No one out for VT, TM will start

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I mean, in looking at the facts we have, and making a few logical assumptions it seems to be that some of us need to, as the kids say, chigity check ourselves before we rigity wreck ourselves.

FACT - we now know TQM wasn’t practicing

FACT - coach had a plan to use TO as the starter or at the very least HEAVILY in the game

FACT - the •LOCAL BEAT WRITER• for us was asking about injury status and game planning ahead of the game

FACT - coach is on record as saying many times to this writer as well as generally he doesn’t want to give away potentially game outcome affecting information on pregame interviews

FACT - coach is exceptionally candid about answers in post game interviews

FACT - knowing which qb to prepare for definitively improves the opposition’s ability to scheme against us

FACT - coach closed practices and has limited interviews of staff and players because our local media publishes information he is trying to keep close to the chest

ASSUMPTION - it is likely Ken had inside information that TQM hadn’t been practicing

ASSUMPTION - coach didn’t want to make that known to Fuentes / Foster for obvious reasons

ASSUMPTION - Ken posted his article anyways, and likely knowing that coach would be displeased

ASSUMPTION - Ken is a poopoo head (tic) but seriously. We have a lot of threads and posts about how coach should handle the media; we should talk similarly about how the media should handle our program. If you’re not onboard with helping us win, fine, but don’t go out of your way to publish inside information during prep week for our opponents and expect to be welcomed into the fold and be given inside information.

Generally we have seen that journalistic integrity has been lost for want of clicks and clickbait stories. That’s part of the reason I was so happy to subscribe to the athletic. I’m just disappointed in Ken’s judgement to post the story ahead of the game and have no issue with Coach’s answer. Further to suggest he was unethical in his handling of the response by implying or suggesting deception is a joke. That’s like saying you shouldn’t disguise coverage as a defense because it’s cheating.



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If you watch the video, Ken knew TM wasn’t practicing. There was literally no reason to keep harping on that line of questioning. And that’s why CPJ called him on it “why wouldn’t TM start?” That’s when Ken should have answered. He didn’t, because he’s a weasel. Either keep it to yourself or state you have sources that say X that’s why you’re asking. That kind of sly weasel try and trick some information to come out doesn’t do anything.
 

Skeptic

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"...about how the media should handle our program. If you’re not onboard with helping us win, fine, but don’t go out of your way to publish inside information...

Generally we have seen that journalistic integrity has been lost for want of clicks and clickbait stories."



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Okay, now pray tell why should the media be "onboard with helping" any team win? What, your media is an extension of the coach now? God help us. That is bizarre. The media has no team, well, there is the one glaring and blaring exception, and serves its readers or viewers. That is its "team".

Your last claim is your biggest assumption, and applies only to the one cable TV, Breitbart and maybe 4-5 others established for the purpose not of relating news, but of propaganda. News is expensive. Propaganda is cheap because you don't gather information, you just make it up. Most are on the right, a couple are on the left, and none can be considered "news media." Nor can what is generally known, I gather, as social media, though little of it seems social to me. If the AJC reporter reports information the local ball coach didn't want reported, good for him. If said local ball coach gets mad, I'd almost bet that the reporter's skin is thicker than the coach's.
 

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Okay, now pray tell why should the media be "onboard with helping" any team win? What, your media is an extension of the coach now? God help us. That is bizarre. The media has no team, well, there is the one glaring and blaring exception, and serves its readers or viewers. That is its "team".

Your last claim is your biggest assumption, and applies only to the one cable TV, Breitbart and maybe 4-5 others established for the purpose not of relating news, but of propaganda. News is expensive. Propaganda is cheap because you don't gather information, you just make it up. Most are on the right, a couple are on the left, and none can be considered "news media." Nor can what is generally known, I gather, as social media, though little of it seems social to me. If the AJC reporter reports information the local ball coach didn't want reported, good for him. If said local ball coach gets mad, I'd almost bet that the reporter's skin is thicker than the coach's.

LOL @ U
 

MidtownJacket

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Okay, now pray tell why should the media be "onboard with helping" any team win? What, your media is an extension of the coach now? God help us. That is bizarre. The media has no team, well, there is the one glaring and blaring exception, and serves its readers or viewers. That is its "team".

