SAD TIMES AT NEWSDAY; And why it’s time for all NHL teams to host media on the road
(UPDATED, 10:00 AM - A very spirited and interesting discussion in the Comments area, including a post from a former Newsday writer. I have responded to some…CB).
Newsday is firing 5% of its staff during a downturn in the newspaper industry one expert called “the worst since the Depression.” Read the paper’s own coverage of the story here.
According to Long Island Business News, Newsday will eliminate the category of “sports columnist,” potentially affecting mainstays such as Shaun Powell and Johnette Howard. Shaun, for one, has been a major proponent of the Lighthouse Project in the newspaper. The photo desk is expected to take a major hit, with 13 photographers likely to lose their jobs.
According to Newsday, the travel budget is expected to be cut.
I understand there are far greater issues here, but I recommend that Newsday and the Islanders broker an appropriate travel arrangement that’s beneficial for the newspaper and maintains the coverage of the team. Just as the Islanders travel with their radio and TV broadcasters on the private team charter, beat writer Greg Logan and any other assigned Newsday writers should fly with the team to and from games. (Needless to say, the Post and Daily News should be welcomed, too).
This would be at no expense to the newspaper. The only agreement necessary is that the team must not expect the coverage of Newsday’s writers to be compromised by the travel arrangement. Why should the Islanders - and all NHL teams, for that matter - do this? Because the coverage is crucial to the franchise, the sport and the league. Too many teams, including the Islanders, Panthers, Kings and Ducks, have seen their full-time coverage dramatically drop off in the last few years.
Some writers prefer not to travel with the team because the team bus departs road arenas 30-40 minutes post-game and the writer may not have the time to pen the perfect post-game recap for the next day’s paper. In this era of non-stop blogging and huge numbers on newspaper websites, that’s a frivolous concern.
Using last night as an example, Logan could have traveled with the Islanders after the game in Washington and been home by 12:30 am. He could have filed a solid game story before leaving the Caps rink with the team, and if so inclined he could have blogged a follow-up when he arrived home before 1:00 in the morning. Better still, he would have gotten a good night’s rest in his Suffolk home and been sharp when the Islanders practiced and dropped the latest news bomb on us at 11:00 am this morning.
My hunch is Logan probably got about three hours sleep at his Washington hotel before an early cab for his early flight to Laguardia and then driving to Iceworks. He’s a pro who’s been doing this for 30 years so naturally his coverage today was top-notch, but do we really have to run him into the ground?
NHL teams can laugh, pooh-pooh the idea, have a screw-the-media attitude, declare the-team-is-the-team nonsense (yeah, like those Dallas guys who anonymously ripped Avery)…and, well, in a few years they can be nostalgic about the days when newspapers used to cover hockey games on the road.
I’m real sorry for what’s going on at Newsday. Let’s hope everything possible is done before anyone else gets hurt.
35 Responses to “SAD TIMES AT NEWSDAY; And why it’s time for all NHL teams to host media on the road”
Please Wait
this is sad.
Very sad indeed. Great ideas, Chris.
I had asked two years ago why the writers weren’t travelling with the team. But now that Newsday is under new ownership, this very LOGICAL solution should be explored.
It just goes to prove, things are bad all over. It is a shame.
I hope they don’t fire Shaun Powell. He is a supporter of the franchise and we don’t have enough of them among the sports columnists in the local media. In addition, I still recall his gut wrenching column in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 about his brother who died at the Pentagon. Under the circumstances, some of the best writing I’ve ever read.
Great points about Shaun, mrlbem. From working with him several times, I can also tell you he’s a real good man…CB
TV & Radio broadcasters are completely different when compared to columnists. The organization has approval power on the voices used to carry the games, if not complete hiring authority. Columnists, on the other hand, are the newspaper’s employees and their expenses are to be funded by their employer.
Although CB does make a good “old thinking” point that having dedicated coverage by a reporter with the teams is good for business from an Islander’s point of view, he used the actual medium by which the daily newspaper is suffering from circulation problems to make his point…the internet.
Technology as a whole is the cancer to the daily tabloid. I can obtain up-to-the-minute news, sports, entertainment & business stories from the internet, on my cell phone, via e-mail (also on my phone), etc.
Sorry…just have to disagree with CB on this one.
Mike from Oceanside:
So, if Newsday decides to either axe Logan or reassign him to something else, you think it would be better for the Islanders if they ceased coverage altogether or just reprinted AP stories?
I’m a big believer that the media drives interest. If hockey led every night on Sportscenter, I’m thinking all NHL numbers would go up. In the same way, if local hockey coverage stops, people can’t find out about their teams with a local POV, and that would drive down interest.
