ODUwildman
Special Teams
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I Root For: SCSU
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RE: PAGE THREE OF TODAY'S VP SORTS PAGE
Coverage is based on flawed reader surveys that only ask specific questions to get a desired outcome of coverage. "It doesn't sell papers" is the driving force, but when you don't ask readers in the survey questions you don't want the answers to, you get what we have now (aside from the industry dying slowly for the last 15-20 years). The Pilot has also been very protective of negative things about ODU that those who had control wanted buried, especially before the merger. There's no passion for journalism there. I have some former colleagues still in the business who still do great work - but there isn't much of a bar set there anymore.
ODU deserved better coverage long before it deserved better coverage.
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01-30-2021 11:23 PM |
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mac
All American
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RE: PAGE THREE OF TODAY'S VP SORTS PAGE
(01-30-2021 07:40 PM)jaybird44 Wrote: Mid major or not if I wanted to find out about uva or vt. That is fine. ODU should get more ink. I understand they have to cover other universities but you are a norfolk paper.
Actually they aren’t a Norfolk paper anymore. As I type this workers are turning the former Pilot headquarters building into Condos. Maybe you could say used to be a Norfolk paper.
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02-01-2021 08:36 AM |
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bench jockey
1st String
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RE: PAGE THREE OF TODAY'S VP SORTS PAGE
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02-01-2021 09:35 AM |
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bit_9
Moderator
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RE: PAGE THREE OF TODAY'S VP SORTS PAGE
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02-01-2021 10:22 AM |
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Monarchblue
Heisman
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RE: PAGE THREE OF TODAY'S VP SORTS PAGE
I don't know, and don't really care, what is "fair" to ODU in regards to how a private company covers them, but I will say that I think The Pilot is really taking an approach to redefining the niche for a local newspaper that is 180 degrees from what it seems would be most successful. Their focus on national news and politics, and lack of focus on local issues, sports, etc, seems to be the exact opposite of what would get readers. I can, and do, get my politically slanted national news from a dozen other places that are free. Why in the hell would I subscribe to a local paper to get that news from them unless they are doing something different. My recipe for what local newspapers can do to remain relevant would be the following:
1. Focus on local news that I can't get elsewhere.
2. Focus on local sports that I can't get elsewhere.
3. Spend some time on state news from a local perspective.
4. Spend some time on state/regional sports.
5. Cover national stories with zero bias. Just the facts. There is basically nowhere one can go to get this in our current climate. Be that place.
6. Offer editorials that cover both political sides of an issue. Literally two editorials, one on each side.
7. Cover local politics. Just the facts. It gets harder every election to make an educated selection in local elections. This should be considered a duty for the local newspaper.
If the local newspaper does all of those things, it is providing something that I cannot get elsewhere, and thereby provides value for me.
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2021 10:24 AM by Monarchblue.)
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02-01-2021 10:22 AM |
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EverRespect
Free Kaplony
Posts: 31,322
Joined: May 2012
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I Root For: ODU
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RE: PAGE THREE OF TODAY'S VP SORTS PAGE
(02-01-2021 10:22 AM)Monarchblue Wrote: I don't know, and don't really care, what is "fair" to ODU in regards to how a private company covers them, but I will say that I think The Pilot is really taking an approach to redefining the niche for a local newspaper that is 180 degrees from what it seems would be most successful. Their focus on national news and politics, and lack of focus on local issues, sports, etc, seems to be the exact opposite of what would get readers. I can, and do, get my politically slanted national news from a dozen other places that are free. Why in the hell would I subscribe to a local paper to get that news from them unless they are doing something different. My recipe for what local newspapers can do to remain relevant would be the following:
1. Focus on local news that I can't get elsewhere.
2. Focus on local sports that I can't get elsewhere.
3. Spend some time on state news from a local perspective.
4. Spend some time on state/regional sports.
5. Cover national stories with zero bias. Just the facts. There is basically nowhere one can go to get this in our current climate. Be that place.
6. Offer editorials that cover both political sides of an issue. Literally two editorials, one on each side.
7. Cover local politics. Just the facts. It gets harder every election to make an educated selection in local elections. This should be considered a duty for the local newspaper.
If the local newspaper does all of those things, it is providing something that I cannot get elsewhere, and thereby provides value for me.
Agree and I'll add to this... would rather national news not be covered at all. Would like to see local news from the standpoint of investigative journalism. Just being a mouthpiece and getting a quote or statement from a politician, private organization such as the chamber of commerce, university administrator, or bureaucratic agency (be it a police department or a city's head of parks and rec or anything in between) doesn't cut it. Nobody looks into anything or asks tough questions related to anything local anymore.
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02-01-2021 10:36 AM |
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