National Axe Day at WWL.

[Chef2]

Werder out. Effective immediately.

Ed Werder‏Verified account @Edwerderespn 33m33 minutes ago




After 17 years reporting on #NFL, I've been informed that I'm being laid off by ESPN effective immediately. I have no plans to retire

 

[LongTimeListener]

It's going to be a mega-large deal. Deitsch wrote on FB that "the numbers will be larger than previously reported." He also staked out moral high ground.

As it stands now, my instinct is not to report any names I know before the person announces it themselves. I've struggled with coming to terms on whether that's the right call, but I end up on the side, first and foremost, that you aim not to do harm in journalism. As someone smart in the field told me: Those affected deserve to hang on to the dignity of framing this in their terms and on their timetable. It’s the same I thing I attempted to do when FS1 went through layoffs in March 2016.

It's a stance that comes with a certain bit of irony considering how many of the same reporters have scored scoops about coach firings and player releases during their careers. It also prompted this comment from Lisa Guerrero:

Too bad I wasn't granted that dignity when I was replaced on Monday Night Football. Just sayin.

The tone of that comment makes me wonder if it was Deitsch himself who reported her ouster. Maybe not and she is being more general about it. In any case, a somewhat odd ethical line to draw now, and not one that journalists observe when reporting on any industry other than journalism.

 

[bigpern23]

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith is still gainfully employed. What a joke.

 

[Chef2]

Werder out.
SAS in.

"What in the wide wide world of sports is going on here?"

 

[Chef2]

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith is still gainfully employed. What a joke.

LOL>
Got me at the tape.

 

[bigpern23]

It's going to be a mega-large deal. Deitsch wrote on FB that "the numbers will be larger than previously reported." He also staked out moral high ground.

As it stands now, my instinct is not to report any names I know before the person announces it themselves. I've struggled with coming to terms on whether that's the right call, but I end up on the side, first and foremost, that you aim not to do harm in journalism. As someone smart in the field told me: Those affected deserve to hang on to the dignity of framing this in their terms and on their timetable. It’s the same I thing I attempted to do when FS1 went through layoffs in March 2016.

It's a stance that comes with a certain bit of irony considering how many of the same reporters have scored scoops about coach firings and player releases during their careers. It also prompted this comment from Lisa Guerrero:

Too bad I wasn't granted that dignity when I was replaced on Monday Night Football. Just sayin.

The tone of that comment makes me wonder if it was Deitsch himself who reported her ouster. Maybe not and she is being more general about it. In any case, a somewhat odd ethical line to draw now, and not one that journalists observe when reporting on any industry other than journalism.

Yeah, can't say I agree with Deitsch on this.

 

[Donny in his element]

It's going to be a mega-large deal. Deitsch wrote on FB that "the numbers will be larger than previously reported." He also staked out moral high ground.

As it stands now, my instinct is not to report any names I know before the person announces it themselves. I've struggled with coming to terms on whether that's the right call, but I end up on the side, first and foremost, that you aim not to do harm in journalism. As someone smart in the field told me: Those affected deserve to hang on to the dignity of framing this in their terms and on their timetable. It’s the same I thing I attempted to do when FS1 went through layoffs in March 2016.

It's a stance that comes with a certain bit of irony considering how many of the same reporters have scored scoops about coach firings and player releases during their careers. It also prompted this comment from Lisa Guerrero:

Too bad I wasn't granted that dignity when I was replaced on Monday Night Football. Just sayin.

The tone of that comment makes me wonder if it was Deitsch himself who reported her ouster. Maybe not and she is being more general about it. In any case, a somewhat odd ethical line to draw now, and not one that journalists observe when reporting on any industry other than journalism.

@YankeeFan ghostwriting?

I kid.

 

[LongTimeListener]

LOL.

I did think of him when putting that together. I already consider him to have liked my post in advance.

 

[bigpern23]

Rough morning for ol' Ed.

 

[LongTimeListener]

He has been through a lot worse. His son-in-law's death from cancer was a big story (told by him) a few years ago.

He will be fine. I'm sure NFL Network and FS1 have been in touch already.