So, foot the bill for the newspapers to keep covering the team and save whatever interest is left on Long Island in this team.
Newsday is a left leaning rag of a newspaper. The only reason I subscribe to it is because of the Islanders and the Mets coverage. If they do away with the Isles coverage, then I will do away with Newsday.
The day of the newspaper has passed anyway. 24 hour cable news and the internet killed the print media. It’s only a matter of time before they all fold. All across the nation newspaper revenue is down and layoffs are everywhere. Within 10-12 years the newspaper will be nothing but a memory…..Sir William
Logan told me he doesn’t travel with the team because he doesn’t want it to affect his writing. I told him to make life easy on himself. Hopefully now he’ll do it and his job is safe. He provides the best coverage Newsday ever has since I was able to start reading it.
imo, most newspapers are dinosaurs. the internet has made them obsolete. most of the print versions will disappear in the not so distant future. only the best will stay alive on the internet. newsday will survive online not b/c it’s anything great but b/c they have a monopoly on the li market. the only paper that i feel is actually worth reading is the wsj but that’s just me.
Talk about back to the future.
What Chris is proposing is what MSG, for one, used to do with the Knicks and Rangers, way back when. The Garden wanted the coverage, so it picked up the tab to bring the writers on the road.
I would agree that as an investment, it might well be worth the Isles’ while to pick up at least the travel bills for the major papers. The team needs all the media coverage it can get.
Failing that, the Ieles should hire a writer (or writers) to cover the team full-time. Solid, reliable coverage would drive traffic to the site and benefit fans in the process.
I don’t want to see anybody lose jobs, but I don’t think the team will erver do this. Why? Well for the sad fact that print media is dying. Your own quote CB…
“In this era of non-stop blogging and huge numbers on newspaper websites, that’s a frivolous concern.”
It is what it is. And I don’t think the amount of coverage they get is essential to them or the NHL at this point. Lets face it, the NHL is a cult sport. Those that care attend and very few people watch on TV. They aren’t going to forget about their team if they see less items in the paper. On the flip side, teams aren’t drawing in any new fans because of coverage in papers like Newsday. 75% of the time, Islander fans complain about how the team is covered.
It is a good idea, but I don’t know if teams care enough.
Hi BP. My point is not just for the print editions of the paper. One way the newspapers can survive is through their websites. I agree it’s no longer about the print edition anymore, hasn’t for a while…CB
All this “newspapers are dead” stuff is bad for us. People are happy to declare that until the papers are gone. It’s bigger than LI and the City. Smaller towns no longer able to support a local paper will be devastating. You think there’s corruption in local politics now, wait until there’s no local reporter knocking on doors and getting answers anymore. All the cable and Internet news sites rely on newspaper reporters for their content. TV news people actually read the local papers to find out what they’re going to report. I hope most of them find a way to survive, personally. News coverage as a whole will get infinitely worse than it already is.
The Isles need someone from their fan base to come forward and start an independent publication such as Blueshirt Bulletin which is an excellent service for Ranger fans.
hi Bill. I hear what you’re saying, but I’m not sure a start-up publication of any kind is practical. They are expensive, which is one of the reasons why the newspapers are having so much trouble. Now a website, that we can agree on…CB
Chris,
One of the biggest things with Logan is he chooses not to travel with the team and instead taking care of the travel himself.
I had a few discussions with him about this last season.
Something else you forgot to mention, the price of a Newsday Mon-Sat goes from 50 cents to 75 cents this coming Monday.
Hi Mike. Newsday pays for all his travel, and it’s not an inexpensive tab. If travelling with the team saved one job, seems worth it…CB
Chris-
Your love for the game has clouded your thoughts. Accepting anything from the Islanders presents Logan with conflicts of interest. I applaud Greg for upholding his integrity, as all impartial journalists must.
Nice hearing from you. Mark. I’m a fan of yours. Where we disagree is I’d like to think Greg would have his integrity anyway. I’m concerned we’ll all sit around and talk about journalistic integrity, while more and more journalists are losing their jobs. I don’t see a seat on a plane as a gift, but merely a professional courtesy. If the Islanders lose 7-1, I’d expect Greg to not be conflicted as he is criticizing their perforamnce, or the Islanders to expect otherwise…CB
Where’s the outrage at Dolan for this move? I find it hard to believe that, when he doesn’t pay property tax on the Garden itself, when our Cable rates are as high as they are, and when the Rags are still selling out game after game & the Knicks attendance is improving, that this was a necessary move on his part.
