More of my "give me something to read" soapbox

[Moderator1]

Great stuff in this story by Brett McMurphy in Tampa on an interesting recruit and saga (and no I'm not Brett and yes he is a friend of mine). This makes me harp on the "give me something to read" message I keep singing about newspapers. To hell with bells and whistles, give me something to read. I've followed this saga because I covered it a bit when he was being recruited by VT. This was way more info than I got anywhere else.

Of course, I read it online. For free.


http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/23/sp-the-total-package/

This is what newspapers can do. I wish more were doing it regularly.

GIVE ME SOMETHING TO READ. I don't need "alternative" story telling. I don't need bells and whistles and graphics and stuff. I WANT TO READ MY NEWSPAPER.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Ah, the Tribune's lone college writer...

 

[SixToe]

Bravo, Moddy.

Sam Zell's few remaining TribCo designers just had an acute pain in their frontal lobe and don't know why.

 

[Pancamo]

Doesn't Florida have a law where public entities records are open to anyone for review and jobs need to be posted for anyone to apply?

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I agree with you in the larger sense. But I must admit I do usually read alternative story forms in spite of myself when the subject interests me, although I think they are often forced and not very good. I don't know about the average reader, but it's apparent to me when something is filling an alternative-story-form quota rather than being told that way because it's the best way to tell it. But then I also often feel the same way about the obligatory "enterprise" centerpiece. I think most newspapers are too planned and too formatted and that they're duller because of that.

 

[Billy Pritchard]

Thanks, Moddy, for directing us to this. I don't spend much time searching newspaper Web sites from across the country, so I always appreciate when people point out interesting things here.

Question about the story, though. Why weren't there quotes from the player, or any indication McMurphy talked with him? McMurphy definitely covered all the angles, but I'm just curious about the absence of the main subject's voice. This isn't meant as a criticism, just wondering.

 

[chilidog75]

Thanks, Moddy, for directing us to this. I don't spend much time searching newspaper Web sites from across the country, so I always appreciate when people point out interesting things here.

Question about the story, though. Why weren't there quotes from the player, or any indication McMurphy talked with him? McMurphy definitely covered all the angles, but I'm just curious about the absence of the main subject's voice. This isn't meant as a criticism, just wondering.

Heath wouldn't allow him to be interviewed. It's mentioned in the bottom half of the story.

 

[Moderator1]

It said in there coach wouldn't allow player to be interviewed. Knowing Brett, I'm sure he tried anyway.
When kid was being recruited by VT and then trying to get out at VT, this sketch hanger-on was doing most of the talking. This whole situation makes me wonder hard about the parents.
This kid was the guy's best man? At like 16?

 

[Billy Pritchard]

Thanks, Moddy, for directing us to this. I don't spend much time searching newspaper Web sites from across the country, so I always appreciate when people point out interesting things here.

Question about the story, though. Why weren't there quotes from the player, or any indication McMurphy talked with him? McMurphy definitely covered all the angles, but I'm just curious about the absence of the main subject's voice. This isn't meant as a criticism, just wondering.

Heath wouldn't allow him to be interviewed. It's mentioned in the bottom half of the story.

D'oh! I read right over that as I sometimes do when info is put between quotes like that. Again, that's not meant as a criticism of the writer. That one's all me!

 

[tapintoamerica]

Amazingly brazen. When Sonny Vaccaro is in your corner, step away from the ropes and find another place to hide.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Update: Terrelle Woody, Gilchrist's bag man, has been hired as a "video and conditioning assistant" at USF.

 

[Jay Sherman]

This saga sickened me, and Terrelle Woody is a complete schmuck. Initially, Va Tech signed Gus and Woody hoped to get a cushy job, but it fell through, the relationship between Gilchrist and Greenberg soured, Gilchrist signed with Maryland with the same hopes, again falling through, and Gus leaves to go to USF.

Woody's a douchebag and I hope when Gilchrist makes it to the NBA, he realizes it quickly so Woody doesn't funnel out his paycheck as his "agent".

 

[SockPuppet]

Moddy, I'm in total agreement with you regarding the "Give Me Something To Read" rant. Spot on. Unfortunately, nobody in management is listening (or caring) so nobody is getting anything to read. Another reason why it's good you're out of the biz.

 

[Moderator1]

I remember getting called at my desk and yelled at - loudly and on speakerphone so others in the big office could hear - to get more alternative in the section.
I heard it as "appeal to the flea mentality. Our readers don't want to, you know, READ."

When I explained that we were meeting at that moment to come up with good alternative story plans, I was yelled at again: WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR PERFECT PLANNING.

