FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Shortly after that RP was printed I got a call I'll never forget from the interim women's b-ball coach. She was SCREAMING at me about the opinion piece, and demanded a correction be printed in the following week's paper apologizing for the article. I said there's no chance at that considering it was an opinion article, which we were entitled to. I explained that she's a public figure and is open to these types of pieces. What I didn't say was, "if you wanted to be a head coach you need to grow thicker skin and not take to heart what the media says about you."

Awesome. My senior year I wrote the season preview for the football team that said, in basic terms, that they were going to suck. They had gone 4-6 the previous year and lost their three top playmakers on offense, guys who they had pumped up as being the second coming of whomever. So I read the tea leaves and wrote that the team was going to struggle.

Coach calls and reams me out. Then the team goes 1-9, beating only Gallaudet, gets shut out in final three games, ends season with 32 players, coach gets fired. And to bring it full circle, this is the story I alluded to above when the AD fired the coach but tried to keep it under wraps until after we went to press (with the last edition of the semester). But I called his office and he said something along the lines of, "they fired me" and that was the only thing I got on the record. (Other than going down to the athletic center and seeing his desk cleaned off later that day.)

[02 Warhawk]

On a side note, I didn't realize the current women's basketball coach at UWW (Keri Carollo) is married to her assistant (Joe Carollo).

It's bad enough having my wife running the show at home, but I can't imagine her also being my boss at work too...yeesh 

[BoBo]

Any word on Coordinators or Assistants, yet?

I'm sure it won't happen soon, since the application process must again
be followed.  Hopefully, the positions were already posted in anticipation
of a head coaching hire otherwise it's time to be patient because it's going to be
a while before anything can be announced. I would think the earliest would
be the end of this month.

[bleedpurple]

As Pat noted, the RP is a training ground.  It exists so students can learn.  It is ill advised to try to compete with the Sports Information Department in getting out news related to Warhawk sports.  It is a battle the RP cannot win.

As someone who worked at a student paper, it's actually their job to be watchdogs on the administration, just like a news outlet is a watchdog on the government. (And in fact, we consider part of our role to do the same to the NCAA. Hence us challenging them when the regional records are incorrect, or they can't figure out how many Pool C teams there should be, etc.)

Cannot win, therefore do not compete? Doesn't sound in the nature of this board at all.

The trick with any student organization that does anything is them learning how to do it right. If a school fired a coach and covered it up because they didn't want it in the media, it's still the student newspaper's responsibility to find out and publish it. But to do it appropriately. If the student housing process is messed up, then the students need to know about it and the administration needs to be accountable.

Those are both front-page stories I and my team broke in college. I had the benefit of learning from an advisor who was on the national news desk at the Washington Post. But on deadline night, when we were putting the paper to bed, it was all students. And that's the way it should be.

Because, while I just spent a few paragraphs talking about the fact that the administration needs to be held responsible, of course, the student journalists need to be as well. Not everyone at the RP is going pro in this field -- heck, these days, there may  not be a job for any of them. But all of them need to learn the ins and outs if they are going to represent themselves in this medium. So we need to hold their feet to the fire, but still, please understand that they are learning and will not be perfect.

</soapbox>

Being a former Sports Editor for the RP, we got the majority of our information from the UWW SID. We relied heavily on him (and his faxes) to keep our staff up to date on Warhawk news. I'm not at all saying that the SID provided incorrect info to the RP, which lead to the premature article. I just wanted to point out we don't really compete with him, but rather rely heavily on him for information so we could fill out our pages.

Of course this was 13 years ago, and maybe things have changed since then.

Yes, I'm guessing they don't send out many faxes any more. 😃 Chris does send out press release info via email. Also, the statistical data available through pretty much all school websites is awesome.

This actually touches on my point of "not winning" a battle against the SID. The RP and the readership would be better served, in my opinion, to work with the SID and the various programs at UWW, including the football program. If I am the football coach, the level of access and time I give (or allow my players to give), to the student newspaper is commensurate with the trust I have in the people there. I don't think the premature announcing of the hire will build that trust.

