Indy Star buyouts

[Moderator1]

Does that include, "Paper or plastic?"
Or: "You want fries with that?"
Or: "Tire treatment or not?"

 

[Norrin Radd]

Thus, the list of quality beats at quality landing spots diminishes by one more.

I don't say "Get out!!!!!!" because people should do what is best for themselves. But if you're a young person who aspires to cover a major college or pro beat, those opportunities are dwindling more each day. Adn taking with it beat competition, which often raises the quality of coverage as one newspaper tries to outdo the other.

Things will only get worse, and I'm not seeing a logical reason they will get better.

 

[scalper]

One problem, even before things got this bad, was every young sports writer walked into the newsroom dreaming of the day he would write for SI, ESPN the Mag, or would land the big-time column job in New York, Chicago, L.A. People weren't realistic before times became truly desperate.

They're desperate times now and if your dream is to be a sports writer, you better like it enough to start in preps and end in preps. Because even if you get that college beat or pro beat in between, it won't be forever.

As this Indy Star story shows perfectly.

 

[the fop]

Jersey Guy, you and I might prefer compelling writing, but we're in the business.

Graphics and charticles aren't "visual tricks," they're a different way of presenting information that can be easier to process for readers, who increasingly tell us they don't have time to read a long story on every subject. Call me a sellout, but I think there's some merit to trying different forms and using resources in different ways. Why should one company pay two people to write a game story on the same game, if the other person could provide prep coverage that wouldn't be available otherwise?

Let me know the next time someone tells you they're buying a paper - any paper - for the graphics or charticals or the design.

That's not my point, but in turn, you let me know when they say they're buying the Indy Star expressly for the in-house reporter's unique take on the Purdue-Iowa advance or the game.

Norrin Radd's point is the one we all lament: that good beats are going, and aren't coming back. But I think we kid ourselves if we believe the readers always share these concerns.

 

[the fop]

My bad, Jersey. I'm with you on that.

 

[Bob Cook]

Jersey Guy, you and I might prefer compelling writing, but we're in the business.

Graphics and charticles aren't "visual tricks," they're a different way of presenting information that can be easier to process for readers, who increasingly tell us they don't have time to read a long story on every subject. Call me a sellout, but I think there's some merit to trying different forms and using resources in different ways. Why should one company pay two people to write a game story on the same game, if the other person could provide prep coverage that wouldn't be available otherwise?

Let me know the next time someone tells you they're buying a paper - any paper - for the graphics or charticals or the design.

That's not my point, but in turn, you let me know when they say they're buying the Indy Star expressly for the in-house reporter's unique take on the Purdue-Iowa advance or the game.

Norrin Radd's point is the one we all lament: that good beats are going, and aren't coming back. But I think we kid ourselves if we believe the readers always share these concerns.

Not always, but it doesn't mean never. The Star cutting Purdue isn't like Asbury Park cutting the Giants. It's like the Daily News cutting the Giants. The Star could cut back on ND and no one would much care, because Indianapolis isn't a big ND fan base. But cutting the Purdue beat will be noticed by the locals, especially when there is reams of stuff from the latest Indiana game, and bupkus on Purdue.

 

[Clerk Typist]

On his blog, Cavin said Saturday that this is his only weekend off of the summer. Guess the guy is entitled.

 

[boots]

Jersey Guy, you and I might prefer compelling writing, but we're in the business.

Graphics and charticles aren't "visual tricks," they're a different way of presenting information that can be easier to process for readers, who increasingly tell us they don't have time to read a long story on every subject. Call me a sellout, but I think there's some merit to trying different forms and using resources in different ways. Why should one company pay two people to write a game story on the same game, if the other person could provide prep coverage that wouldn't be available otherwise?

Let me know the next time someone tells you they're buying a paper - any paper - for the graphics or charticals or the design.

That's not my point, but in turn, you let me know when they say they're buying the Indy Star expressly for the in-house reporter's unique take on the Purdue-Iowa advance or the game.

Norrin Radd's point is the one we all lament: that good beats are going, and aren't coming back. But I think we kid ourselves if we believe the readers always share these concerns.

Not always, but it doesn't mean never. The Star cutting Purdue isn't like Asbury Park cutting the Giants. It's like the Daily News cutting the Giants. The Star could cut back on ND and no one would much care, because Indianapolis isn't a big ND fan base. But cutting the Purdue beat will be noticed by the locals, especially when there is reams of stuff from the latest Indiana game, and bupkus on Purdue.

This won't last. Too much of a Purdue base in Indy to completely ignore it.
Asbury Park cutting the Giants out completely would be ugly.

 

[jambalaya]

Didn't Asbury pull the plug on in-house Jets coverage many moons ago, due to similar cost-cutting measures?

 

[boots]

Didn't Asbury pull the plug on in-house Jets coverage many moons ago, due to similar cost-cutting measures?

Yep,

 

[Lucas Wiseman]

Don't know if this has been covered in this thread or not, but the Webby pipeline reports...

The Indy Star bought out 22 people across the building, but only 5 in the newsroom. Three from features, one from the library and one designer who worked mostly in sports doing inside pages.