Sports Editor, Albany Herald (Ga.)

thanks for "letting me get away with" things since I'm the newbie. Turns out I actually deal with enough stuff in the real world that I don't have time to make 4,000 posts on here. I guess that gives you seniority to make bullshit comments when you have no clue what you're talking about.

I don't know who you know at Albany, but if you think they avoided hiring minority candidates, you obviously don't know them very well. You're free to levy any charges you want, but I find it extremely cowardly and dangerous to anonymously throw around charges of racism at people you clearly don't know well at all. And again, if you really were worried about remedying the vanilla newsroom there, telling minorities not to apply sure as hell won't get that done.

 

This is one mean-spirited thread. To all, I officially say, ACK PFFT!



Carry on.

 

Newbie, again, I'm a lot closer to this situation than you know. The fact is this, in 2006, no newsroom in this country should resemble the Albany Herald. I'm not taking a cheap shot, just stating a fact. The paper does a good job but again, it is too vanilla.

 

And yet you'll defend the Marrietta Daily Journal? Priceless.

 

Boots. Granted, I've only been at The Albany Herald for four months, but I can tell you there is no possible way the folks here wouldn't hire someone because they're a minority. They, and rightfully so, want to hire the best person for each job. These are really good people here, and I don't appreciate you throwing something like that out there. If you've got some evidence that The Albany Herald is turning away qualified minority applicants, then let's have it. The "I'm closer to this situation than you know" statement really means nothing. And as far as taking shots at Floyd, he actually is too busy working to post 4,000 messages on this board. I think that's kind of sad, really. Perhaps you should consider getting a life.

 

I do have evidence that a couple of excellent minority candidates basically got ignored. It does no good to shout out names on this board. PM me, and I may decide to tell them to you.
As for a life, I have one. I think that's one reason why you may be leaving Albany, to reclaim one. Good luck.

 

I would venture to guess that your definition of "excellent" candidates differs slightly from the people who actually have to do the hiring. You might have a better case were it not for the fact that basically all the recent (last 4-5 years) hires have gone on to much bigger papers. The rest of the paper, you have a good case.

 

Excellent candidates is so arbitrary. Employers go in to a search looking for something in potential candidates. So one paper's top candidate may be in another's garbage bin. And what do you mean basically got ignored? Did they get brought in for an interview? A phone interview? An e-mail thanking them for applying but saying the position had been filled? There's a lot of room in there for how much consideration they were given.

And once again, we realize that Boots is king of the jobs board because apparently he has worked in every paper in the country. Of course, he was too good for any of them and now just spends his time bashing them all.

 

It sounds to me more like Albany was the one paper that wouldn't hire Boots, and now he has an axe to grind. Too bad that its at the cost of discouraging minorities to apply.

And to continue with your... "in 2006, there's no excuse" rant... it's utterly ridiculous. In 2006, papers across the country with circulation five times the Herald's, still don't have minority representation. Get a clue, Boots. Or better yet, check out the article by esteemed BLACK writer Jason Whitlock:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/15078079.htm

Since I'm asuming research isn't really your thing, Boots, here's the most important part:

Lapchick’s study has set off the predictable amount of simple-minded analysis that raw numbers often produce. Scoop Jackson, a black columnist at America’s best and most influential online sports section (ESPN.com), filed a rant so juvenile and flawed on this topic that I nearly broke down in tears after reading it. His “column” perfectly exposed the problem within my industry and the sports industry when it comes to diversification.

There are no easy solutions when it comes to diversity, and the villains in America’s struggle to diversify the sports world are nowhere near as obvious as the media would have you believe.

It cannot all be pinned on white racism. No way. And unless we, African Americans, move away from explaining and defining these topics totally through the prism of white racism, things will not change. Not because of white backlash. Because we will continue to fail to prepare our youth for the opportunities that are out there to be snapped up.

And may I add that the point of all the arguing is that the study in question showed that minorities are lacking at ALL papers, not just small ones and not just Southern ones.

Of course, it sounds like you enjoy running your mouth (or your keyboard) far more than dealing with legitimate facts. So excuse me if I question your basis for calling someone "qualified."

 

We're going to stop this from getting too ugly. No doubt you are a youngster in the biz. When you reach my status, call me.
At any rate, the fact is that the Herald newsroom in no way reflects ths community it serves. Anyone who knows that paper and the community would not dispute that. In 2006, this should not be the case and shouldn't be a topic.
No, I don't work there and damn sure am in a much better place but I do have intimate knowledge of the place. I would be in the majority if there but what does that mean? Nothing. Again, this topic shouldn't be discussed in this present time and for it to be happening, has to tell you something about the sad state of affairs at the Herald, racially speaking. And that's sad because the paper is a quality paper and one of the better ones in Georgia.

 

I am on neither side of this, but just get back to the task at hand, the sports editor job and its duties. For everyone interested in this subject, check this link out: http://www.powerreporting.com/knight/ga_the_albany_herald.html. Maybe this will answer all of your questions/disputes.

 

Thanks for the link. It backs my thoughts and observations. Again, it's a shame to be discussing this issue in 2006 about a paper with a lot of potential to become better in so many areas.