07-21-2010 STAR'S WHITLOCK UNLOADS ON NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY, AWARDS & ALBOM
It certainly sounds like the end might be near for Jason Whitlock as a columnist at the Kansas City Star. A source at the newspaper told Bottom Line (7/20) that staffers are not really sure if he is even still employed there. While Whitlock still writes columns for FOX Sports, he hasn't written a word for the Star since May 26. And now Whitlock has unloaded on the Web site "The Big Lead" about the state of newspapers, awards and, in particular, his utter disdain for Mitch (he refers to him as "Myth") Albom, who was recently given the Associated Press Sports Editors' (APSE) highest journalism honor, "The Red Smith Award." Whitlock viciously attacked Albom (Detroit Free Press columnist, author of numerous best-selling books such as "Tuesdays With Morrie" and "The 5 People You Meet in Heaven," "Have Little Faith") and then unloaded on the APSE and its awards. What is particularly interesting is Whitlock blasted the APSE, which is a group with deep ties to the Kansas City Star. Former Star sports editor Mike Fannin was the president of the group in 2007/08. In fact, legendary Star sports editor Joe McGuff and Dale Bye also served as presidents of the group. In 2006, McGuff was awarded the "Red Smith" honor. Whitlock's attack of the APSE, which he refers to as "the political, ass-kissing organization that pretends to be sports writing’s selfless guardian," is clearly a direct shot at Fannin, who assumed the role of editor at the Star in May 2008. Fannin's staffers regularly submitted---and won---prestigious APSE awards when he was an office-holder with the group. Joe Posnanski, who won numerous APSE awards as a sports columnist with the Star, left for greener pastures as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. Posnanski's replacement, Sam Mellinger, has already carved out a reputation as a strong, hard-working columnist at the Star and may have already surpassed Whitlock as its top columnist. It now looks as if Whitlock's attacks of the newspaper industry are very similar to his strategy at both KC radio sports talk stations, where he blasted his employers and eventually was fired. Stay tuned.
Jason Whitlock
Mike Fannin
Mitch Albom
07-21-2010
HOW IT WILL PLAY OUT "Easy enough to check; one night soon (Whitlock's bound to be overdue for this) the cops will pick him up for drunk driving after he leaves P & L. Then I'm sure the Star will inform us he hasn't worked there in months..."---Nick Charles
COLUMNISTS VS. FEATURE WRITERS "I hate to admit it, but Whitlock has passionately said what many former newspaper readers have said for twenty years. In the 1990s readers of any local sports section wanted an un-biased, hard, no-holds barred look at their teams from your local columnist. What we got however were feature writers masqueraded as sports columnists, trying to tell sell you a short story. "Writers like Myth Albom and Joe Posnanski has harmed the newspaper industry far more then the Internet could ever do. How? By always writing long, overblown columns always looking at the bright side of things. "I remember a column Posnanski did a while ago about former Royals GM Allard Baird. Apparently, a lot of Royals fans kept asking him about his thoughts Baird. Most thought he was a horrible GM and should be fired. Posnanski’s response? A lengthy column about how great of a guy Baird was. "The public wants hard-hitting, no-holds barred sports columnists, not feature writers. Maybe that’s why more people listen to talk radio and read blogs now than read the local paper. Bravo Jason, it’s about time someone said it." --Brian Johnson
07-22-2010 CHEERLEADERS, NOT CRITICS "Remember, sports teams expect the media to be cheerleaders, not critics.Like police do street reporters, sports organizations have their ways of punishing journalists for their critical writing. "It's been a truism for years.IF a TV station wants to get athlete and company interviews for their nightly newscasts, they MUST cheerlead for the local teams. "Write a critical piece and sports reporters find cold shoulders, athletes too busy to do interviews.Fact is, sports teams are not subtle.PROMOTE US or GET NOTHING FROM IS. "Police and Fire Departments, who provide the daily product for local television do the same thing.BE PRO POLICE AND FIRE, or we will cut your asses off! "And cops, who have the power to run newspeople off, or face arrest, well they hold all the cards. Just KNOW THAT when you watch TV.Government holds all the power over nightly newscast companies. They are not bashful about using that power either!"
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