Live Blogging APME

      I arrived just in time to hear the conversation from Debra Adams Simmons, Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, about LeBron James and his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers. Patrick Stiegman, VP/Executive Editor and Producer of ESPN.com, discussed the coverage ESPN will provide of the Heat because of LeBron James’ decision to leave for Miami.

      Topic changed to an NHL team, New Jersey Devils, whom hired writers along with other professional hockey teams to cover their team and provide those stories to news papers. Hollis Towns. Executive Editor or Asbury Park Press discussed the issue. The New York Times cried fouled and proposed that the Asbury Park Press was letting the New Jersey Devils write their own stories instead of having actual journalist do it. Towns responded to the claim by saying that a lot of organizations are looking to make an extra buck.  By them hiring a writer and using their stories they would get money from that. Towns went on to say that it was an experiment that they no long do and only did about 3 times. However, he did say that they did read over and edited the stories provided by the team writer.

       In a way Patrick Stiegman said Twitter is devaluing  breaking news. Reporters and writers are more frequently posting their breaking news on Twitter.  Even though Twitter may be making breaking news less important it also serves as a boost to writers. Stiegman talked about Bill Simmons who is the most followed ESPN writer on their website.

       The conversation went on to if writers should have an objective or subjective view. Stiegman felt that sometimes it is good to be transparent and have a bias while Simmons disagreed. Simmons referred back to when LeBron James made the decision to go to the Miami Heat, one of her writers posted on their Twitter that they were very displeased with James’ decision.  She would have rather him not say any of that and stay objective.

            Towns talked about how his audience rather read about local sports than having to read about other sports team. He mentioned that his market is more about high school and recreation sports. The feedback he gets from his readers is that they rather focus on their own local sports instead of teams in other markets.
           Topic went back to LeBron James for a little bit and the Q&A ended with a woman asking about investigative sports journalism. All of the panelist agreed that, that type of writing style is important and needed in sports journalism.