The Local Journo Thread

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genome
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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by genome » 20 Mar 2019 11:57

Old Man Andrews
John Smith
sandman A shame. He's been covering Reading for as long as I can remember. Never nice to see anyone lose their job like that.

How did he lose his job? I thought he'd resigned for pastures new?


Made redundant. Local newspaper industry is dead.


I reckon they were on the fence, but then saw all your posts on here and decided to let him go.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Old Man Andrews » 20 Mar 2019 12:00

genome
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John Smith How did he lose his job? I thought he'd resigned for pastures new?


Made redundant. Local newspaper industry is dead.


I reckon they were on the fence, but then saw all your posts on here and decided to let him go.


He hardly made himself indispensable did he? I take no joy in anyone losing their job in this day and age.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by genome » 20 Mar 2019 12:01

Old Man Andrews
genome
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Made redundant. Local newspaper industry is dead.


I reckon they were on the fence, but then saw all your posts on here and decided to let him go.


He hardly made himself indispensable did he? I take no joy in anyone losing their job in this day and age.


As if. I bet you did a Henman fist pump when you heard the news.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Old Man Andrews » 20 Mar 2019 12:04

genome
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genome
I reckon they were on the fence, but then saw all your posts on here and decided to let him go.


He hardly made himself indispensable did he? I take no joy in anyone losing their job in this day and age.


As if. I bet you did a Henman fist pump when you heard the news.


No not at all. Just because he is an abysmal Reading reporter it doesn't mean he wasn't a decent reporter in general. He did a hell of a lot to promote local sports clubs and amatuer football in his time.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by genome » 20 Mar 2019 12:13

Old Man Andrews
genome
Old Man Andrews
He hardly made himself indispensable did he? I take no joy in anyone losing their job in this day and age.


As if. I bet you did a Henman fist pump when you heard the news.


No not at all. Just because he is an abysmal Reading reporter it doesn't mean he wasn't a decent reporter in general. He did a hell of a lot to promote local sports clubs and amatuer football in his time.


Doesn't that suggest that the problem lies with the industry rather than the individuals? We've got 3 reporters who get plenty of stick, they just don't have the club contacts that Charles Watts did.

If clubs were more open to giving access to papers and not certain individuals then the quality of reporting would shoot up. At the moment we've got journalists getting paid per click for content that they've written based off scraps.

The whole industry needs to change.


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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by RoyalBlue » 20 Mar 2019 19:08

Unfortunately like so many other local journalists (get what you pay for?) the quality of his output was somewhat lacking on occasions. e.g.

Royals feared the influential Portuguese forward could be back in a few weeks, which included the current two-week international break.
:roll:

Presumably he meant 'hoped'. Clearly he didn't bother to get anyone to check what he had written.

Nevertheless I hope he finds another job before too long.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by RoyalBlue » 20 Mar 2019 19:11

genome
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genome
As if. I bet you did a Henman fist pump when you heard the news.


No not at all. Just because he is an abysmal Reading reporter it doesn't mean he wasn't a decent reporter in general. He did a hell of a lot to promote local sports clubs and amatuer football in his time.


Doesn't that suggest that the problem lies with the industry rather than the individuals? We've got 3 reporters who get plenty of stick, they just don't have the club contacts that Charles Watts did.

If clubs were more open to giving access to papers and not certain individuals then the quality of reporting would shoot up. At the moment we've got journalists getting paid per click for content that they've written based off scraps.

The whole industry needs to change.


That's a bit like a sales person blaming lack of contacts for poor sales figures.

Good journalists do whatever they have to in order to develop plenty of decent contacts. It's one of the things that makes them good journalists.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by genome » 20 Mar 2019 19:49

RoyalBlue
genome
Old Man Andrews
No not at all. Just because he is an abysmal Reading reporter it doesn't mean he wasn't a decent reporter in general. He did a hell of a lot to promote local sports clubs and amatuer football in his time.


Doesn't that suggest that the problem lies with the industry rather than the individuals? We've got 3 reporters who get plenty of stick, they just don't have the club contacts that Charles Watts did.

If clubs were more open to giving access to papers and not certain individuals then the quality of reporting would shoot up. At the moment we've got journalists getting paid per click for content that they've written based off scraps.

The whole industry needs to change.


