goes board, Boom. Here's the sentence you ignored:

Every post I've made here refers simply to the interview he gave. I clicked the link, read the Q & A, and posted my thoughts about it. That Canzano knows how to use a Reverse Phone Directory, or file an FOIA request, or has sources in his own community is admirable, but not, to me, necessarily worthy of note. As others have said in this thread, all those things are, or should be, pretty standard weapons in a reporter's arsenal.

I'm one writer commenting on the rhetorical skills and strategies used by another writer, as expressed in the interview to which we're all referring here.

 

[Boom_70]

The blonde story is the perfect example of that! Do you have some personal issue with Canzano or The Oregonian? Do you work for the Blazers or represent any of the players?

The level of paranoia on this thread is breathtaking. I don't know Canzano, don't read the Oregonian, don't watch basketball, don't have a vested interest here in anything other than the practice and craft of journalism.

If that is the case how can you even render any opinion about the NBA and its players? How can you render any thoughts on Canzano?

What gives your thoughts here any credibility since you are now on record as not knowing or caring about the main characters?

You come off like Mike Lupica when he writes about hockey.

If you are practicing the craft of journalism it seems to me that you need some basic level of understanding and interest in the topic you are writing about. The great sportswriters all have this ability. You can always tell the ones who do not even have a rudimentary idea of what they are writing about.

Henry in many ways you were a pioneer in this type of journalism. Now its commom place. Back in your day it was a rarity.

Would you share with us some of the dilemma that you had with things that you saw in The Bronx and whether or not to write about them?

Save the selective cutting and pasting for the Anything Goes board, Boom. Here's the sentence you ignored:

Every post I've made here refers simply to the interview he gave. I clicked the link, read the Q & A, and posted my thoughts about it. That Canzano knows how to use a Reverse Phone Directory, or file an FOIA request, or has sources in his own community is admirable, but not, to me, necessarily worthy of note. As others have said in this thread, all those things are, or should be, pretty standard weapons in a reporter's arsenal.

I'm one writer commenting on the rhetorical skills and strategies used by another writer, as expressed in the interview to which we're all referring here.

Then on what basis can you make a statement like this?

playthrough -

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

 

[jgmacg]

Then on what basis can you make a statement like this?

playthrough -

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

Sorry, Boom - that's not a statement, it's a question.

And again, you've cut and pasted very selectively. Here's the sentence preceding the question:

And I'll append one last thought for you both, largely rhetorical, and hope that perhaps Mr. Whitlock can check in at some point later with his no doubt avid thoughts.

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

Additionally, Boom, the troubled history of the Trailblazers franchise is an issue to which Canzano refers in the interview. In fact, it's why he thinks of himself as a "watchdog."

 

[Boom_70]

Then on what basis can you make a statement like this?

playthrough -

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

Sorry, Boom - that's not a statement, it's a question.

And again, you've cut and pasted very selectively. Here's the sentence preceding the question:

And I'll append one last thought for you both, largely rhetorical, and hope that perhaps Mr. Whitlock can check in at some point later with his no doubt avid thoughts.

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

Additionally, Boom, the troubled history of the Trailblazers franchise is an issue to which Canzano refers in the interview. In fact, it's why he thinks of himself as a "watchdog."

So in effect what you are now saying is that you only became aware of the "troubled Portland" history from reading this Canzano interview?

 

[jgmacg]

Then on what basis can you make a statement like this?

playthrough -

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

Sorry, Boom - that's not a statement, it's a question.

And again, you've cut and pasted very selectively. Here's the sentence preceding the question:

And I'll append one last thought for you both, largely rhetorical, and hope that perhaps Mr. Whitlock can check in at some point later with his no doubt avid thoughts.

While I'm aware of the special circumstances in Portland given its history, does it bother anyone else that stories of this kind are so often written by white journalists about black players?

Additionally, Boom, the troubled history of the Trailblazers franchise is an issue to which Canzano refers in the interview. In fact, it's why he thinks of himself as a "watchdog."

So in effect what you are now saying is that you only became aware of the "troubled Portland" history from reading this Canzano interview?

No, Boom, that's not what I'm "now" saying. "In effect" or otherwise.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Has anyone else ever had to file and FOI?
At my old paper I had no idea what an FOI was.
Since I have been at my current stop, I've filed a handful. I average about one a year.
Most of them have been filed against county school boards to release the names of job applicants.
I filed one against a college - seeking coaching applicants. The college told us to step off and while my EE thought we would win a legal fight over the matter (the college is a public institution) the company didn't think the matter was big enough to foot any legal bills so we let it drop.

 

[jason_whitlock]

this is an interesting thread...it's tough for me to follow because i don't know all the background.... jmac, are there other threads about canzano this week? also, it does seem odd that henryhect would post this thread at 3:35 and at 3:40 mizzougrad would post a glowing review of a long interview. maybe i read slow.

i don't know much about canzano, but i like him whenever i've spoken to him in a press box... we all have our priorities/passions.... i'm passionate about racial issues. the interview with canzano makes it seem like he wants to be some sort of morality police. this might not be true, but that's how the interview comes off.

when it comes to sex, pro sports are a small part in an overall "twisted culture." the difference between the average pro athlete and the average sportswriter/fan is opportunity. passing judgment on consenting adults is a slippery slope.

 

[jgmacg]

this is an interesting thread...it's tough for me to follow because i don't know all the background.... jmac, are there other threads about canzano this week? also, it does seem odd that henryhect would post this thread at 3:35 and at 3:40 mizzougrad would post a glowing review of a long interview. maybe i read slow.

i don't know much about canzano, but i like him whenever i've spoken to him in a press box... we all have our priorities/passions.... i'm passionate about racial issues. the interview with canzano makes it seem like he wants to be some sort of morality police. this might not be true, but that's how the interview comes off.

when it comes to sex, pro sports are a small part in an overall "twisted culture." the difference between the average pro athlete and the average sportswriter/fan is opportunity. passing judgment on consenting adults is a slippery slope.

Mr. W -

The other thread I referred to is the one concerning the Oregonian's investigation of its relationship to the Blazers. It's still on the front page of the J-board I expect.

And I hope that you, unlike some others here, understand the spirit in which I posted my rhetorical question last night about the complex relationship of race to sexuality in complicated moral stories like these. I'm genuinely curious about it, and value your insight. Thanks.

 

[Boom_70]

this is an interesting thread...it's tough for me to follow because i don't know all the background.... jmac, are there other threads about canzano this week? also, it does seem odd that henryhect would post this thread at 3:35 and at 3:40 mizzougrad would post a glowing review of a long interview. maybe i read slow.

i don't know much about canzano, but i like him whenever i've spoken to him in a press box... we all have our priorities/passions.... i'm passionate about racial issues. the interview with canzano makes it seem like he wants to be some sort of morality police. this might not be true, but that's how the interview comes off.

when it comes to sex, pro sports are a small part in an overall "twisted culture." the difference between the average pro athlete and the average sportswriter/fan is opportunity. passing judgment on consenting adults is a slippery slope.

Mr. W -

The other thread I referred to is the one concerning the Oregonian's investigation of its relationship to the Blazers. It's still on the front page of the J-board I expect.

And I hope that you, unlike some others here, understand the spirit in which I posted my rhetorical question last night about the complex relationship of race to sexuality in complicated moral stories like these. I'm genuinely curious about it, and value your insight. Thanks.

jgm - last night you made a statement about the NBA, that you now are on record as saying you know nothing about.

Your feigned interest now is ponderous at best.