Pat, As far as a student newspaper fancying themselves in a watchdog role, that kind of creeps me out to be honest with you. With students who are clearly "in process" in terms of ethics, it seems very dangerous to me they would see themselves this way.  What if a reporter chooses to follow up on a lead (rumor) about a player. He then basically stalks him (just being a good investigative reporter). In my opinion, that violates the player's liberty big time.  If there is as little oversight as it seems, how are these students learning the ethics of journalism and who is protecting the other students from the rogue reporter who just wants to do a hit job?

[Pat Coleman]

Alright. Guess we can't have a legit conversation about this, then.

You seem to have more questions than you want us to answer, so perhaps you should contact the RP's advisor yourself.

[Pat Coleman]

If I am the football coach, the level of access and time I give (or allow my players to give), to the student newspaper is commensurate with the trust I have in the people there.

And if you disagree, they can just go cover soccer, then? Is that it?

[OzJohnnie]

[BoBo]

Ok.  So it did not take long to realize who is the Board deuchebag!!  What up OZ!!!!

There's a lot worse than Oz on these boards.

Oz is an acquired taste (shoot, all Johnnie posters are  ), but give him time, he'll grow on you. Soon you'll find yourself cheering for Hawthorne, a team half way around the world, in a sport you know nothing about, simply because Oz bludgeoned you into submission 

Dude, are you feeling OK? Appears the old Hazzben is trying to steer the new Hasbeen down the wrong road. Let's be honest, you can only like Oz if you like tiresome grandiloquence and sophomoric logic ... his shtick gets old so fast, it's petrified.  Cruciferous vegetables are an acquired taste...the aroma of a durian is an acquired taste. Oz an acquired taste? Hardly, however you are right, he'll grow on you ... like a wart.

[badgerwarhawk]

If I am the football coach, the level of access and time I give (or allow my players to give), to the student newspaper is commensurate with the trust I have in the people there.

And if you disagree, they can just go cover soccer, then? Is that it?

You beat me to it, Pat.  lol

[bulk19]

Ok.  So it did not take long to realize who is the Board deuchebag!!  What up OZ!!!!

There's a lot worse than Oz on these boards.

Oz is an acquired taste (shoot, all Johnnie posters are  ), but give him time, he'll grow on you. Soon you'll find yourself cheering for Hawthorne, a team half way around the world, in a sport you know nothing about, simply because Oz bludgeoned you into submission 

Dude, are you feeling OK? Appears the old Hazzben is trying to steer the new Hasbeen down the wrong road. Let's be honest, you can only like Oz if you like tiresome grandiloquence and sophomoric logic ... his shtick gets old so fast, it's petrified.  Cruciferous vegetables are an acquired taste...the aroma of a durian is an acquired taste. Oz an acquired taste? Hardly, however you are right, he'll grow on you ... like a wart.

Hey, BoBo -
Grow up, dude.

[BDB]

Let's be honest, you can only like Oz if you like tiresome grandiloquence and sophomoric logic ...

I guess I'm a big fan of tiresome grandiloquence and sophomoric logic then, if that's the case.

[bulk19]

Alright. Guess we can't have a legit conversation about this, then.

You seem to have more questions than you want us to answer, so perhaps you should contact the RP's advisor yourself.

I didn't see the online story that the RP pulled, but the cached site said the RP "sources" have said Bullis would be the next coach. That would be plural, meaning more than one... Perhaps they were banking on football.scoop being correct, but maybe they did have another source who didn't want to be identified? Nowadays information spreads like wildfire, what with social media being available... Could be a reliable student walking by the AD's office who overheard the phone call, could be a football player, could be anyone. Yes, that would be speculation on my part, but hot tips are a lot easier to come by nowadays via social media...

