The Anti-Media Media

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by ExtremeArt

Joe,

I maintain some concern that while you want no public questions or worries brought forth to you here, you continue to question others in public. I'm perfectly fine with an open conversation, but, don't you think it's a bit hypocritical to ask me to keep this under wraps with you privately while you continue to speak about it openly?

Would you like to talk here, or privately?

It is of NO consequence to me whether you believe what I'm saying or not. You can totally ignore what I've said and the intent under which it WAS said. No worries there. Though, if you wish to continue speaking in public, I will put to you a simple question regarding the Daily Progress, the editor there, and your credentials as to whether he, or the team itself, requested they be pulled and why, if you know.

So, as long as you want a public debate, we can do it. I don't come back every day here, but I will try to check this thread every so often to answer anything you ask of me or write for me here. If nothing, I'll continue to answer your private messages. You define the where .

I have nothing to hide here, Art. The reason I've made this discussion public is because you've chosen to drag my name through the mud, based on rumors you've heard, which you never took the time to verify with me personally. Like I've said, if there was a question about my motives, my interactions with the Redskins, or my work with the Daily Progress, these things should have been brought to my attention if you were, as you say, working on my behalf to "clear my name" with those in charge at Redskins Park.

Here are the facts in regard to The Daily Progress:

--Immediately following the Redskins' informing me that they would not be providing media access for fan websites (which did not occur until the Wednesday before camp opened-- despite my prior communications over the previous two months with the team that indicated I intended to be there and they expected to see me), I began emailing sports editors and sports directors throughout Virginia, informing them of my plight, and offering them coverage FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF CAMP, in exchange for media credentials. There was nothing underhanded about the way in which I presented this offer. I made it clear in that email that my accomodations for that week were paid for, and that I required no compensation from their publication. I simply needed credentials for the first week of training camp. That was it.

--My agreement with Jerry Ratcliffe entailed that I would submit daily articles, photos and audio clips for publication in The Daily Progress newspaper and dailyprogress.com. In exchange, The Daily Progress would link TheWarpath.net on their website. There was never any indication from Mr. Ratcliffe that he expected any services beyond that first week of camp, nor was there any offer on his part to compensate me for reporting beyond that first week. I never told Mr. Ratcliffe anything other than that I would be covering that first week of camp, including the Redskins-Ravens scrimmage.

--That first Monday of camp, Mr. Ratcliffe informed me he would be on vacation for most of the week. He referred me to their online coordinator and the various editors he worked with, and told me that they would be handling my material for the remainder of the week. With that in mind, I directed my communications to those individuals, working primarily with their online coordinator, Laura Bland. I forwarded my material both to her and to the editors, and I provided ample material-- in the form of articles, photos and audio clips-- each day I was there. In fact, I provided much more material than they actually used. I got nothing but positive responses from The Daily Progress staff, and Ms. Bland was particularly pleased with the material I provided. Since she was my primary contact person during Mr. Ratcliffe's absence, I presumed all was well. Nobody had given me any indications to the contrary.

--Here are the articles The Daily Progress published on their website:

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet...=1031784197416

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet...=1031784219229

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet...=1031784244084

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet...=1031784265839

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet...=1031784349465

Again, these are only the articles that were published. I provided more material that never saw publication.

--When I completed my reports that following Sunday with an article on tight end Billy Baber, I contacted Ms. Bland (Mr. Ratcliffe was still on vacation) and let her know that was my last report, and that I looked forward to working with her in the future. She wished me luck, and reiterated how happy she was with my work. She never indicated that there was any expectation on her part that my reports would continue beyond that point.

--It wasn't until the following weekend (after Mr. Ratcliffe returned from vacation) that I received emails from Mr. Ratcliffe asking why I hadn't continued submitting reports, and stating that he had requested the Redskins pull my credentials. I replied to his emails, and expressed my confusion, as I had made it clear in my first email to him and subsequent phone calls and emails both with him and his staff that I would only be providing coverage for that first week of camp. For whatever reason, Mr. Ratcliffe misunderstood or overlooked my statements in that regard, and assumed that I was providing coverage for the entire duration of training camp. We straightened it out, made our peace with each other, and Mr. Ratcliffe wished me luck this fall. That was the last I heard from him. Apparently, he never followed-up with the Redskins to explain what actually happened, and to restore my standing with their media relations staff.

--Neither the Redskins or Extremeskins contacted me once-- through this entire ordeal-- to get my side of the story, or to inform me of Mr. Ratcliffe's concerns.


Art, in regard to the question of when you and your staff knew the Redskins would be denying media access to fan sites, I believe you when you say that you were informed in June. However, that doesn't explain why nobody from the Redskins ever contacted me to inform me of the same until the week before camp opened, when it would ostensibly be too late for me to make contingency plans.