From The Washington Post: Amid layoffs and furloughs, sportswriters wonder what will be left of a st

[Mr. X]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...er-what-will-be-left-once-storied-profession/

 

[Mr. X]

Most important sentence in the story: "Even if the online traffic was good, there wasn’t enough digital ad revenue to offset the declines in print circulation and advertising."

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Kinda ironic coming a couple months after their what if The Athletic doesn't save the industry piece.

 

[Mr. X]

Kinda ironic coming a couple months after their what if The Athletic doesn't save the industry piece.

Here is that story, written by the same reporter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/03/03/the-athletic-sports-media-future/

 

[tapintoamerica]

I’m really ambivalent about The Athletic. I’m a subscriber, but I recoiled at their CEO’s grave-dancing vow to put local newspapers out of business.

 

[MeanGreenATO]

That was a good story on The Athletic. I could go all day on this topic. I have a sneaky suspicion that The Athletic is going to be what Rivals/247/Scout have become to college football -- a site ran for super fans that is less likely to be critical of teams than other outlets. Also, what is The Athletic going to do with writers who aren't creating subscribers?

 

[Slacker]

What's new here? I've always wondered what will be left of a st

 

[PaperClip529]

I do wonder what life will be like in the immediate aftermath as everyone is still figuring out the health stuff. The financial issues aside, what will it be like to cover a game? I think most expect that locker rooms will be closed, but will teams take extra steps in the name of “safety”? Will credentials be limited (one reporter per outlet)? Will they ban reporters from the stadium, tell everyone to watch the game on TV and then do postgame press conferences over Zoom? Will the limited areas that photographers and videographers can roam be limited even more?

 

[Equalizer]

I do wonder what life will be like in the immediate aftermath as everyone is still figuring out the health stuff. The financial issues aside, what will it be like to cover a game? I think most expect that locker rooms will be closed, but will teams take extra steps in the name of “safety”? Will credentials be limited (one reporter per outlet)? Will they ban reporters from the stadium, tell everyone to watch the game on TV and then do postgame press conferences over Zoom? Will the limited areas that photographers and videographers can roam be limited even more?

From what I've been hearing, those discussions have been happening in some of the big college conferences. The biggest topic is social distancing in press boxes and with post-game interviews. So yeah, there will be limits on credentials (they'll start with a smaller maximum number per outlet). Post-game could be done by Zoom — writers in the press box, players and coaches in a media room. Sidelines will also be less crowded — they'll start with the "special guests" but there will be limits on the number of photographers and TV cameras.

 

[tapintoamerica]

That was a good story on The Athletic. I could go all day on this topic. I have a sneaky suspicion that The Athletic is going to be what Rivals/247/Scout have become to college football -- a site ran for super fans that is less likely to be critical of teams than other outlets. Also, what is The Athletic going to do with writers who aren't creating subscribers?

Exactly. Their model is to hire people for the specific purpose of covering one particular college or pro team. Can we trust them to uncover corruption at My Team University if such revelations might tend to hurt the team and thereby hurt readership?
I have noticed more than a few tweets that read like blatant virtue-signaling and playing to the base.

 

[Screwball]

Teams and leagues have eroded access for independent media for years, and they already are salivating at the chance to cite "public health" as the reason to do so. If you are not working for team-owned or league-owned media, or for a broadcast rightsholder, I'd be surprised if you ever saw the inside of a locker room again.

 

[cake in the rain]

My very strong guess is that, in the near-term, social distancing in the press boxes won't be an issue, because we won't be in the press box or in the stadium or anywhere near the players.

We'll be watching on TV just like everyone else.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Teams and leagues have eroded access for independent media for years, and they already are salivating at the chance to cite "public health" as the reason to do so. If you are not working for team-owned or league-owned media, or for a broadcast rightsholder, I'd be surprised if you ever saw the inside of a locker room again.

For what it's worth (not much), the NHL has said it would welcome writers back in the locker room as soon as this passes. Of course, that was the first weekend of March, and if this never passes, well, then you can never have writers back in the locker room. That said, the NHL has by far the smallest media following, and I would lean more towards them opening the rooms up again than not.

Locker room access for media is written into the MLB CBA, but that expires next year and we all know there's much bigger fish to fry and that agreeing to close the locker rooms entirely might be the one thing the players and owners can agree upon. It'll be real interesting to see what happens if there is an MLB season this year. Much like the players with the owners' proposal of a "one-year-only" salary cap-like apparatus, nobody in the BBWAA trusts the players to stick with a "one-year-only" locker room ban. I would bet my evaporating salary, though, that the day passers are done forever.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I’m really ambivalent about The Athletic. I’m a subscriber, but I recoiled at their CEO’s grave-dancing vow to put local newspapers out of business.

I'm getting a big kick out of their BUY LOCAL schtick during all this. Sure is cute coming from a company that wants to put newspapers out of business (thanks, they were doing that just fine w/o your help) and wasted literally zero time dumping its freelancers, who are not even a rounding error on the budget, once the pandemic slammed on to these shores.

 

[MeanGreenATO]

Let's not get too bent out-of-shape with the access problems. Good reporters will still find a way to get it done.

Look at the EPL/UK. I've read some stuff on The Athletic where disgruntled players speak out to the media because they feel their side of the story isn't out there. And those writers/outlets have massive readership despite ridiculous restrictions. We'll be fine.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Exactly. Their model is to hire people for the specific purpose of covering one particular college or pro team. Can we trust them to uncover corruption at My Team University if such revelations might tend to hurt the team and thereby hurt readership?
I have noticed more than a few tweets that read like blatant virtue-signaling and playing to the base.

Seriously, where do you guys think that kind of coverage is coming from now?

I subscribe to the Arizona Republic. Based on their work, Sean Miller at U of A is bravely fighting off all the haters and the QB at ASU is a Heisman front-runner. Herm Edwards could murder someone with an axe and they would write about what an inspirational axe attack it was and how it was bound to help recruiting.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

For what it's worth, I doubt we'll be seeing theathletic.com/cheboygan at any point.

The major metros have more to fear and some have stepped up, others not so much.

 

[Matt Stephens]

With NASCAR one of the first major sports back this weekend, in-person coverage is limited to four writers, including AP. One local reporter per race. We'll get to have a staffer at the Wednesday race in Darlington, and the Florence, S.C., paper will be at Sunday's. Our NASCAR reporter will be there the next week in Charlotte. All in the press box, no infield media center/garage access. All interviews on teleconference after the race, regardless of whether you're there in person. We successfully argued to get an independent pool photographer (AP, local outlet, etc.) in addition to Getty, which has a contract for NASCAR.

The hope is media rules will become less strict as the resumed season goes on -- especially come playoffs -- but we'll see.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Seriously, where do you guys think that kind of coverage is coming from now?

I subscribe to the Arizona Republic. Based on their work, Sean Miller at U of A is bravely fighting off all the haters and the QB at ASU is a Heisman front-runner. Herm Edwards could murder someone with an axe and they would write about what an inspirational axe attack it was and how it was bound to help recruiting.

Hello? You swing the axe to kill!

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

That was a good story on The Athletic. I could go all day on this topic. I have a sneaky suspicion that The Athletic is going to be what Rivals/247/Scout have become to college football -- a site ran for super fans that is less likely to be critical of teams than other outlets. Also, what is The Athletic going to do with writers who aren't creating subscribers?

I find it to be no different than anywhere else. Some people with edge, some without. No one has done better work on important subjects than The Athletic’s Katie Strang. I get a kick of how they all re-tweet each others’ articles like “this is the greatest work ever,” but Strang is worthy of all the credit she gets.