Why it Sucks to be a Beat Writer

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jamiche

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I've never met Amelia Rayno and her coverage of the gophers this season seemed properly measured given the conflicting pressures of her job. I've been following her on twitter this week and she seems to be fighting this battle with a sling shot because of this little thing called journalistic standards and ethics. I may be wrong but I get the sense that she knows more than she can post on twitter or write about in the strib, but she can't get sufficient confirmation to go with it. Everybody else on twitter or us anonymous posters on GH can start threads about flight plans, coach sightings at Deja Vu, etc. On top of it all, the only real scoop up to this point (Tubby's dismissal) was gifted by Norwood to a national writer. Bad move Norwood. You are going to need the local media before this is over.

Free Amelia (and whoever writes for the Pioneer Press)!
 

I agree.
She seems to be following a ton of rumors but either can't take anything public or can't get any confirmation even with anonymous sources.
 

Been following her Twitter, too, and I've gained a lot of appreciation for the effort she puts into it, especially at a time like this when fur is flying. She does good work.

Strange, though: she's gone from feeling that something was imminent to tweeting stuff like, "It's a process," suggesting we still might be in the beginning stages. I get the feeling she's suffering from the same conflicting sources and disinformation we've seen from here.
 

I've been following her tweets too. She keeps hinting that an announcement could be imminent but we still haven't heard anything. It seems like she's getting annoyed by all the idiots tweeting her that just don't get how the process works. I don't blame her.
 

The Tubby firing was not gifted to Goodman. A poster on GopherHole had it two hours before he did. Not sure how that was forgotten so quickly.
 


Notice the difference between her and Doogie. Doogs spends most of his time defending the information he puts out there, because he is not a journalist (he is trying to get people to listen to him on the radio, who cares if his information is only half accurate). Someone who writes for a newspaper however will get fired if they put a bunch of crap out there. Even Rayno's speculation is clearly noted as speculation and is highly qualified; Doogs puts his info out there as fact.
 

Meh. I think Amelia's head and tails above Marcus, and I think generally she's a reasonable journalist, but she's been annoying me on twitter lately. Look, you don't have to respond to people. And we don't need another sportswriter in town who thinks they are better than the fans in town. Chastising the rubes for getting anxious that we're missing on candidates, scoffing at the notion that the hayseeds would think a job like the U is a possibility for a quality candidate, and etc, like Amelia, Marcus, and sometimes even, I'm afraid to say, Nadine, have been doing on twitter lately just rubs me the wrong way. The only reason sportswriters have a job is because of the interest of sports fans in the sports that the writers cover. And the general tone in this market appears to be amused condescension for the poor fools dumb enough to actually care/have opinions about said sports. Of course, this is more of a Reusse/Souhan/KFAN thing, but I've noticed it creeping into Amelia's writing, and I hope it's just a blip.
 

jmag21 said:
Meh. I think Amelia's head and tails above Marcus, and I think generally she's a reasonable journalist, but she's been annoying me on twitter lately. Look, you don't have to respond to people. And we don't need another sportswriter in town who thinks they are better than the fans in town. Chastising the rubes for getting anxious that we're missing on candidates, scoffing at the notion that the hayseeds would think a job like the U is a possibility for a quality candidate, and etc, like Amelia, Marcus, and sometimes even, I'm afraid to say, Nadine, have been doing on twitter lately just rubs me the wrong way. The only reason sportswriters have a job is because of the interest of sports fans in the sports that the writers cover. And the general tone in this market appears to be amused condescension for the poor fools dumb enough to actually care/have opinions about said sports. Of course, this is more of a Reusse/Souhan/KFAN thing, but I've noticed it creeping into Amelia's writing, and I hope it's just a blip.
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I'll give you that. How did she put it - you have to go through the process of offering the "pipe dreams" first so you can say you did it. I never thought it was out of the question to attract a top candidate, especially if facilities can be guaranteed. If I were Norwood - and I'm sure he's selling it this way - I would put the situation out there as assembling a dream team of institution, administrators, coach, facilities and community. You have to have some imagination to see that - sort of like the BMO Harris commercials where you hold the picture frame up to the brown field and imagine a big development.
 

Stan said:
The Tubby firing was not gifted to Goodman. A poster on GopherHole had it two hours before he did. Not sure how that was forgotten so quickly.
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True. However, it appears that Norwood gave it to Goodman directly. Our GH poster probably sourced it indirectly.
 



jmag21 said:
Meh. I think Amelia's head and tails above Marcus, and I think generally she's a reasonable journalist, but she's been annoying me on twitter lately. Look, you don't have to respond to people. And we don't need another sportswriter in town who thinks they are better than the fans in town. Chastising the rubes for getting anxious that we're missing on candidates, scoffing at the notion that the hayseeds would think a job like the U is a possibility for a quality candidate, and etc, like Amelia, Marcus, and sometimes even, I'm afraid to say, Nadine, have been doing on twitter lately just rubs me the wrong way. The only reason sportswriters have a job is because of the interest of sports fans in the sports that the writers cover. And the general tone in this market appears to be amused condescension for the poor fools dumb enough to actually care/have opinions about said sports. Of course, this is more of a Reusse/Souhan/KFAN thing, but I've noticed it creeping into Amelia's writing, and I hope it's just a blip.
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I am sure our media that actually cares is just as stressed about this as we al are. I am sure it is weighing on Amelia, Nadine, Marcus, etc. Especially all the sources that aren't sources, and rumors with no backing
 

I am still sad that she locked down her facebook account settings. I was a big fan of the bikini pics.
 

Heck, I know more than I can post on twitter. In the good old days, like, say, 2005, everyone knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy, but no one could tell anyone that matters. Now everyone knows everything until they don't.
 

That bit on her blog is bothering me. Norwood didn't hire Grant. I tried to let her know, but no response or change alas.
 



I'm unable to reconcile "can't report unconfirmed things" with throwing out many rumors, wild suggestions, unfounded speculation, contradictions, etc.
 



But is she really a babe, or is she just a babe compared to the other people in the press room? Okay, now I sound like I have some axe to grind with her, but I really don't. I like her writing, and I think she's one of the better beat writers in town. And she's a nice looking girl, but a babe?
 


G0 4 said:
Reusse wouldn't look near as good in a bikini
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Shudder.gif
 

And she's a nice looking girl, but a babe?
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This is so weak. Now we are agruing if Amelia is a "babe" or not.

Rayno does a very professional job and she does it exceptionally well.

By the way she is indeed a "babe"
 

She's a babe. Her obsession with big foot is a little creepy though.
 


Aren't you all going to be wishing you were her when she bags one.
 



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