That being said, those who have grown up on social media aren't always as cynical, and can tend to believe anything that appears on the net, or that anyone who tweats something has credibility... Perhaps that would make one wary about the source, but... If you're working for something that has to actually appear in print, or on air, that material goes through the editing process, which should lend the story a bit more credibility, since more eyes/ears are being used, and journalistic standards of integrity should be being followed...

Also, going back to the social media/online aspects. If I am correct on this, the RP story was only online, right? Perhaps the administration told the RP to take it down because they scooped the official announcement by a day? And the RP bowed to the pressure and pulled the online story because they could, because it wasn't in actual printed format? If that is indeed the case, then shame on the administration for stepping on a news outlet which is doing what it is supposed to do - report the news... To think that a student newspaper, especially at the collegiate level, is just a mouthpiece and PR firm for the university, who tells it what and when to publish, is wrong. That's not what they are there for...

Also, we don't know who the RP sources were? But in the end, wasn't the RP correct? And they did try to contact the AD and new coach, right? So what's the problem? If it is indeed a matter of who the sources were, well, there is such thing as being told something off the record, or annonymously...

Methinks there is more to this than we know, and that if those who blasted the RP for its coverage really want to know more, then put on your reporter's hat and do as Pat says - contact the RP people...   

[badgerwarhawk]

A player did tweet the premature announcement on Twitter.  Perhaps that was a "source." 

Methinks we're spending a lot more time on this than it merits.  But it's the off season so carry on.   

[02 Warhawk]

Alright. Guess we can't have a legit conversation about this, then.

You seem to have more questions than you want us to answer, so perhaps you should contact the RP's advisor yourself.

I didn't see the online story that the RP pulled, but the cached site said the RP "sources" have said Bullis would be the next coach. That would be plural, meaning more than one... Perhaps they were banking on football.scoop being correct, but maybe they did have another source who didn't want to be identified? Nowadays information spreads like wildfire, what with social media being available... Could be a reliable student walking by the AD's office who overheard the phone call, could be a football player, could be anyone. Yes, that would be speculation on my part, but hot tips are a lot easier to come by nowadays via social media...

That being said, those who have grown up on social media aren't always as cynical, and can tend to believe anything that appears on the net, or that anyone who tweats something has credibility... Perhaps that would make one wary about the source, but... If you're working for something that has to actually appear in print, or on air, that material goes through the editing process, which should lend the story a bit more credibility, since more eyes/ears are being used, and journalistic standards of integrity should be being followed...

Also, going back to the social media/online aspects. If I am correct on this, the RP story was only online, right? Perhaps the administration told the RP to take it down because they scooped the official announcement by a day? And the RP bowed to the pressure and pulled the online story because they could, because it wasn't in actual printed format? If that is indeed the case, then shame on the administration for stepping on a news outlet which is doing what it is supposed to do - report the news... To think that a student newspaper, especially at the collegiate level, is just a mouthpiece and PR firm for the university, who tells it what and when to publish, is wrong. That's not what they are there for...

Also, we don't know who the RP sources were? But in the end, wasn't the RP correct? And they did try to contact the AD and new coach, right? So what's the problem? If it is indeed a matter of who the sources were, well, there is such thing as being told something off the record, or anonymously...

Methinks there is more to this than we know, and that if those who blasted the RP for its coverage really want to know more, then put on your reporter's hat and do as Pat says - contact the RP people...

Agreed. Plus it's not like the RP printed RAEBURN DEFEATS BULLIS. Whoever the RP's sources were ended up being correct. So I don't really see the problem here. Maybe they had a good source, or maybe they just got lucky.

Besides, online sporting news sites post stories all the time before they are made official. Just recently, ESPNChicago discussed Fox being the Bears' next head coach before the Bears made it official.

I really don't see the big deal in all this.

[emma17]

Whether it's a big deal or not I won't comment on.

In this particular case I would have preferred to see the RP hold off and wait for the formal announcement to occur- given the importance of showing the integrity of the decision process.
I see no "scoop" value to the RP. As an extension of UWW I'd prefer to see them work together on something like this.