The Athletic ... any thoughts ...

As much as I hate to say it, this smells of a modern day "The National." It just does. I mean nobody's making any money in the news business. ESPN even. I'm just expecting the day the hammer hits and they simply fold The Athletic. Not wishing ill on it, just seems like "why would this work if nothing else is working?"

 

But I do think that those who jumped to The National raised their profile. Ray Ratto went from the Peninsula Times Tribune to The National - to lead columnist at the Examiner and then Chronicle. Writers went from "local legends" to national voices. The Bay Area may be down to one paper in a few years - might as well take a shot at widening your exposure.

 

Clearly "Citizen Kane" must never be permitted to be shown on television or in theaters again, what with Kane's Dream Team of newspaper reporters being all-white, all-male. No sir, 1941 portrayals of an industry in the 1890s shall not stand.

 

Just signed up, they had a more than half-off deal in honor of Corey Kluber's Cy Young, something like $28/year. Gotta be worth it, right?

 

I signed up 2+ months ago, paying something like $39.95 for the year. Been satisfied so far, though I went zero-sum on a couple others, dropping Sports Illustrated and ESPN Insider to move $ over here. Really enjoy the tranquil Web site that doesn't attack me with ads or assault me with videos and immediate audio.

 

Quick Q and maybe it has been said earlier in this thread but I don't feel like rummaging through 17 pages - do you get ALL of the The Athletic for a subscription? In other words, do you get access to each city page/content plus all the national pages/content?

 

Yes, all of it.

 

Axios agrees:

 

Journalism has become Logan's Run.

 

They're making a major run on baseball beat guys.

https://deadspin.com/the-athletic-is-coming-for-your-local-baseball-beat-wri-1822157600

 

So, newspaper suits, The Athletic, God bless them, is hiring tons of BIG NAME writers. That's their Mojo. They think sports fans will pay for the quality (and breaking news) provided by NAME reporters. They think the name of the writer is important. They disagree with the newspaper suits that "anybody can do the job." Well, suits. You've in your cocky way laid off so many famous reporters, longtime reporters. And now the Athletic is saying, Ha Ha. We'll take them. We WANT them. Wonder what the newspaper suits are saying now. Are they saying: "Let The Athletic have them. We'll just save more money hiring kids out of J-school." Newspapers are an EMBARRASSMENT. Thank you, The Athletic for respecting the well connected, name reporter.

 

The Athletic has at least one more Newsday defection coming imminently.