 

[QYFW]

Odd they'd let him go the day before the draft.

 

[CD Boogie]

Deitsch taking a vanilla stance in which he tries to be all things to all people? Shocker

 

[User 4332]

It's going to be a mega-large deal. Deitsch wrote on FB that "the numbers will be larger than previously reported." He also staked out moral high ground.

As it stands now, my instinct is not to report any names I know before the person announces it themselves. I've struggled with coming to terms on whether that's the right call, but I end up on the side, first and foremost, that you aim not to do harm in journalism. As someone smart in the field told me: Those affected deserve to hang on to the dignity of framing this in their terms and on their timetable. It’s the same I thing I attempted to do when FS1 went through layoffs in March 2016.

It's a stance that comes with a certain bit of irony considering how many of the same reporters have scored scoops about coach firings and player releases during their careers. It also prompted this comment from Lisa Guerrero:

Too bad I wasn't granted that dignity when I was replaced on Monday Night Football. Just sayin.

The tone of that comment makes me wonder if it was Deitsch himself who reported her ouster. Maybe not and she is being more general about it. In any case, a somewhat odd ethical line to draw now, and not one that journalists observe when reporting on any industry other than journalism.

I hate to be a contrarian, but this particular line bugs me, and I'm not even sure I agree with his overall premise.

First, you aim to minimize harm in journalism. That is not the same as "do not harm." If the latter were the standard, how would investigative reporting exist? Crime reporting?

Second, a big part of me respects the desire to be respectful of the subjects of your reporting. Empathy is something journalists should never lose. But is reporting on public figures who have been let go from positions of prominence in going to do more harm than the act of being fired has already done? If the police chief and half the command staff are let go, should the media withhold the identities of those laid off until they announce their departures themselves? His is a rule that is hard to apply uniformly and it smacks of giving special treatment to colleagues because it is the same industry.

 

[bigpern23]

BTW, based on the thread title, I thought Axe body spray was sponsoring all ESPN content for the day. Maybe it should have.

 

[bigpern23]

I hate to be a contrarian, but this particular line bugs me, and I'm not even sure I agree with his overall premise.

First, you aim to minimize harm in journalism. That is not the same as "do not harm." If the latter were the standard, how would investigative reporting exist? Crime reporting?

Second, a big part of me respects the desire to be respectful of the subjects of your reporting. Empathy is something journalists should never lose. But is reporting on public figures who have been let go from positions of prominence in going to do more harm than the act of being fired has already done? If the police chief and half the command staff are let go, should the media withhold the identities of those laid off until they announce their departures themselves? His is a rule that is hard to apply uniformly and it smacks of giving special treatment to colleagues because it is the same industry.

Nailed it.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Yeah, franticscribe, there was something that bothered me about that line too, but I couldn't put it as well as you did.

 

[Chef2]

He has been through a lot worse. His son-in-law's death from cancer was a big story (told by him) a few years ago.

He will be fine. I'm sure NFL Network and FS1 have been in touch already.

Eisen already reached out to him this morning.

 

[QYFW]

I hate to be a contrarian, but this particular line bugs me, and I'm not even sure I agree with his overall premise.

First, you aim to minimize harm in journalism. That is not the same as "do not harm." If the latter were the standard, how would investigative reporting exist? Crime reporting?

Second, a big part of me respects the desire to be respectful of the subjects of your reporting. Empathy is something journalists should never lose. But is reporting on public figures who have been let go from positions of prominence in going to do more harm than the act of being fired has already done? If the police chief and half the command staff are let go, should the media withhold the identities of those laid off until they announce their departures themselves? His is a rule that is hard to apply uniformly and it smacks of giving special treatment to colleagues because it is the same industry.

It's the kind of hypocrisy that makes people distrust the media.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

It isn't even true that journalism necessarily tries to minimize harm, let alone not do any. The effort to expose and help right wrongs, afflicting the comfortable if you will, often involves active work to fix somebody's or some institution's wagon but good.

 

[dixiehack]

You know the accountants are running riot when they're gutting NFL coverage on draft week.