I feel sorry for those who are going to be affected by this. I guess this is Dolan’s holiday gift to the area - more job loss & a price hike. Bah humbug indeed.
Sorry to about the layoffs at Newsdolan. Most of their sports writers are inoffensive. It’s at the Post, Times and especially Daily News that deep cuts should be made.
I understand the part about newspapers being made obsolete but hasn’t AM?FM radio survived and thrived despite television for over 50 years? James Michener used to say he wrote 900 page novels to give people an alternative to 30/60 minute television.
with the execption of Johnette Howard, i’m very sorry to see these talented writers go. hope this rotten economy gets fixed sooner than later.
My concern is the islanders are on 94.3 which is a station that I can’t even get in most parts of Nassau County. Luckily I have satilite radio and listen to games on that when I am driving. Now there will be limited coverage in the newspaper as well. This is bad news. The isles are getting closed out. Its bad enough that you can’t find the game on TV when the Devils, Knicks &/or Rangers are playing. This isn’t fair to the team or its fans.
Hi Chris,
I do understand the point of Mr. Berner and the others who support the protection of the ‘ impartial point of view ‘.
However, Cablevision owns the company that produces the TV coverage of the team and now owns the newspaper Mr. Logan works for. Unless I am wrong ( that Howie and Billy Jaffe are MSG + employees) if its ok for one Cablevision interest to ride with the team - Mr. Logan - another Cablevision employee - should take this opportunity too…..and use the savings to keep Johnette Howard or Mr. Powell employed ( I enjoy both writers)
I certainly respect the “old school” opinion of those in the newspaper business - but times have changed - and may I suggest that they change with the times.
More important to sustain the coverage by Mr. Logan for ALL games and afford Newsday a chance to continue to provide the coverage. Of course, if the team were good, we might not be having this argument…..but lets not digress !!
Pat
several excellent (and accurate) points, and not just because you agree with me! Yes, Billy and Howie are MSG employees. Thanks, Pat…CB
I think you offer a sound, common sense option though I understand the reluctance of some because of a possible conflict of interest. I think in the spirit of cost reductions, using less fuel and just general common sense it is an idea that should be offered. I do think that the print media, while declining, will always have a place in the market. However, just like we’ve seen in other industries they need to change and adapt to not only survive but to prosper. I don’t have a great understanding of how manangement works at Newsday, but I think I have an idea. When times are tough, those who invest in people will be the ones strongest when the dust settles. I hope Newsday has the good BUSINESS sense to rethink this position.
Thursday night it took me about 15 minutes to find what channel the Isles game was on since they werent on MSG+ or anything else I could find. My cable box said they would be on 418, which is a channel I don’t get. I finally found them on Channel 14, which I haven’t watched since 1991 to find out what was on TV. Not watching in HD is awful after getting used to it. The isles are the adopted stepchild of the NY Metro area sports teams. I am surprised we aren’t on a tape delay. So the thought of having no beat writer certainly doesn’t surprise me.
It’s funny because I read that 11 of the 24 American teams have TV ratings that have doubled this season. Interest is up. I don’t know. Having Beat writers travel with the team makes 100% sense which is why it won’t happen. Business almost never makes sense. They could care less about anything except the bottom line.
Greg Logan would never lose his integrity no matter what logo was on his paycheck. If Billy and Howie work for Dolan via MSG, and Greg works for Dolan via Newsday, then there should be no difference or conflict of interest.
That is the whole point that Dee brings up - Greg Logan’s credibility.
Its really up to Greg to maintain that. His track record of work supports both his credibility and integrity to date.
The “change of control” issue at Newsday - and the subsequent cost cutting issues are not issues that Mr.Logan initiated nor has any control over.
He will be judged by the quality of his work - and I think its perfectly fine to use the team charter as a means of transprot.
Perhaps he can take a position of sitting away from the players and management (depending on how big the plane is - etc) and he can either choose to take advantage of the additional time together to write more about the team.
I mean if the Isles support a blog box and invite people to write what they feel, they neither have the desire - nor the clout - to influence the coverage that Mr. Logan or Newsday can and should provide.
Only the Islanders or Cablevision can screw this up. The Islanders by either limiting Greg access to the team or kicking him off the plane. Cablevision is a collection (save for the announcers and workers on the telecasts - talking about the execs) of dummies and insensitive people. See Dolan, James.
Pat
I also have problems with Dolan - Cablevision - MSG - Newsday, as well as Murdock - Fox - NY Post. Though we live in a world of conflicts and compromises, we shouldn’t confuse common usage for correctness.
