Deadspin: "The AP Is Gay for Stupid"

I don't know this Wolfgang guy, but he's now in Fred Phelps territory? Is it your opinion that everyone who doesn't hold your worldview is a hatemonger?

Anyway, your statement is basically that you don't need to hear from people with whom you disagree, and it's that attitude that should be questioned if we really want to have a debate on objectivity and what's wrong with journalism (and America) in America today.

 

And if Peter Wolfgang happens to do something newsworthy, and expresses his opinions in the process, that ought to be covered, as well.

But he has no place in this story. He wasn't involved with the news. The AP just conjured him into the story, in the name of "balance". Which is just stupid. Report the news. Fuck balance.

And, not for nothing, but why would a paper in Texas run a story about a hockey team in Connecticut?

 

Gotta fill up those three weekly sections somehow.

 

That's a pretty good comment. I'm not gay for it, but it's not bad.

Now I need to balance it out with a shitty comment.

 

Why would anyone anywhere run a story about a hockey team in Connecticut? Why is it on the front page of ESPN.com? How much coverage does college hockey in Connecticut typically receive on a national scale?

This is a story because of the statement about accepting gay teammates. That is -- sadly, I grant -- still a vexing issue in American society. To pretend it isn't an issue is to miss the entire point of it being a story in the first place. And as a story, it comes with controversy wrapped into it.

 

I would like to see examples of how people who have traditional views are being bullied personally.

And governments following the Constitution or Supreme Court don't count.

 

Pretend it's not Craggs or Deadspin. Then convince me it's correct for AP to take a simple story--Hockey Team Does Anti-Bullying PSA--and seek 'the other side.'

Why is there another side? The question clearly infers that there's something controversial or questionable about the PSA, or AP wouldn't sought a rebuttal opinion. If the hockey team did an anti-drug PSA, would you call an organization that favors legalization of marijuana for an opinion? It's absurd.

I actually don't even understand the Deadspin headline, but they got this one right.

 

If a controversy happens, then report on it.

I don't see any controversy, here, except the one conjured by "balancing" the story.

Let some controversy actually happen, then, yeah, cover that. But when you do what the AP does here, you're being gamed. You're allowing someone to dictate your coverage. It's bad journalism. You write the story, fuck all that other noise. Just like Craggs says, you mainstream crazy. There is no epidemic of people with "traditional values" being bullied. It's not the truth. And you just invited someone into your story, and then allowed him to lie, to boot. That's AWFUL journalism.

The two guys in the Post a couple weeks back had an extensive piece on this phenomenon, and identified it, correctly, as the biggest problem in political journalism.

Funnily enough, they aren't exactly making the rounds on the Sunday shows, now.

 

Here's the full story. Does the AP decision to include Wolfgang and his organization make any more sense in context?

espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7968996/uconn-gay-hockey-players-welcome-play-connecticut-huskies

 

Oh, more than a third.

Craggs is right on this one. It's an awful quote, and beside the point to boot.

 

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/14/local/me-lopez14

Mormon woman in LA managed well known restaurant that was started by her grandmother 80 years ago. She donated $100 to Prop 8 campaign. Gay activists saw her name on list and targeted her and the restaurant, threatening to run it out of business and forcig her to stop working there. This is despite the fact that many gay actors and other Hollywood types vouched for her.

 

Nope.