That's a bit like a sales person blaming lack of contacts for poor sales figures.

Good journalists do whatever they have to in order to develop plenty of decent contacts. It's one of the things that makes them good journalists.


Who says they aren't trying that? There's not much you can do when getting information out of the club is like getting blood from a stone.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Hound » 22 Mar 2019 14:52

The industry has changed Genome, think that is the problem

Realistically, not sure there is that much left in the old style journo following the team round. I'm guessing it might end up where you have accredited people from blog sites like Tilehurst End ending up doing a little bit of press conferences etc, and basically doing it unpaid bar what they can get through web traffic and clicks. Be more on a voluntary basis


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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by John Smith » 22 Mar 2019 15:25

Hound The industry has changed Genome, think that is the problem

Realistically, not sure there is that much left in the old style journo following the team round. I'm guessing it might end up where you have accredited people from blog sites like Tilehurst End ending up doing a little bit of press conferences etc, and basically doing it unpaid bar what they can get through web traffic and clicks. Be more on a voluntary basis

Like the girl who appears briefly after our highlights cameo on EFL on Quest?

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Old Man Andrews » 22 Mar 2019 15:26

John Smith
Hound The industry has changed Genome, think that is the problem

Realistically, not sure there is that much left in the old style journo following the team round. I'm guessing it might end up where you have accredited people from blog sites like Tilehurst End ending up doing a little bit of press conferences etc, and basically doing it unpaid bar what they can get through web traffic and clicks. Be more on a voluntary basis

Like the girl who appears briefly after our highlights cameo on EFL on Quest?


She is welcome to appear less briefly at my house.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by John Smith » 22 Mar 2019 15:55

Old Man Andrews
John Smith
Hound The industry has changed Genome, think that is the problem

Realistically, not sure there is that much left in the old style journo following the team round. I'm guessing it might end up where you have accredited people from blog sites like Tilehurst End ending up doing a little bit of press conferences etc, and basically doing it unpaid bar what they can get through web traffic and clicks. Be more on a voluntary basis

Like the girl who appears briefly after our highlights cameo on EFL on Quest?


She is welcome to appear less briefly at my house.

To discuss tactical positioning?

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Mid Sussex Royal » 22 Mar 2019 18:22

Generally the standard of local journalism is abysmal, radio and press.

Get Reading are saying today the Birmingham points deduction is really bad for us and could mean a relegation shoot out on the last day.

What about the fact that they play Rotherham and WIgan before us? Likely to be far more riding on those games now.....


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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by AthleticoSpizz » 22 Mar 2019 21:49

think that the word “could” was the clue

In all honesty, our local journalism is acceptable, our radio reporting (courtesy of the tv licence and the BBC) is pretty decent (if you can look outside of the ‘serious hysterical football Reading supporting’’ box), sometimes people just need to lighten up a bit, mistakes and “fake news” happens all around the country.

Anyone remember the shiteness of 210 Thames Valley/2Ten FM, Reading 107 and our once upon a time ‘local radio station’ Radio Oxford?

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Old Man Andrews » 25 Mar 2019 14:17

Tom Crocker leaves the Wokingham Paper.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Notts Royal » 25 Mar 2019 15:55

Not sure there’s anything quite as bad as Russell Kempson’s strongly opinionated articles - which don’t reflect the general consensus amongst the fans

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Wimb » 27 Mar 2019 09:49

Hound The industry has changed Genome, think that is the problem

Realistically, not sure there is that much left in the old style journo following the team round. I'm guessing it might end up where you have accredited people from blog sites like Tilehurst End ending up doing a little bit of press conferences etc, and basically doing it unpaid bar what they can get through web traffic and clicks. Be more on a voluntary basis


Pretty much this, especially for a team the size of Reading where even world class journalism would only interest 20-40k people at a push. Compare that to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions around the world who'd read every word about what Pogba had for breakfast or what Klopp said to an under 18 midfielder about his future.

As I've said and others have pointed out, with so little money about you just won't get the top quality journalists and big media teams you need to produce genuinely great and consistent content. You're now relying on those starting out, people who are financially comfortable through other means, or perhaps those winding down.