Your last claim is your biggest assumption, and applies only to the one cable TV, Breitbart and maybe 4-5 others established for the purpose not of relating news, but of propaganda. News is expensive. Propaganda is cheap because you don't gather information, you just make it up. Most are on the right, a couple are on the left, and none can be considered "news media." Nor can what is generally known, I gather, as social media, though little of it seems social to me. If the AJC reporter reports information the local ball coach didn't want reported, good for him. If said local ball coach gets mad, I'd almost bet that the reporter's skin is thicker than the coach's.

I’m not suggesting, and did not say, that Ken or any media should be an extension of our team. What I said was:

“.. We have a lot of threads and posts about how coach should handle the media; we should talk similarly about how the media should handle our program. If you’re not onboard with helping us win, fine, but don’t go out of your way to publish inside information during prep week for our opponents and expect to be welcomed into the fold and be given inside information.”

I stand by my point. I couldn’t care less if Ken believes it’s important to write this kind of article. A “look at me; I have a source” type article to get out ahead of the news and break it first. My point is that he is the local beat writer of a major publication assigned to cover our team. I personally don’t think it serves him to lose trust and respect from our program as it will hurt him down the line from being informed.

Bringing me back to my point about the blurring line between sports journalism and blogging. This type of behavior is something I would expect out of a barstool sports blogger not a guy who’s livelihood is partially dependent on getting information about our program.



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RonJohn

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I stand by my point. I couldn’t care less if Ken believes it’s important to write this kind of article. A “look at me; I have a source” type article to get out ahead of the news and break it first. My point is that he is the local beat writer of a major publication assigned to cover our team. I personally don’t think it serves him to lose trust and respect from our program as it will hurt him down the line from being informed.

He already burned those bridges a few years ago. He got an answer he didn't like about an injury from CPJ and then went to assistant coaches and maybe even players to ask about it.
 

Skeptic

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He already burned those bridges a few years ago. He got an answer he didn't like about an injury from CPJ and then went to assistant coaches and maybe even players to ask about it.
You don't get it. That is his job and he can't allow a news subject to tell him how to do it. Johnson knows that no matter how much he might fulminate. It is his job.
 

jgtengineer

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You don't get it. That is his job and he can't allow a news subject to tell him how to do it. Johnson knows that no matter how much he might fulminate. It is his job.

Ken is very injury focused more so than most other beat reporters i've read. Notice johnson will answer all of his other questions just fine. Johnson is only required to talk about injuries on thursday.
 

LawTalkin Jacket

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If you watch the video, Ken knew TM wasn’t practicing. There was literally no reason to keep harping on that line of questioning. And that’s why CPJ called him on it “why wouldn’t TM start?” That’s when Ken should have answered. He didn’t, because he’s a weasel. Either keep it to yourself or state you have sources that say X that’s why you’re asking. That kind of sly weasel try and trick some information to come out doesn’t do anything.


I don't think Ken is being a weasel here, if he had "off the record" sources about TO starting, then he couldn't burn his sources by answering the question with "I have been told by sources that TO might start." he knew of facts which led him to believe that TM may not start, so he asked a question to get the word from the man that can confirm or not. Coach didn't want to answer, so he got mad and didn't answer. Not a big deal for anyone.
 

MidtownJacket

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I don't think Ken is being a weasel here, if he had "off the record" sources about TO starting, then he couldn't burn his sources by answering the question with "I have been told by sources that TO might start." he knew of facts which led him to believe that TM may not start, so he asked a question to get the word from the man that can confirm or not. Coach didn't want to answer, so he got mad and didn't answer. Not a big deal for anyone.
Agreed. I am not saying burn down the building and pull out the pitchforks to go after Ken. Quite the opposite, I am just saying that there was no harm / no foul in the exchange between coach and Ken. Further, if Ken believes the best way to do his job is to publish stories like the one is question I have no issue with that either. I am not his editor, nor do I own the AJC, so they should run their business as they see fit.

My main point was people calling out CPJ for his behavior was unreasonable in my opinion, and I laid out the facts / assumptions which got me to that opinion.
 

Deleted member 2897

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Agreed. I am not saying burn down the building and pull out the pitchforks to go after Ken. Quite the opposite, I am just saying that there was no harm / no foul in the exchange between coach and Ken. Further, if Ken believes the best way to do his job is to publish stories like the one is question I have no issue with that either. I am not his editor, nor do I own the AJC, so they should run their business as they see fit.

My main point was people calling out CPJ for his behavior was unreasonable in my opinion, and I laid out the facts / assumptions which got me to that opinion.