I wish I was kidding.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

This was one of the reason why I moved to news.
In sports, I was bogged down with coverage stories. Signing stories. Preview stories. Tab stories. And folos. After 10 years it got old.
I wanted to try something new - I wanted to write something different, something readers would want to see and read. A break from standard stuff.
I have gotten to write - and learn - about a number of subjects and ideas that I like to think my readers enjoyed seeing the daily paper. This was in addition to covering the news standards, like city council and chamber of commerce ribbon cutting.
I'd list some of the stories I've written that I'm particular fond of, but it would out me.

Suffice to say, I am really enjoying my time on the news side. To be fair, I couldn't give up sports altogether. I still cover prep football.

Sorry for using "I" so much.

 

[fishwrapper]

Moddy, I'm in total agreement with you regarding the "Give Me Something To Read" rant. Spot on. Unfortunately, nobody in management is listening (or caring) so nobody is getting anything to read. Another reason why it's good you're out of the biz.

That's great Moddy found something to read. Just fantastic.
Yet, his enjoyment is our nicked vein. It's a peep-hole into a broken paradigm. His entertainment cost him nothing. His entertainment cost Tampa hours, manpower and insurance leverages. That's why hordes of professional journalists -- in Tampa too -- are being forced to find other careers.
He says "give me something to read."
Truth is, my website could give Moddy something to read from here till 2013 and it wouldn't move the needle enough to save one job.
It's nothing Moddy said, but at the heel of a week of frustration.
See where I'm coming from:
We finished an investigative project this week. One damn-good story. Will result in change in a Division I conference and, more than likely, the NCAA. Something we are taught to do. It is our mission. We made sacrifices in coverage to complete the project.
We put it up on the web. Splashy. Interactive graphic. Refer to it from the print edition. Everything you would do draw attention to a special piece.
The project had fewer page views than a months-old Sports and Celebrity photogallery.
As we learn more about the web, we learn success is less about journalism -- i.e. "something to read" -- and more about "input and key words" identifiable by the Google and Yahoo search algorithms.
A wonderful time.

 

[Moderator1]

Yeah, I point out all the time: I read it for free.
Give me something to read.
Figure out a way to make me pay for it.

 

[SoCalDude]

Moddy, I'm in total agreement with you regarding the "Give Me Something To Read" rant. Spot on. Unfortunately, nobody in management is listening (or caring) so nobody is getting anything to read. Another reason why it's good you're out of the biz.

That's great Moddy found something to read. Just fantastic.
Yet, his enjoyment is our nicked vein. It's a peep-hole into a broken paradigm. His entertainment cost him nothing. His entertainment cost Tampa hours, manpower and insurance leverages. That's why hordes of professional journalists -- in Tampa too -- are being forced to find other careers.
He says "give me something to read."
Truth is, my website could give Moddy something to read from here till 2013 and it wouldn't move the needle enough to save one job.
It's nothing Moddy said, but at the heel of a week of frustration.
See where I'm coming from:
We finished an investigative project this week. One damn-good story. Will result in change in a Division I conference and, more than likely, the NCAA. Something we are taught to do. It is our mission. We made sacrifices in coverage to complete the project.
We put it up on the web. Splashy. Interactive graphic. Refer to it from the print edition. Everything you would do draw attention to a special piece.
The project had fewer page views than a months-old Sports and Celebrity photogallery.
As we learn more about the web, we learn success is less about journalism -- i.e. "something to read" -- and more about "input and key words" identifiable by the Google and Yahoo search algorithms.
A wonderful time.

Can somebody link to this? PM if you fear the possibility of revealing your identity.

 

[ServeItUp]

Preaching to the choir, Moddy. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only advocate for content left in my department. At my current and previous stops they want no stories longer than 12 inches and alternative story forms at every turn. And yet people ***** about the decreasing attention spans in our world without ever stopping to wonder if we're part of the problem.

Finally, when I interviewed here I wondered aloud with the ME if I was coming along a generation too late, wordsmith that I am. She pointed out back in the day the deskies still had to lay out pages, which is true. Had I been quicker on the draw I would have replied that there weren't entire teams of editors obsessing over breakouts, photo vectors, entry points and rivers of white. The editors then obsessed over getting facts right, making sure stories were clear enough to the reader and putting headlines over them that drew readers in. Period.

We're losing substance in lieu of style, I'm afraid. No, SockPuppet, it sucks that good people like Moddy are no longer in the business, fighting these battles, though I understand, respect and envy his decision. This attitude of mine likely will follow me out the door but in the meantime I will fight what I consider to be the good fight.