# Newspaper writing today isn't much good. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 25, 2006, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842 "2006-03-25T09:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842/21 "2006-03-27T17:37:32Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > You might be correct, but I don’t think the Tiger Woods deal is a good example. Golf is still a pretty obscure sport (compared to the big 3 of Football, Basketball, Baseball) in the US, and most Americans don’t know anything about golf except Tiger Woods. As a golf fan, I find that infuriating, but that’s just the way it is. Who the hell ever heard of Stephen Ames? I barely know much about him, and I watch golf the time. It’s got to a bummer for the other guys-- no matter who’s winning, the headlines are always about how Tiger is doing. And in women’s golf it’s even worse, because Michelle Wie hasn’t even won an LPGA tournament yet, and she’s given the Tiger treatment even more than Tiger gets. I have no objection to writing about Woods or even Wie. But as I said in an earlier post, a story about an event should be about the event and those who are doing good things in that event. A side story alongside the news account about why Woods might be having trouble would not be out of line. And the fact that golf isn’t one of the big events, although I would question that in view of the attendance at the big tournaments. doesn’t justify bad reporting. I’ll come up with an example when I get time but right now I have to go our to the golf course. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842/22 "2006-03-28T04:10:14Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > So I’m surprised to hear that the job title of “editor” still exists. Hey, if reporters were the top earners at the paper, the system would collapse. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842/23 "2006-03-28T15:06:13Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > The _Los Angeles Times_ had a 24 March story of about 20 column inches on the Players Chamionship. Equally amazing its the fact that in todays short attention span world that a newspaper would devote 20 column inches to anything. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842/24 "2006-03-28T17:41:56Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > Equally amazing its the fact that in todays short attention span world that a newspaper would devote 20 column inches to anything. They do, regularly. And you’ll notice that newspaper circulations are declining. Pretty soon every story will be a human interest story accompanied by a picture of a pretty bond with a $500 makeup job, a low-cut gown and a push-up bra. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842/25 "2006-03-28T17:43:32Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > They do, regularly. And you’ll notice that newspaper circulations are declining. > > Pretty soon every story will be a human interest story accompanied by a picture of a pretty bond with a $500 makeup job, a low-cut gown and a push-up bra. And the above the fold writers will be trading inside jokes with those below the fold. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newspaper-writing-today-isnt-much-good/349842.md?page=1)