Building contacts is very, very tricky. The club is more open than it was under different regimes but they're still a business and will only allow so much (which all bias aside I'd consider fair). More to the point, the players are so well media trained that they're well aware of what a slip up can do to their careers/image so are that bit more reluctant to open up unless they really know you. This isn't 25 years ago where you could grab Ady or Archie in the Rendezvous for a few words either.

Perhaps this new Apple model of paying monthly for a bulk news subscription, plus EU Article 11 might give a shot in the arm to the media and provide desperately needed revenues, otherwise you will be relying on (the fine work ;) ) of sites like TTE plus whatever meagre resources bigger sites like GR will provide.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Stranded » 27 Mar 2019 10:02

Wimb
Hound The industry has changed Genome, think that is the problem

Realistically, not sure there is that much left in the old style journo following the team round. I'm guessing it might end up where you have accredited people from blog sites like Tilehurst End ending up doing a little bit of press conferences etc, and basically doing it unpaid bar what they can get through web traffic and clicks. Be more on a voluntary basis


Pretty much this, especially for a team the size of Reading where even world class journalism would only interest 20-40k people at a push. Compare that to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions around the world who'd read every word about what Pogba had for breakfast or what Klopp said to an under 18 midfielder about his future.

As I've said and others have pointed out, with so little money about you just won't get the top quality journalists and big media teams you need to produce genuinely great and consistent content. You're now relying on those starting out, people who are financially comfortable through other means, or perhaps those winding down.

Building contacts is very, very tricky. The club is more open than it was under different regimes but they're still a business and will only allow so much (which all bias aside I'd consider fair). More to the point, the players are so well media trained that they're well aware of what a slip up can do to their careers/image so are that bit more reluctant to open up unless they really know you. This isn't 25 years ago where you could grab Ady or Archie in the Rendezvous for a few words either.

Perhaps this new Apple model of paying monthly for a bulk news subscription, plus EU Article 11 might give a shot in the arm to the media and provide desperately needed revenues, otherwise you will be relying on (the fine work ;) ) of sites like TTE plus whatever meagre resources bigger sites like GR will provide.


Can't disagree with that - when Westie and I first kicked off this podcast malarky it was impossible to get anyone from the club to speak to us even when we were charting pretty well on ITunes - they just didn't trust us, so went down the route of the old pro conversations with the like of Adie, Dylan Kerr, Shaka etc - these are great and have their place but we always wanted to try and get players/staff speaking in a more relaxed way with an "unofficial" fans outlet - wasn't to be.

The work that you and the rest of the guys have done to move this on is fantastic and where the world of football journalism is going - podcasting is only going to grow and the fact that The Tilehurst End can get time with the current manager shows that the club understand what an important outlet podcasts are now.

Following a club via the local paper is gone and I think we will definitely see TTE get a more formalised role with the club at some point and as long as it isn't too close and becomes just another club mouthpiece, that would be great.

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Notts Royal » 28 Mar 2019 07:54

I think the Tilehurst End & Elm Park Royals podcasts are brilliant - they are now my go-to places for news & opinions.

I also like how the people on them are generally well-balanced & open to other opinions.

I want GetReading to be a factual source not a place where we have to read Russell Kempson’s narrow-minded views, which don’t accurately represent the majority of the fanbase. I find it does neither well at the moment - whilst JLow has improved, he very much points out the blindingly obvious rather than anything in depth. And it doesn’t do the opinions well either!

Whereas the 2 podcasts, whilst designed as more of a fans opinion piece, actually gives you more depth & facts than the local journalism

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Re: The Local Journo Thread

by Old Man Andrews » 28 Mar 2019 07:59

Notts Royal I think the Tilehurst End & Elm Park Royals podcasts are brilliant - they are now my go-to places for news & opinions.

I also like how the people on them are generally well-balanced & open to other opinions.

I want GetReading to be a factual source not a place where we have to read Russell Kempson’s narrow-minded views, which don’t accurately represent the majority of the fanbase. I find it does neither well at the moment - whilst JLow has improved, he very much points out the blindingly obvious rather than anything in depth. And it doesn’t do the opinions well either!

Whereas the 2 podcasts, whilst designed as more of a fans opinion piece, actually gives you more depth & facts than the local journalism

Tilehurst End need a regualr host for their audio/visual stuff, the voices on their content send me to sleep tbh. Like Elm Park Royals, they tend to do more instant reactions to the games and provide a bit more balance.

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