The inly person who has a problem with Greg Logan’s work is the guy Bill from New York Islander Fan Central. The problem with Bill is that he is Ranger Paranoid and everyone that has anything remotely negative to say about the Isles is a “Ranger fan”. Chris, do you know the guy?
Chris, you’re absolutely right. The news about Newsday does not surprise this journalism major, as all we hear about in school is how the newspaper is a dying breed thanks to the internet. If the NHL wants its product covered, they need to step up and do this. The only thing that would worry me is that the columnists might be pressured to shy away from dishing out negative press if their travel expenses are covered by the franchise (when it’s deserved, obviously). But either that’s the future or the future involves no live coverage of hockey games.
For the record, Howie and Billy are MSG employees, but that means nothing - almost always the team has a clause in its right contract that gives the team the right to choose the announcers.
I don’t know if that is true specifically in this case, but I’ve never heard of a scenario where it is not true.
So while Billy and Howie are paid by the Dolans, it’s the Islanders who hire - and fire - them.
FYI: I wrote a post about Botta’s idea here: http://blogs.trb.com/sports/columnists/jimbaumbach/blog/2008/12/why_newsday_wont_ever_save_by.html
Again, if Newsday is going to stop covering the Islanders road games because of budget costs/cuts, then what is better:
No coverage at all, or coverage from a guy who *may* have a conflict of interest?
I think we all realize the ethical issues here, but as an Islanders fan, I’d rather read articles in the newspaper which may be tinged with bias (which I don’t foresee happening, anyway) than see my team relegated to a 200 word AP story one page before the high school sports section.
I don’t want to have to choose between the two; I would like to see Newsday be committed to the Isles. However, if I have to choose between those two scenarios, I’m taking the local coverage every time.
Absolutely agree with you on Shaun Powell. This would be a huge loss to Long Island sports readers if he goes. The guy is top-notch and I would hope he has no trouble finding work elsewhere. But Johnette Howard???? Are you kidding me? How many columns has she written where you scratch your head after the first paragraph thinking you are reading the onion or some other farsical paper. It is a disgrace to the Islanders that they even let her write about hockey. Please do not take this post as a violation, because she is a public figure, and she should never be forgiven for that insult of Islanders fans she penned at the beginning of this season. She attacked first, in public. I fully support dropping her, even if the paper were making a fortune. Hopefully she uses the time to beef up her research skills.
I agree about Howard. She wrote a column on the eve of the season about how bad the isles are and how they are rebuilding again. Just a pointless repetetive article. She also made comments twice about how the islanders havent “sniffed” the playoffs in years. Even though they have made it 3 of the last 5 seasons.
CB I have to disagree. You cannot have a writer on a team charter and not have issues. let’s say they extend him a courtesy, then mid air on the way to vancouver he sees DiPietro go at it with the head coach and a punch is thrown? Does he report it, or does he bury it because someone tells him..”If you want a flight home, you didn’t see that?”
Late Entry Here: sorry for the long post .. but I wanted to make a strong point here.
I have to strongly lean towards agreeing with CB here. Chris knows exactly what he’s talking about. I work in the electronic media and let me tell you this. A lot of accommodations are made to both the electronic and print media by teams / leagues. So what is the difference if they extend that to charter flights?
When I used to work for Fox Sports covering NHL, MLB & NFL the teams had a “Press” dining section and fed us. Some teams even set up rooms in the guts of the stadium / arena for extra seating and had buffet service for larger events to handle the excess media. I see no problem with journalistic integrity if this is done league wide .. and I think Logan already brings his own brand of good integrity. Others have already mentioned Howie and Billy’s status as Cablevision employees, so what is the difference? If there is any question, perhaps the Isles could charge Newsday a nominal fuel surcharge. After all … even Airforce One carries a press corp … and the press makes a living ripping the POTUS .. no matter what administration.
Regarding print media in general. I was once told by a veteran print sports writer (former Isles beat writer) about 10 years ago that newspapers will be obsolete in about 10 years. He said, it isn’t that news is obsolete, it’s the paper part that is.
Newsday being run by an electronic media empire is a huge mistake. The Dolan’s know nothing about how to fix the print media. Charging more for the paper doesn’t increase readership. It diminishes it.. thus the ad revenue with it. Maybe they are trying to kill the paper altogether?
Its not if Logan’s writing would get compromised, its the perception that it would. And that is what matters.
Just like a blog about the Islanders sponsored by the Islanders. Yes you are independent and have proven it, but how many doubted it in the beginning and how many still believe this..