swampsting
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 1,881
God, how did you know this was going to move into the "fake news/biased media" narrative?
Ken's dependent on CPJ to a certain degree to get information. There's a way to go about doing his job effectively without cow-towing to the coach, but still cultivating a good relationship. He ought to cultivate those relationships and try to gain Coach's trust rather than to engage in behavior like he has been, but for all we know maybe has in the past and it hasn't worked. On the other hand, I sort of don't look at Ken as someone with a clear ax to grind or someone who's actively trying to undermine CPJ. I think Ken asked for this job when his prior sports writing experience was covering highschool stuff for the AJC. One could make a pretty decent argument that he's been in over his head the whole way. He's been on the job for a few years now so he shouldn't make those types of mistakes, but Ken's no Coley Harvey, and he never will be.
I think Paul, who has a *****ly personality to begin with, is a little insulted that the AJC chose to send someone as wet behind the ears as Ken to do this job, who's making these kind of stupid mistakes after being on the job for a few years. I assume it speaks volumes when it comes to the priority that the fish wrapper puts on covering Georgia Tech athletics. I also don't discount that perhaps Ken's been put up to asking questions and pursuing lines of inquiry by various columnists who do have axes to grind. I think that's where CPJ's coming from.
But what do I know?
I don't think Ken asked for Tech. Ordinarily, you get assigned a beat. Unless you're someone who has such a specific background like Dave O'Brien (covered the Marlins for several years before coming to the AJC), you will get assigned a beat. Hell, the guy who wrote Black Hawk Down was assigned to cover the Philly Eagles for a year or two.
I got no problem with Ken asking about Clinton's injury. It's a legit story. Clinton doesn't have to divulge so much information and the SID's office, even if there was a worry he would get too explicit about his injury and treatment, should caution him against saying too much.
And the columnists at the AJC don't need Ken to ask their questions for them. Schultz and Bradley can get down to Tech just as easily and do. Schultz likes and respects PJ; Bradley respects PJ. Don't know that he likes him, but I think he respects him. They're going to be critical. That's part of their role. And if they have a tough question to ask, Schultz and Bradley will do that themselves.
The columnists may ask a beat guy like Ken what stories he's going to write but won't and can't tell him which ones to write or how to write them. It doesn't work that way.