C-USA Basketball Media Day was last week in Frisco.
None of our local media made the short drive to cover it.
C-USA Basketball Media Day was last week in Frisco.
None of our local media made the short drive to cover it.
Yep...
If I were in charge I would drop our association with Gannett altogether and focus on the locals
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
Amazing thing is Gannett sent their beat writer from Murfreesboro to cover the MTSU angle, but they suck too much to drive 3 hours to cover it for Tech.
No print. No TV. No radio. No online. Our media is lazy and doesn't care.
They would've had 100% access to every basketball coach, any C-USA official they wanted including the commish, and the first look at Jerry's other world that's going to be turned into a basketball facility.
I get the criticism of the media as much as anyone. I was a part of that world, and still am to a large extent. I got criticism when I worked at the paper, and I've given my fair share since. However, I don't think this is as much a media laziness problem as it is a demand for the product. North Louisiana simply is not a basketball community. There's no real demand for the sport. It's a very football-centric community, and everything else takes a back seat until after football season. As someone who loves basketball, it's been frustrating to me for years.
the bold, the beautiful, theprofessor
Open your eyes Brett - it's laziness period, it just carries over to basketball and baseball...
Has NOTHING to do with a football centric area
You've been in the local highschool gyms, they are pretty well attended - why LOCAL CONNECTION
TECH needs to tap into that local connection in all sports - and you can't do that through the Times or NewsStar
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
A couple of things really quickly --
I haven't been in many North Louisiana gyms lately (I only get assignments there during the playoffs), but I'm in Cenla gyms all the time. Attendance is awful. Even at Peabody, with its outstanding basketball tradition, people don't show up for games. Basketball just isn't a big deal. I hate it. Basketball is my favorite sport. I spend a lot of time and energy in the sport, but it's just not very popular in Louisiana, especially in November and December.
There are a ton of issues facing the media industry, but laziness isn't one of them. I did it every single day. The demands that are being placed on journalists in the new media world are ridiculous. It's led to so much burnout because these guys are no longer reporters. They're reporters, tweeters, videographers, editors, planners, etc. -- all within the confines of a 40-hour work week. Buddy Davis put in an incredible amount of time. His work ethic was tremendous. But Buddy was also a salaried employee. When I was a salaried employee, I put in 50-60 hours per week, every single week. It was just part of the job. When you're not a salaried employee, and your company approves zero overtime, you're left with two choices. Break federal laws and put in 60 hours of work while getting paid for 40, or you try to manage the demands of the job within the time constraints you have. I'm not making any excuses, but that's the fact of the matter.
Louisiana Tech needs a dedicated beat writer. It's clear by now that's not going to happen. That's not a Lang decision. That's not a Ferrell decision. I know you guys think this is some big anti-Tech conspiracy by the local guys. It's just not. Those guys want a successful product way more than you and I do. It's their life. They do it every single day. We'd all love to have the resources we had back in 2005, but those days are never coming back again.
the bold, the beautiful, theprofessor
Now now....who TOLD YOU THIS years ago? And who has repeatedly told you that the north Louisiana "media" is the laziest pack of worthless toilet turds you'll ever find anywhere? That's right, "Uncle HogDawg" has been telling you and our BB&B buddies this for years. So don't act so surprised. Uncle HD is glad to see you finally come around.
Maybe our new communications person will recognize the wasted "in kind" transfer and suggest a move away from Gannett? I doubt it.
Other (real) sponsors should demand it.
I would focus on the following -
Bossier-Press Tribune
Minden Press Herald
Ouachita Citizen
Ruston Daily Leader
Then my 2nd tier would be weekly papers like
Homer Guardian Journal
Bernice Banner
Bienville Democrat
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
You left out the Jackson Independent..
might want to include Dodson's Piney Woods Journal too
Personally deliver all of these papers media passes and parking stickers prior to the start of football, basketball and baseball season -
Have a press luncheon catered prior to each season and personally invite the papers (i.e. have the sport SID and HC call the OWNER and/or managing editor)
You make these papers fill BIG TIME - while they may not make every game, they may make some games and give us some press instead of NO press - and they might start sending their HS stringer to Ruston on Saturdays and basketball game nights - even if it is a high school senior writing for them
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
I emailed Ferrell before the season and asked if Diaz would be covering the team for away games. He implied that he would be. I assume the CUSA media days would also apply.
Thanks for the email. It is my understanding that Cory will travel to away football games – whether that is selected or all of them, I am not sure. I do believe that his going to Conference USA Media Days is a good sign.
Thanks for your interest.