Yea, I'm not losing sleep over it either. And nobody should. But its still fun to make fun of spineless Ken. If you're going to ask the question, then ask the question. If you're not going to follow through, then why keep harping on it? "Why wouldn't he start?" "Because I heard he didn't practice." or "My sources said he didn't practice." or "Has he been practicing?" He doesn't have to be on our side or be a fan. I just found it hilarious that he did the work to dig up what I consider a valid and reasonable story, but he didn't have the guts to close the deal and finish it right. He found the house that was giving out super sized Snickers candy bars, but when he got up to the front step he was too scared to ring the doorbell.
 

MidtownJacket

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Yea, I'm not losing sleep over it either. And nobody should. But its still fun to make fun of spineless Ken. If you're going to ask the question, then ask the question. If you're not going to follow through, then why keep harping on it? "Why wouldn't he start?" "Because I heard he didn't practice." or "My sources said he didn't practice." or "Has he been practicing?" He doesn't have to be on our side or be a fan. I just found it hilarious that he did the work to dig up what I consider a valid and reasonable story, but he didn't have the guts to close the deal and finish it right. He found the house that was giving out super sized Snickers candy bars, but when he got up to the front step he was too scared to ring the doorbell.
Haha wow, what a descriptive (and seasonally appropriate) allegory for the "Mystery of the Flailing Failing Pen of Ken"
 

RonJohn

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You don't get it. That is his job and he can't allow a news subject to tell him how to do it. Johnson knows that no matter how much he might fulminate. It is his job.

What happens to a reporter at Alabama if he goes around the official channels of communications and starts asking scout team players about inside information? What happens to reporters who cover Apple if they go to lower level workers to try to get inside information about the company or products? In both of those cases, those reporters lose access to the "official" channels of communication.

Ken doesn't have to let the GTAA tell him how to cover them. However, IF Ken is snooping around scout team players to get "unofficial" information, then the GTAA could revoke his access to press conferences, players(at least in an official capacity), press areas for the games, etc. The GTAA should not tell a reporter that they have to make positive and glowing stories, but they can and should limit access to information that they consider confidential. If a reporter wants better stories and better access, then one way to get that access is to respect confidential information, not to seek it out and blast it to the public. If a reporter wants very little access, but an occasional bombshell, then the way Ken does it is the way to do it.

The mutt coach a few years ago basically told the press that they cannot release injury information until the head coach had issued a statement. They did that because a reporter tweeted an injury report from the practice field and the players parents learned about the injury from the press before the staff had an opportunity to inform them. The mutt press actually respected his wishes and stopped reporting about injuries until Richt announced it. Many of those same reporters also reported that Richt was a terrible coach and that the mutts should fire him. There are ways for a reporter to be independent, yet respectful.
 

MidtownJacket

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What happens to a reporter at Alabama if he goes around the official channels of communications and starts asking scout team players about inside information? What happens to reporters who cover Apple if they go to lower level workers to try to get inside information about the company or products? In both of those cases, those reporters lose access to the "official" channels of communication.

Ken doesn't have to let the GTAA tell him how to cover them. However, IF Ken is snooping around scout team players to get "unofficial" information, then the GTAA could revoke his access to press conferences, players(at least in an official capacity), press areas for the games, etc. The GTAA should not tell a reporter that they have to make positive and glowing stories, but they can and should limit access to information that they consider confidential. If a reporter wants better stories and better access, then one way to get that access is to respect confidential information, not to seek it out and blast it to the public. If a reporter wants very little access, but an occasional bombshell, then the way Ken does it is the way to do it.

The mutt coach a few years ago basically told the press that they cannot release injury information until the head coach had issued a statement. They did that because a reporter tweeted an injury report from the practice field and the players parents learned about the injury from the press before the staff had an opportunity to inform them. The mutt press actually respected his wishes and stopped reporting about injuries until Richt announced it. Many of those same reporters also reported that Richt was a terrible coach and that the mutts should fire him. There are ways for a reporter to be independent, yet respectful.
+1
 

RonJohn

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Ken is very injury focused more so than most other beat reporters i've read. Notice johnson will answer all of his other questions just fine. Johnson is only required to talk about injuries on thursday.

The ACC removed that requirement this year. Teams are not required to issue injury reports on Thursday or any other time. Teams are not required to make announcements about injuries at all this year.
 
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