Browns beat writer booted over tweet

Dude. Grave-dancing is what we do.

In fact, as grave-dancing goes, this is very, very tame.

Fact is this. If there wasn't a way to tweet professionally for a journalist, then we'd be having instances of this every 90 minutes. He didn't tweet professionally. There was a better way to handle it.

 

It's one thing to think something. When you say something out loud, it is no longer just your thought. When you write something, it's permanent. When you put it in a text, or online in any way, it's indestructible.

 

What's the difference? What are you, 5? What's the difference between the joke hedlines that get batted around on the copy desk and the one that makes it in print or on the Web page? And again, I could give a good goddamn what a reporter thinks. I care what he reports, and that is what he will be judged on in the marketplace of ideas.

And FH, "pathetic" sure in the hell don't say expert to me

 

A little advancement here -- yes, my work -- with comments from Grossi's Guild rep in Cleveland.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20120126/FREE/120129878

 

It doesn't define a career; I dunno Grossi from a hole in the ground, so I can't say. But it sure should get you off the beat.

 

Everyone seems to be talking about how Grossi's comment would matter to readers regarding his objectivity.

I think it's also fair for an employer to question how his comments will affect his relationship with his sources. If you don't get along with your sources, you aren't going to be much good as a reporter.

As an aside, I almost sent a DM to someone the other day (before reading this thread), but I stopped for just this reason. Never know when you'll hit a wrong button.

 

I think Browns fans and PD management should be far more concerned with the most recent tweet still showing on Grossi's account. Lerner had given an interview on the biggest radio station in Cleveland earlier that day. He rarely grants interviews, so this was a big deal. Someone asked Grossi if he had listened to it:

"@gobuckeyes216: Isn't your job to listen to interviews pertaining to the browns?"//No its not.

"@rootstownbrowns: #Browns owner Randy Lerner was interviewd hrs. ago. Why lack of tweets from Cleve. media"//didnt hear it. What he say?

It looked even worse a couple days later when Terry Pluto wrote a column about what Lerner said in the interview.

Now, while it might not be his job to run to the TV or radio anytime a Browns official speaks, I certainly believe it's his job to at the very least find out the substance of the interview later. These tweets were sent out close to midnight, followed by the Lerner tweet.

 

Typically, when he answers stuff on Twitter, there is always one or two jerk answers from Grossi, and I've always disagreed with the way he always re-tweets people calling him an idiot or saying he shouldn't be allowed to cover football anymore. To me, he always came off as arrogant on Twitter.

 

The Web client makes it pretty clear what you're sending. Just don't do it from a phone.

 

As I said earlier in the thread, if you accept the sources argument you must also accept the validity of criticisms from media critics that access stands as a barrier to reporting the truth. You may balance that and decide you're OK with it--and may decide it's better for readers because they get more, but not necessarily better, information--but it proves why we need people like Deadspin*, Bill Simmons and bloggers to add critical coverage of players and coaches.

* Setting completely aside the TMZ-fication of sports