Pissing match: Post-Dispatch vs. The Athletic

[Tweener]

Chris Haynes has a personal relationship with Lillard that most reporters do not have. Haynes goes back to his days as a reporter in Portland, and he struck up a friendship with Lillard. Damian Lillard is not inviting "reporters" over to his house. But a friend like Haynes, yes.

I do remember Haynes covering the Blazers. But that personal connection doesn't mean Lillard didn't invite a reporter who was writing a story on him over to his house. He did. It's not even uncommon for a reporter to shadow a player for a few hours, or a day, for a story.

I get your overall point, but I think you're missing mine. The entire business of sports journalism is about relationships. A publication shouldn't sell me on unique, unrivaled access/content if its beat reporter doesn't have them.

That obviously doesn't mean that every reporter should be receiving invites to a player's home. That's absurd. But I don't think you can say that you're providing premiem, insider content if you're not showing us something beyond what happened during the 48 minutes of the game that we all watched.

 

[Alma]

I do remember Haynes covering the Blazers. But that personal connection doesn't mean Lillard didn't invite a reporter who was writing a story on him over to his house. He did. It's not even uncommon for a reporter to shadow a player for a few hours, or a day, for a story.

I get your overall point, but I think you're missing mine. The entire business of sports journalism is about relationships. A publication shouldn't sell me on unique, unrivaled access/content if its beat reporter doesn't have them.

That obviously doesn't mean that every reporter should be receiving invites to a player's home. That's absurd. But I don't think you can say that you're providing premiem, insider content if you're not showing us something beyond what happened during the 48 minutes of the game that we all watched.

I mean, I dunno. Too often these conversations can devolve into things they're not - which is pissing matches - vs. a conversation about philosophy.

Haynes earned his way to his job. Really. Didn't have a journalism background, worked hard, built relationships. But it's hard - very hard - to build any kind of relationship with pro superstars and not have it function as something close to hagiography, at some point. The Lillard story is great - because it foreshadowed a success. If Lillard misses that shot, and the Blazers lose the game...well, maybe Lillard is a good enough guy that the story gets told anyway. But a lot of NBA stars wouldn't be. You'd have never known he'd said because it didn't fit a winning narrative. (This is not cynicism or critique of the writer or story. It's just the kind calculation that can occur.)

"Insiderism" can take a lot of forms, and it's not gonna happen every night. Was the Bleacher Report story on Aaron Rodgers an insider look? I sure think so - a more valuable story than the "Aaron Rodgers is a enlightened sage" piece from Mina Kimes a few years back. But who's Rodgers likely to tap for a future story? The one who made him look like an enlightened sage. National writers and reporters almost always get the perk of being a subject's redeemer.

 

[playthrough]

I do remember Haynes covering the Blazers. But that personal connection doesn't mean Lillard didn't invite a reporter who was writing a story on him over to his house. He did. It's not even uncommon for a reporter to shadow a player for a few hours, or a day, for a story.

I get your overall point, but I think you're missing mine. The entire business of sports journalism is about relationships. A publication shouldn't sell me on unique, unrivaled access/content if its beat reporter doesn't have them.

That obviously doesn't mean that every reporter should be receiving invites to a player's home. That's absurd. But I don't think you can say that you're providing premiem, insider content if you're not showing us something beyond what happened during the 48 minutes of the game that we all watched.

How else should the Athletic have sold itself? "Insider content in a decent number of markets!" They're no different from most news organizations in that they have all-star staff and rank-and-files. Just depends on what you're there for.

 

[Sports Barf]

"Oh but the Post-Dispatch is putting out MORE CONTENT"

 

[crimsonace]

"Oh but the Post-Dispatch is putting out MORE CONTENT"

Without a desk, it will be spelled MOAR contint!!!! and nobody will notice.