Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Holy Hell the AJC Has Hired a New Thrashers Beat Writer

(Well, not really. Read the updates below)

This is getting confusing. I probably won't change the name in the blogroll until...ever, maybe.

Anyway. Guy's name is, oh just click the link.

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IMPORTANT CORRECTION!

The AJC didn't hire anyone. The scenario was something a bit more like this:

AJC SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR: (opening door of office and looking into the hallway) You!

CHRIS VIVLAMORE: Me, sir?

AJC SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR: Yeah, you. Who are you?

CHRIS VIVLAMORE: Um, Chris Vivlamore. I've been here six years; I'm the Pro Sports Editor.

AJC SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR: Well, now you're also the Thrashers beat writer. You're gonna be a star, kid.

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UPDATE CITY: Where do we go for the bigger picture? Creative Loafing, of course. From the cover story in this week's issue:

Whatever your opinion of the AJC’s virtues, the newspaper going forward can’t escape being a diminished version of its former self. The question is: What kind of news coverage can Atlanta still expect from its daily newspaper?
That’s difficult to answer in part because many AJC staffers don’t yet fully understand their new job descriptions. And, if recent history is any guide, each new reorg is a work in progress, subject to weeks of fine-tuning and additional staff changes.

...


The newspaper has also overhauled its entire beat structure — again — in order to give most reporters much broader responsibilities. So broad, in some cases, that it’s difficult to imagine how the job could be done without entire coverage areas falling through the cracks. Whereas, a few years back, the AJC had various reporters each assigned to particular state agencies, the paper now has two reporters covering nearly the whole of state government — one on a daily basis and the other for the Sunday edition.

Replace the words "state agencies" with "local sports teams" and you get some idea of why the Professional Sports Editor is taking over Thrashers beat duty. Lack of the monies has forced the AJC to cut its coverage, plain and simple.

2 comments:

Wayne from AL said...

Like CL has become a beacon of journalism in Atlanta, or something...

Mortimer Peacock said...

Their coverage of local politics and media is quite good.