Sports department finally falls into line with online
This past week The Spokesman-Review sports department started an experiment that reflects a change in our industry that we cannot ignore.
More and more readers are getting their news off the Internet. The evidence is overwhelming.
The time for sitting around and waiting for this fad to pass is over. It’s here to stay and while our roots and loyalties are still deep in the daily delivered newspaper, we must also keep up with the demands of people who rely on the Internet for information.
I have asked assistant sports editor Vince Grippi to be the first in our sports department to be an exclusive online reporter. He started a daily blog last Wednesday and will report and comment on local sports news.
Our goal is to make the S-R’s sports Web site the place to go for local sports news. We have the resources, we have the experience and the access and we have the technology. What we lacked in the past is the willingness to surrender to the popularity of the Internet.
Many people (many within my own staff) have questioned my sanity. How can we devote the resources of an experienced sports reporter to this experiment when we are understaffed? My response is always the same: We can’t afford not to. Too many potential readers have turned to the Internet for news.
With Grippi devoting his energy to online reporting, readers can turn to him for instant news and analysis of the big Cougars football game or Gonzaga basketball game or high school game. Whatever the hot sports topic is, you can count on Grippi to chime in.
When I floated this proposal to Grippi in late June, there was apprehension. I expected that. Vince has done an excellent job reporting on high school athletics. He wasn’t looking for change. After he got over the shock, he warmed up to the proposal. I figured once I sold the change to Grippi, he would put his heart and soul into it.
I also figured there would be detractors. Honestly, I don’t blame them. This is a big change and untraditional. We’re nothing if not traditional in the sports world. Our most loyal readers are our older readers. Many of them don’t want anything to do with the Internet. I understand.
In no way are we abandoning the print version of the newspaper. We still have most of our resources devoted to the print version. We will still have excellent reporting and analysis of sports news in the daily paper. Our beat writers will continue to follow the teams they cover, including many road games.
While we will miss Grippi’s experience on the prep sports beat, we will not reduce our coverage of prep events. Veteran sportswriter Mike Vlahovich will take the lead role on the prep beat in Washington and Greg Lee will continue keeping excellent tabs on everything in Idaho.
What we will add with Grippi as an online sportswriter is that immediacy that sports fans demand. There is also the opportunity to have a conversation with sports fans. Vince won’t hold back and we won’t expect our readers to.