K-State fans unhappy about their new beat writer for Wichita Eagle/KC Star

Great way to get started on a new beat.

http://campuscorner.kansascity.com/node/161

 

I don't think this is a good move by the editor to write this. Has a lame feel to it and just adds fuel to the fire. The people who hate Robinett are still going to get online or plunk down quarters to read what he writes about K-State. I can think of two columnists who make their living in KC on this very principle.

And 30 e-mails? Sounds like a concerted astroturf effort to me.

 

How do you spell D_B?

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/72225/

 

Oops, sorry. Last time I checked that thread it was discussing furloughs, etc. Obviously I hadn't checked it recently. My bad.

 

Those K-Staters ALWAYS have such a heavy chip on their shoulders. Ugh.

Always convinced someone is out to screw their program, especially football. The Powercatters are the first to cry 'bias' at any reporter from Kansas City and just want their programs to get fair coverage.

Of course, those same K-State fans never volunteer the classroom abilities of the JuCo meatheads Snyder brought in for much of the mid-1990's. Box. Of. Rocks.

 

K-State fans are psychotic.

 

I read the other thread and read what the editor had to say. It sure reads like SportsJournalists.com folks on the other thread are talking about a different blog than the one the editor claims to have vetted, or that the editor didn't see much of it. It's like they're not discussing the same blog.

 

In this case, though, they actually seem to have a point. The kid had some pretty antagonistic and extremely homerish stuff on that blog. Seemed ill-advised and a bit unprofessional.

 

I do talk to college students twice a year about "cleaning up their online background".

Still -- think about what we all did in college. Some things that we're probably not all proud of.

He cleaned it up (probably should have before this point) and, if anything, will probably be extra-fair with K-State.

 

First, agreed on how we all should be given a break on what we did back in the college days. I certainly did some things I wouldn't do again. Remember, they're still kids in college.

And second. . .Why not just let this guy's work speak for itself?? I'm not sure addressing the matter publicly like this helps much. The people that hate him are going to hate him no matter what, even if he writes like Red Smith.

When I covered Purdue, I got e-mails and notes all the time from readers talking about how our paper had a lot more Indiana graduates. (I should point out those didn't come from Purdue officials. They never said a word about it.) I tried to point out that was probably due to the fact that Indiana had a journalism school and Purdue didn't, but no matter. We had a "bias'' against Purdue. (I also pointed out that engineering firms probably had a lot more Purdue grads because of its strong engineering program, but they never got my point.)

That's a discussion I learned I couldn't win, so after awhile, I just basically said, "Nice talking to you'' or didn't respond at all. The older I got, the more I figured I would just let the work speak for itself. Often times, it's just best to say nothing.

 

This will all die down if Robinett's work for the The Eagle warrants it and indicates that it should by its quality, consistency, comprehensiveness and fairness.

It's just nature of the internet.

Sure, things are put "out there" and "dug up" easily and perhaps, for longer than people might always like.

At the same time, the very prevalence of the internet, and how used to it everyone in this culture is becoming, tends to simultaneously make things both less meaningful, and more forgettable, after a while. The sheer amount of stuff that's out there and the continual updating and re-prioritizing of it just naturally makes that happen.

It's as if there is both more, and less, accountability nowadays.

 

Kellis is a great guy and reporter.