Houston Chronicle offering buyouts

[Some Guy]

I'm betting it won't be the one we're talking about here.

Word is that they're handing over their Texas A&M coverage to the San Antonio Express-News. The beat guy's reward? Moved to desk.

Heck of a job, indeed.

That actually is a logical move that should've been made a few years ago.

I hate the move. It makes the Chronicle look small-time not to cover the giant Division-I University down the road ... especially when Houston probably has one of the biggest bases of A&M-exes in the state.

More than that, a paper based in San Antonio isn't going to cover the team the same way a paper based in Houston will. Tne local angles are different.

I guess in this day and age, it's anything to save a buck, and maybe the cost-reduction is worth the trade-off here. I just think it sucks and it's sad.

 

[SlickWillie71]

Makes no sense. Then again, nothing does in this field these days.

 

[batts]

I'm betting it won't be the one we're talking about here.

Word is that they're handing over their Texas A&M coverage to the San Antonio Express-News. The beat guy's reward? Moved to desk.

Heck of a job, indeed.

That actually is a logical move that should've been made a few years ago.

I hate the move. It makes the Chronicle look small-time not to cover the giant Division-I University down the road ... especially when Houston probably has one of the biggest bases of A&M-exes in the state.

More than that, a paper based in San Antonio isn't going to cover the team the same way a paper based in Houston will. Tne local angles are different.

I guess in this day and age, it's anything to save a buck, and maybe the cost-reduction is worth the trade-off here. I just think it sucks and it's sad.

E-N guy, Brent Zwerneman, lives in College Station. He's the one who broke the story on Fran's secret newsletter last year, so the Chron won't suffer using his copy.

 

[Shaggy]

Terrence Harris got moved to desk?

 

[Drip]

I'm betting it won't be the one we're talking about here.

Word is that they're handing over their Texas A&M coverage to the San Antonio Express-News. The beat guy's reward? Moved to desk.

Heck of a job, indeed.

That actually is a logical move that should've been made a few years ago.

I hate the move. It makes the Chronicle look small-time not to cover the giant Division-I University down the road ... especially when Houston probably has one of the biggest bases of A&M-exes in the state.

More than that, a paper based in San Antonio isn't going to cover the team the same way a paper based in Houston will. Tne local angles are different.

I guess in this day and age, it's anything to save a buck, and maybe the cost-reduction is worth the trade-off here. I just think it sucks and it's sad.

E-N guy, Brent Zwerneman, lives in College Station. He's the one who broke the story on Fran's secret newsletter last year, so the Chron won't suffer using his copy.

This was on an earlier thread but it is a logical move. Brent is a good reporter and writer. His copy is pretty much a good read on a constant basis.

 

[SlickWillie71]

Terrence Harris got moved to desk?

Yup.

 

[Joe Williams]

So what's the buyout offer and do we know how many, if any, Sports might likely lose?

 

[Scoop returns]

As a long time observer of Big 12 coverage, I want to point out while Brent Z did break the Franchione VIP Connection story, the Houston Chronicle and Morning News owned the story from that point. The Morning News was the first to print copies of the newsletter and The Chronicle was the first to report that the VIP Connection committed NCAA violations for which the school would be sanctioned. The Chronicle was also the first newspaper in the state to talk to one of the VIP members on the record and Harris also broke the story on Sherman being hired down to the Monday press conference just 24 hours after Franchione stepped down. The Chronicle was also out front on the Billy Gillispie saga. Those things said, the Chronicle coverage could suffered though Brent is a quality reporter and writer.

 

[Drip]

As a long time observer of Big 12 coverage, I want to point out while Brent Z did break the Franchione VIP Connection story, the Houston Chronicle and Morning News owned the story from that point. The Morning News was the first to print copies of the newsletter and The Chronicle was the first to report that the VIP Connection committed NCAA violations for which the school would be sanctioned. The Chronicle was also the first newspaper in the state to talk to one of the VIP members on the record and Harris also broke the story on Sherman being hired down to the Monday press conference just 24 hours after Franchione stepped down. The Chronicle was also out front on the Billy Gillispie saga. Those things said, the Chronicle coverage could suffered though Brent is a quality reporter and writer.

It could also rain in California. I could hit the Power Ball. Ralph Nader may become President of the United States.
Brent is more than quality and the coverage will be solid. Scoop, he's not a slouch as a journalist and he's an even nicer human being.

 

[Scoop returns]

I meant no dig at Brent by calling him quality. Meant that in the most positive way. He seems like he does a good job at what he does. Don't know him personally so can't comment on the type of human being he might be. Let's just see how it works out for the Chronicle.

 

[Angola!]

I don't see how anyone can think it is a good thing that a paper the size of the Chronicle won't be covering a Big 12 school which is nearby.

