The End of Newspapermen Covering Golf Near?

With the news that Jim McCabe has left the Boston Globe to replace Rex Hoggard at Golfweek (now at GolfChannel.com), Sal Johnson recaps the dizzying changes in golf newspaper coverage over the last decade. I also understand there has been a shake up at the Daily Telegraph, so it's not just an American issue.

Let's face reality, this isn't an isolated problem to fall on just the Boston market but a total purge on golf writing in not only this country but around the world. Just in the last couple of months we have seen the golf writers of the Los Angeles Times, Thomas Bonk, take a buy out. In Chicago, Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune left after the PGA Championship. Vartan Kupelian is no longer with the Detroit News, the writer of a paper in Washington is waiting to see if his contract will be renewed in '09. Just this week Bill Huffman is writing his last column for the East Valley Tribune and in neighboring Phoenix, the Arizona Republic told it's golf writer John Davis that he would be cut in half on golf, had to focus on just local golf no longer writing about the PGA and LPGA Tours and would be on the copy desk for half of his 40 hour week. Cities like Atlanta, St. Petersburg, Florida, Palm Beach, Florida, Kansas City, Houston, Texas and Hartford, Connecticut no longer have golf writers. Of course many of you may wonder why this is so important, but in the scope of things it's very important and one of the growing problems for the PGA Tour in the months ahead.

Comments

[Smolmania]

Phil Kosin's probably looking for good writers. . .

[Steven T.]

Sal forgot about Joe Logan leaving the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this year. Larry Dorman did rejoin the NYT.

[Walt B.]

Didn't realize the problem was so widespread. This certainly won't help golf any. Is there any way to reverse this trend?

[ken]

It seems to me that the trend away from Newspapers in general is more likely the cause of this than anything.

During the presidential campaign I saw poll results from Obama supporters about where they got their news, and newspapers weren't near the top.

The only golf story i have read lately in a newspaper was this morning, when one of our local boys showed up on the leaderboard at Q-school

OTOH, look at how many people the sports websites have writing sports copy.

ken

[Phil the Author]

Geoff,

I completely disagree with Sal's statement that this is a "total purge on golf writing..."

He is wrong. It MAY be a total purge on golf REPORTING, but not on golf writing. Almost all of those who have been released, and yes, guys like Joe Logan, etc... are outstanding writers, have been REPORTERS of the game.

Look at what you've created here. One could easily spend a few hours perusing your site on a weekly basis and turn out a weekly column for any large newspaper without ever having to attend a single tournament.

Television coverage of any and all things important in golf is comprehensive; just look at all of the Michelle Wie highlight's tonight on your local station. No one was sent by that station and yet it is being given primetime coverage in your own community.

The real danger, and it is something that has been dangerously close to happening for a number of years now, is that the literature of the game has lost its readership. A great deal of the balme for this is the constant stream of sound-bite reporting and quick-witted sports reporters with nary an understanding of the game spouting over the airwaves.

It is hard to see how Herbert Warren Wind, Bernard Darwin, O.B. Keeler and many another aspiring author could and can get into print today...

If one is really concerned about this issue then what is most needed is for people to BUY GOLF BOOKS! Support those who are trying to create today's classic golf literature. I can suggest a few needing this support for those interested...

[Bob Brancato]

It's print media in general. Newspapers are yesterday's news. Many magazine subscriptions are available for free to get some eyes on their advertising. The internet's speed is the tie breaker. People know how to locate good content and weed out the trash that's prevalent on the web.

[BD]

Still two at USA TODAY

[Taylor]

I agree with Phil the Author's statement, "The real danger... ...is that the literature of the game has lost its readership." If there are not readily available multiple sources of golf writing and reporting, how are we to instill a sense of what is good golf prose. Most broadcasters cannot fill this developing void so long as they utter such things as, "Talk to me about...." or, my favorite, "So you've just won the tournament, how does that make you feel?"

It's probably very safe to say that regular readers of this blog greatly enjoy the quotes chosen by Geoff to head each day's column. Let's not make this the last outpost of intelligent golf writing.

[Al]

Unfortunately, the issue is much bigger than just a shakeup with golf writers.
The entire newspaper journalism business is ready to crumble.

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_11142071

[Crosby's Pipe]

We know that print newspapers are dying due mainly to a lack of advertising revenue.
So, my question is, "How will e-papers (strictly online papers) be any different?"

[Mike C.]

Newspapers are going out of business because people don't want to read what they are writing or don't agree with it. I find it interesting that small town papers aren't having this problem.

[Golden Bell]

Mike C., many small town papers (with good fortune, not yours) are having this problem. And people are reading, only online, without buying the paper. Lost circulation revenue combimed with diminished display advertising revenue and a huge drop in classified (thanks to Craigslist and eBay) are why thousands of newspaper employees, from reporters to ad salespeople and the guys and the gals in the back who stuff the Sunday supplements into the paper, are no longer at the paper.

As for those who don't agree, they still read the paper, and then e-mail, rather than mail, letters to the editor.

Not only are their fewer golf writers, there are fewer pro football writers, major league baseball writers, pro basketball writers, and many fewer pro hockey writers. The Los Angeles Times, for instance, no longer travels with the Anaheim Ducks, and only occasionally with the Kings. But there are plenty of people covering high school sports, because that can't be found on the AP wire.

[Steven T.]

It's not just golf writers:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/columnists/20081209_Bill_Conlin__Two-minute_warning_for_our_beloved_sportswriters.html