JLC vs. Cerrato takes a new twist?

[SmootSmack]

As someone who has worked in that local media covering the Redskins (Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, Freedom, United, Bison, Terps. Hoyas, Eagles, Colonials, Patriots, etc.) I would say that as far as getting access to a team's front office the Redskins are certainly the most difficult. They're the big dogs in town and they know it.

It stems from a few things. When Snyder bought the team, he brought in a new mentality when it came to media coverage. First, because of his marketing/media background he wanted a more consolidated/streamlined line of communication making it more difficult to get "inside scoops." Secondly he, or someone in his group, would hold stories to leak them to the national media first because he wanted the Redskins to be thought of nationally, not just locally. Needless to say, this irked a lot of local media. In that sense, Snyder and the Redskins didn't handle things right in my opinion.

But I think to an extent, the Redskins have some legitimate concerns. There are a lot of people who work in the media in the DC area (current friends and former colleagues of mine) who quite honestly have made serious blunders in their zeal to break a story on the Redskins. Whether it's providing erroneous information or reporting on issues that were strictly off the record. There are plenty of good, objective professional media people down in DC but then there are those who simply are looking for a career boost (by whatever means necessary). JLC strikes me as one of the latter.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

As someone who has worked in that local media covering the Redskins (Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, Freedom, United, Bison, Terps. Hoyas, Eagles, Colonials, Patriots, etc.) I would say that as far as getting access to a team's front office the Redskins are certainly the most difficult. They're the big dogs in town and they know it.

It stems from a few things. When Snyder bought the team, he brought in a new mentality when it came to media coverage. First, because of his marketing/media background he wanted a more consolidated/streamlined line of communication making it more difficult to get "inside scoops." Secondly he, or someone in his group, would hold stories to leak them to the national media first because he wanted the Redskins to be thought of nationally, not just locally. Needless to say, this irked a lot of local media. In that sense, Snyder and the Redskins didn't handle things right in my opinion.

But I think to an extent, the Redskins have some legitimate concerns. There are a lot of people who work in the media in the DC area (current friends and former colleagues of mine) who quite honestly have made serious blunders in their zeal to break a story on the Redskins. Whether it's providing erroneous information or reporting on issues that were strictly off the record. There are plenty of good, objective professional media people down in DC but then there are those who simply are looking for a career boost (by whatever means necessary). JLC strikes me as one of the latter.

Excellent post. Thanks. That sheds an inside light on the situation.

I understand being in the media (especially in the capacity of a mouthpiece or talking head) can be brutal. But this sounds like a pretty bush league move by JLC.

[irish]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

As someone who has worked in that local media covering the Redskins (Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, Freedom, United, Bison, Terps. Hoyas, Eagles, Colonials, Patriots, etc.) I would say that as far as getting access to a team's front office the Redskins are certainly the most difficult. They're the big dogs in town and they know it.

It stems from a few things. When Snyder bought the team, he brought in a new mentality when it came to media coverage. First, because of his marketing/media background he wanted a more consolidated/streamlined line of communication making it more difficult to get "inside scoops." Secondly he, or someone in his group, would hold stories to leak them to the national media first because he wanted the Redskins to be thought of nationally, not just locally. Needless to say, this irked a lot of local media. In that sense, Snyder and the Redskins didn't handle things right in my opinion.

But I think to an extent, the Redskins have some legitimate concerns. There are a lot of people who work in the media in the DC area (current friends and former colleagues of mine) who quite honestly have made serious blunders in their zeal to break a story on the Redskins. Whether it's providing erroneous information or reporting on issues that were strictly off the record. There are plenty of good, objective professional media people down in DC but then there are those who simply are looking for a career boost (by whatever means necessary). JLC strikes me as one of the latter.

Good post. Do you think some of this zeal to break the story could come from the way you mention the Skins have done their comm? It seems like this set up could make reporters feel out of the loop and also reduce rapport with the team. Do you think this reduced rapport and making the media feel marginalized could make reporters do things they wouldnt have done under the older more open communications.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by irish

Good post. Do you think some of this zeal to break the story could come from the way you mention the Skins have done their comm? It seems like this set up could make reporters feel out of the loop and also reduce rapport with the team. Do you think this reduced rapport and making the media feel marginalized could make reporters do things they wouldnt have done under the older more open communications.

well, I think changing times and emerging technologies have had a significant impact. It's not as easy to "work your sources" and cultivate relationships as it used to be. It applies to all sports and all teams. So I don't think it's as much about the Redskins philosophy as it is their importance in DC. I mean look as much as I think JLC needs to improve I don't really envy his position. Not because he's covering the Redskins but because of the demands on his job.

When I was down there I was producing stories for the web at a tv station and expected to have some new news three times a day (when you wake up, when you leave work, when you go to bed) and more if possible. This is apart from working on "meatier" stories for weekly shows. And sometimes there is just nothing to report. But the fans and your boss don't want to hear that. But now with someone like JLC, we're looking for updates (and as a fan I definitely do this) almost hourly.