If this were a 30,000 circulation paper we were discussing, which would be sharing copy with other papers, that would be one thing.

The Houston freaking Chronicle should be covering A&M on its own, not getting copy from San Antonio.

I don't care how good the guy is or not. That's a moot point in my opinion.

 

[Drip]

I don't see how anyone can think it is a good thing that a paper the size of the Chronicle won't be covering a Big 12 school which is nearby.

If this were a 30,000 circulation paper we were discussing, which would be sharing copy with other papers, that would be one thing.

The Houston freaking Chronicle should be covering A&M on its own, not getting copy from San Antonio.

I don't care how good the guy is or not. That's a moot point in my opinion.

Angola, in the old days this would've been unheard of. But times have changed, especially newspaper budgets.
What gets lost in all of this is the localization of the athletes. If one guy is covering for three or four papers, and each one asks him to do something to cater to their audience, it could drive even the most veteran of reporters bonkers.

 

[Joe Williams]

I don't see how anyone can think it is a good thing that a paper the size of the Chronicle won't be covering a Big 12 school which is nearby.

If this were a 30,000 circulation paper we were discussing, which would be sharing copy with other papers, that would be one thing.

The Houston freaking Chronicle should be covering A&M on its own, not getting copy from San Antonio.

I don't care how good the guy is or not. That's a moot point in my opinion.

Angola, in the old days this would've been unheard of. But times have changed, especially newspaper budgets.
What gets lost in all of this is the localization of the athletes. If one guy is covering for three or four papers, and each one asks him to do something to cater to their audience, it could drive even the most veteran of reporters bonkers.

Not to mention his three or four BLOGS!

 

[GuessWho]

And in related news, Steve Campbell going from columnist to GA.

http://blogs.chron.com/stevecampbell/

 

[cubman]

They had been getting their Cowboys copy from San Antonio, but lately many of the Cowboys-related stories in the paper have been wire, as in Jaime Aron.
And frankly, to those of us who live in Houston it does look bad to not have a Chron writer at A&M, but if they have to prioritize Texas is a more important beat, then A&M.

 

[Some Guy]

As a long time observer of Big 12 coverage, I want to point out while Brent Z did break the Franchione VIP Connection story, the Houston Chronicle and Morning News owned the story from that point. The Morning News was the first to print copies of the newsletter and The Chronicle was the first to report that the VIP Connection committed NCAA violations for which the school would be sanctioned. The Chronicle was also the first newspaper in the state to talk to one of the VIP members on the record and Harris also broke the story on Sherman being hired down to the Monday press conference just 24 hours after Franchione stepped down. The Chronicle was also out front on the Billy Gillispie saga. Those things said, the Chronicle coverage could suffered though Brent is a quality reporter and writer.

The Chron got a lot of things fast in regards to much of the above breaking news. They also got a bunch of stuff wrong.

One example: They had "Billy Gillispie to stay at A&M" the same day Brent (correctly) had Billy leaving.

Brent owns the A&M beat, and has for some time. It really isn't fair for anybody else. He's the only one of the major papers that lives in College Station, and has since the mid-90s when he worked at the Eagle.

So the Chronicle definitely won't be hurting.

That said, I agree with many of the above posters that, no mattre how good Brent is, this really makes the Chron look small-time.

And, of course, they probably don't care. To a beancounter, it is a logical way to save a buck.

Wouldn't be shocked if something goes down with the Texas beat, too, eventually.

 

[SlickWillie71]

Rumor is that Hearst is eyeing the Austin American-Statesman. Needless to say, that would get real interesting if that went down.

It does make them look small, even though Brent is solid and will give them great coverage. Things are changing and while here understand the reasoning behind it, most readers won't.

 

[Shaggy]

If I'm not mistaken, Houston is the larger market with the increased circulation, and is a closer to College Station, but is outsourcing?

 

[Drip]

Rumor is that Hearst is eyeing the Austin American-Statesman. Needless to say, that would get real interesting if that went down.

It does make them look small, even though Brent is solid and will give them great coverage. Things are changing and while here understand the reasoning behind it, most readers won't.

Been talked about before. Probably won't happen.

 

[Scoop returns]

Someguy,

I did some research and you are dead wrong. The Gillispie story you are referencing is the one Terrence wrote in regards to the coach not taking Arkansas. In that same article, he reported Kentucky could be a possibility. Check the paper's archives. Additionally, Brent wrote that Gillispie and the AD at the time were somehow at odds which was anything but true. A&M bent over backwards to keep Gillispie but finally couldn't.

It's true Brent lives in College Station, but to say he owned the beat is far from true. Check the facts since Terrence arrived on the beat. But that's really not the issue here. The issue is how this makes the Chronicle look giving up covering the school closest geographically.