The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Be curious to see if GR Press sends someone to the GLIACs media day.

I canceled the Gazette about 3 weeks ago. How sad to watch this dopey organization ruin what was once a great newspaper.

It's seriously an embarrassment to the community. I don't hold a grudge against any of the individual writers there because I learned a long time ago that it's the editors that have the final say in these kinds of decisions, while the writers are held hostage to their poor decisions. At the same token, those editors have an obligation to follow the Execs. lead out in Jersey (or wherever it is). It's just a really poor business model. I should rephrase that... It's a profitable business model, but not a successful one for individual communities. Unfortunately, as long as people continue to support this horrible business model by paying for ads and clicking on "Michigan's Best Brussel Sprouts" articles, it won't go away anytime soon.

(07-25-2014 10:42 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  It's seriously an embarrassment to the community. I don't hold a grudge against any of the individual writers there because I learned a long time ago that it's the editors that have the final say in these kinds of decisions, while the writers are held hostage to their poor decisions. At the same token, those editors have an obligation to follow the Execs. lead out in Jersey (or wherever it is). It's just a really poor business model. I should rephrase that... It's a profitable business model, but not a successful one for individual communities. Unfortunately, as long as people continue to support this horrible business model by paying for ads and clicking on "Michigan's Best Brussel Sprouts" articles, it won't go away anytime soon.

Yep, their model is built on social media. Pick a topic that people will click on and respond to and sell advertisers on the belief that there are a buch of eyeballs reading this trash.

If you read the responses it's the same 12 people responding over and over.......kind of like here.

What could it possibly cost to send one reporter to Detroit for the day? Then again what could David Drew get out of it that he couldn't without following Fleck et al. to Detroit? I agree though it shows a lack of interest in covering the MAC which just sucks considering the multitude of other ways we can hear about UM MSU and the Detroit pro teams and the relatively few places we can get info on the MAC.

(07-25-2014 01:00 PM)Liam9903 Wrote:  What could it possibly cost to send one reporter to Detroit for the day? Then again what could David Drew get out of it that he couldn't without following Fleck et al. to Detroit? I agree though it shows a lack of interest in covering the MAC which just sucks considering the multitude of other ways we can hear about UM MSU and the Detroit pro teams and the relatively few places we can get info on the MAC.

Regardless of our in fighting here, we can all agree that our WMU die hard community is limited. Look at this board and compare it to the red cedar board for MSU. Problem is, is that our perception of our own University is rare with regard to the majority of our alumni. This is a perception that needs to be cultivated by non-media members before the media will notice the WMU product as lucrative.

Having a limited fan base is still not a real excuse for the local newspaper to basically ignore a division 1 institution in its town. We aren't asking for more from the GR Press or Detnews but for http://www.mlive.com/broncos to maybe send someone down I94 to preview the conference shouldn't require a groundswell of new fan support. If they are going to cover Kalamazoo and have a sports section then its basically a minimum requirement for a professional local news organization.

Should move the Media Days to Chicago.

(07-25-2014 10:33 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  How sad to watch this dopey organization ruin what was once a great newspaper.

Truer words never spoken, agree 100%.

Canceling the subscription is the best thing you can do.

While WMU Diehards are limited, more people attend WMU football than any event in Kalamazoo. They'll send a reporter to Shelbyville (Gun Lake) to cover a cello recital at the Fontana Arts Festival (attended by 12 people), not to media day. It's nuts.

We don't matter to them. They care more about HooterShelbyville than WMU.

Prime example:

See new corn-husking technique put to test by MLive's Rosemary Parker

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/inde...eally.html

Quote:"I love fresh-from-the-field sweet corn but removing the husk before cooking is such a bother, especially when one cooks a dozen ears or more at a time, as I do. The pile of leftover husks take up space in the garbage, and corn silk winds up stuck to the floor and counters and cob."

That's some quality home-town journalism there. You can't even make this stuff up. The worst part is the 33 COMMENTS at the bottom of the article.

(07-26-2014 07:28 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  Prime example:

See new corn-husking technique put to test by MLive's Rosemary Parker

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/inde...eally.html

Quote:"I love fresh-from-the-field sweet corn but removing the husk before cooking is such a bother, especially when one cooks a dozen ears or more at a time, as I do. The pile of leftover husks take up space in the garbage, and corn silk winds up stuck to the floor and counters and cob."

That's some quality home-town journalism there. You can't even make this stuff up. The worst part is the 33 COMMENTS at the bottom of the article.

The other part of their business model is to create conversation. There are 33 responses to this stupid corn husking article, but half of them are Rosemary Parker responding to every post.

I can hear the editor now.

Editor Scoop Kent: Parker, that corn husking article is blowing up. I want you and Clark to get down to Old McDonald's farm do a follow up on how to snap green beans. Now get out of here!!!

Later at a team meeting with the editor: All right, now quiet down. Now Drew, you saw Parker's corn husking article, what have you got?

Drew: Well sir, I've got an interview with the offensive coordinator. I'm meeting him for lunch at the Roadhouse.

Editor: The Roadhouse. That's expensive, how about meeting him at the Dairy Queen? It's even closer.

Drew: Sure sir, I can probably do that.

Editor: So, what are you going to talk about?

Drew: Bronco football sir.

Editor: Bronco football? What the hell Dave, nobody gives a $hit about Bronco football, what else have you got?!!!

Drew: Well sir, I thought we could have a discussion about the best soft serve ice cream in Kalamazoo.

Editor: Now you're talking Dave! Way to think out of the box son. Go get'm tiger.

Exactly. So depressing. The best of series.

They won't deliver my Sunday paper. I paid 27 weeks in advance. They don't answer their phone, you get a message machine. I've sent several emails. No answers.

I'm not sure if they even have an operations staff. I know they still print the paper because I see a stack of them at the local convenience store on Sunday.

I wish they'd do a competition about which paper has the best delivery service and customer service staff.

(07-26-2014 03:33 PM)bronco47 Wrote:  Exactly. So depressing. The best of series.

They won't deliver my Sunday paper. I paid 27 weeks in advance. They don't answer their phone, you get a message machine. I've sent several emails. No answers.

I'm not sure if they even have an operations staff. I know they still print the paper because I see a stack of them at the local convenience store on Sunday.

I wish they'd do a competition about which paper has the best delivery service and customer service staff.

It would be a tight race between the Gazette and several Elementary School Newsletters. Our local 5th grade did a fine piece on the top lunch choice of the week. So far it appears Pizza Bun Wednesday is the big winner. Rosmary Parker better look out for these kids. She can only ride her Corn Husker articles for so long before she'll have to find another smoking hot topic.

FOX 17 went to the MAC media day.

http://fox17online.com/2014/07/23/fleck-...tus-in-14/