Journamalism 101
Some interesting examples of journamalism from the obviously biased Chicago Tribune in the last few days. This week’s lesson: if there’s no news, make something up.
Let’s look back on Wednesday’s Cubs-Reds game. Carlos Zambrano started and took the 3-2 loss. You may have seen Big Z throwing a hissy fit in the dugout after being lifted for a pinch hitter.
Zambrano’s emotions are always news to the Chicago media. So the press gaggle was all over him after the game. Here’s what he said:
When asked if he was ticked at Dusty Baker for pulling him from the game, Zambrano said, “He’s the manager. It’s his decision when to take me out.”
You might think that’s a pretty calm, rational response from a guy like Zambrano. Some might even think of it as innocuous.
Fortunately, Cubs beat reporter Paul Sullivan knows how to make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse. Sully referred to Zambrano’s comments as “a postgame time bomb seemingly lobbed in the direction of manager Dusty Baker.”
If that’s a bomb, it’s on par with the phantom WMD’s in Iraq…
If you’re looking for bombs, look no further than this one from the other side of town, courtesy of Dave van Dyck:
Oh, snap! That McCarthy shouldn’t be writing a check with mouth that his butt can’t cash. Ozzie laid some well-deserved smack on the kid.
Except for one thing, as van Dyck explains in his next paragraph:
No, McCarthy wasn’t belly-aching. But that didn’t stop some reporter (and, to be fair, it might not have been van Dyck) from putting the question to Guillen in a way that pushed the straight-talking manager’s buttons. If there’s one thing the Chicago media knows, it’s that they can get some good sound bites from Guillen if they can find the right buttons to push.
Finally, the Tribune’s Fred Mitchell checks in with a glowing report on Corey Patterson. After Lee Elia called him “our little Rickey Henderson” (sure, why not?), Fred wanted to get the word right from Corey:
One wonders why Patterson would feel that his words would be perceived that way. Could it be because he was lambasted every time he opened his mouth last year? Could it be because players who say repeatedly they are upset at themselves are accused of bombing their manager? Could it be because reporters will ask managers loaded questions to get the managers to bomb their players?
I always had faith that Patterson was smarter than the Chicago punditocracy gave him credit for. I think his insight into the media supports my faith.
Let’s look back on Wednesday’s Cubs-Reds game. Carlos Zambrano started and took the 3-2 loss. You may have seen Big Z throwing a hissy fit in the dugout after being lifted for a pinch hitter.
Zambrano’s emotions are always news to the Chicago media. So the press gaggle was all over him after the game. Here’s what he said:
Did you watch the game? Yeah, I was upset…I’ve never failed in my life, and I’ve been in baseball for five years, and I’ve never felt like I feel right now…I don’t know what to say right now. I don’t want to say something bad…I’m upset with myself. That’s it. I have to do better. I’m better than this. That’s why I’m upset.
When asked if he was ticked at Dusty Baker for pulling him from the game, Zambrano said, “He’s the manager. It’s his decision when to take me out.”
You might think that’s a pretty calm, rational response from a guy like Zambrano. Some might even think of it as innocuous.
Fortunately, Cubs beat reporter Paul Sullivan knows how to make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse. Sully referred to Zambrano’s comments as “a postgame time bomb seemingly lobbed in the direction of manager Dusty Baker.”
If that’s a bomb, it’s on par with the phantom WMD’s in Iraq…
If you’re looking for bombs, look no further than this one from the other side of town, courtesy of Dave van Dyck:
With a 5.13 ERA as a reliever, could [Brandon McCarthy’s] trouble be shifting from starting duties? Is he a starter and not a reliever?
“If he thinks like that, he’ll be fine playing for [Triple A Charlotte manager] Razor Shines,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “You think you’re a starting pitcher and you can’t be a reliever at this level, we’ll get you a lot of starts in Triple A.
“We’re not a team built to get better. We’re here to win. We have a ballclub to win. I’m not going to take that excuse, that it’s a new role. He has just been inconsistent.”
Oh, snap! That McCarthy shouldn’t be writing a check with mouth that his butt can’t cash. Ozzie laid some well-deserved smack on the kid.
Except for one thing, as van Dyck explains in his next paragraph:
McCarthy has not said he believes he is a starter, not has he complained about being in the bullpen.
No, McCarthy wasn’t belly-aching. But that didn’t stop some reporter (and, to be fair, it might not have been van Dyck) from putting the question to Guillen in a way that pushed the straight-talking manager’s buttons. If there’s one thing the Chicago media knows, it’s that they can get some good sound bites from Guillen if they can find the right buttons to push.
Finally, the Tribune’s Fred Mitchell checks in with a glowing report on Corey Patterson. After Lee Elia called him “our little Rickey Henderson” (sure, why not?), Fred wanted to get the word right from Corey:
Patterson polietely declined to be interviewed by a Tribune reporter this week, saying through a club spokesman that anything he would say would be perceived as
being negative or critical of the Cubs, and that he didn’t want to leave that impression.
One wonders why Patterson would feel that his words would be perceived that way. Could it be because he was lambasted every time he opened his mouth last year? Could it be because players who say repeatedly they are upset at themselves are accused of bombing their manager? Could it be because reporters will ask managers loaded questions to get the managers to bomb their players?
I always had faith that Patterson was smarter than the Chicago punditocracy gave him credit for. I think his insight into the media supports my faith.
posted by Bob at
5:50 PM
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