Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

[buzz1941]

What's with that full-page house ad by the Advertiser genuflecting in Michelle Wie's direction? Oddly placed among the hostess-bar ads, it looks like a naked attempt by the mainland-operated newspaper to look "local" -- as if "local" means rabid boosterism that compromises news coverage.

[artful dodger]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

Admittedly, I have not seen the ad yet.

But it is not uncommon for a newspaper to salute a hometown sports team or figure, as in "Congrats, Timmy Chang, you are the top college QB of all time" or something like that.

I don't think it would dissuade a sportswriter from writing something negative, like maybe Wie's dad pushing her too far. I don't picture Bill Kwon doing something like that, maybe Wayne Harada, but that's another thread altogether. Ha. Ha.

Most editorial department members don't know what the heck the marketing department is up to.

[lavagal]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

Most editorial department members don't know what the heck the marketing department is up to.

It's my guess that Buzz1941 is well aware of what goes on in the newspaper biz. He probably also knows that half the Agonizer newsroom is gagging about that ad.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

Is this supposed to be in today's Advertiser? I didn't see any full-page Michelle Wie ads.

[BKHale2007]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

This isn't about the ad, but Gannett flagship USA Today just carried a column yesterday by DeWayne Wickham comparing Michelle Wie to Jackie Robinson (!) because she wants to--and may--play in men's tournaments. As Robinson broke the color line in major-league baseball, Wie could break the gender barrier in women's golf, Wickham writes.

[MadAzza]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

Is this supposed to be in today's Advertiser? I didn't see any full-page Michelle Wie ads.

I think it was in Monday's tizer.

The problem is, now that they have published a house ad about how great Michelle is, using phrases like "We support you 100 percent, you amazing, talented, incredible young local woman, you, you are the best EVER" (I can't remember exactly, but it was pretty slobbering stuff), it makes it difficult for your sports dept. to keep its credibility when they have to honestly critique her play. Credibility is perception, remember, and if the reader thinks you love Michelle, then the reader thinks that is going to color whatever you write about her. Are you writing good thing because she's good, or because the publisher and marketing dept. made you? Sure, we all know (or most of us do) that the marketing dept. has nothing to do with the newsroom. But the reader doesn't know that.

I don't doubt that the entire newsroom is "gagging" about that ad. But this is about the reader's perception, not the newsroom's.

[LikaNui]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

I think it was in Monday's tizer.

I looked at the paper again that day after Buzz's original post and I never saw the "ad" he was referring to. What I did see was a column by the sports editor, but no "ad".
Is that what Buzz meant?

[scrivener]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

The problem is, now that they have published a house ad about how great Michelle is, using phrases like "We support you 100 percent, you amazing, talented, incredible young local woman, you, you are the best EVER" (I can't remember exactly, but it was pretty slobbering stuff), it makes it difficult for your sports dept. to keep its credibility when they have to honestly critique her play.

The normal rules of journalism don't really apply with most sports-reporting. Sports writers sorta walk a line between fandom and objectivity, if they want to be any good--they have to, because in the grand scheme of things, and totally objectively speaking, nothing they write about really matters. I think I have to disagree with Buzz1941 on this one. It doesn't sound like sucking up to Michelle. It sounds like the paper is feeding off the good vibes that everyone has when a local sports team or solo athlete does well on a national stage. When Michelle does well, I'm sure the Advertiser sells more papers, so the full-page ad simply reminds readers where to go when they want more Michelle news. It has done the same thing when football and volleyball teams have done well.

[buzz1941]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

It's a calculated -- and rather lame -- effort by a rudderless newspaper run by a giant and ruthless conglomerate to appear to have local vibes. The last couple of years have actually been good for local charities, as Gannett has spared no expense to purchase local good will (while screwing local businesses.)

[scrivener]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

I'm no big fan of the Advertiser, and I'm certainly not a fan of Gannett, but it's tough to question the "local vibe" of a sports section whose staff looks like this:
Sports Editor Curtis Murayama
Assistant Sports Editor Bart Asato
Assistant Sports Editor Clyde Mizumoto
Reporter Stacy Kaneshiro
Columnist/Reporter Ferd Lewis
Reporter Ann Miller
Reporter Dayton Morinaga
Reporter Wes Nakama
Reporter Kyle Sakamoto
Reporter Stephen Tsai
Reporter Leila Wai

I'm assuming a bit much, I know--I don't know a single one of these people, but enough of them have local-looking names that I feel pretty safe making the assumption.

[pzarquon]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

That's specious. They could've imported those names from San Francisco. Or China and Japan, for that matter!

[FreaknHaole]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

Both newspapers ran rather revealing pictures of Wie yesterday, one looking right up her sports skirt, another accenting her bare tummy. Not that I'm complaining.

[buzz1941]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

I'm no big fan of the Advertiser, and I'm certainly not a fan of Gannett, but it's tough to question the "local vibe" of a sports section whose staff looks like this:

Actually, those are all excellent people, but they're worker bees. The queen bees are all on the Mainland.

[lorider]

I don't think that department is losing any sleep

For heaven's sake, they ran a story about off-season problems in June Jone's life and were willing to let the actual problems stay off the record. The whole thing was billed as how poor old June came face to face with his demons over the year, but there is not a hint, not a single hint as to what the demons were.

It's a homer department. Not saying it's a bad one, but still.

[MadAzza]

Re: Advertiser sucks up to Michelle Wie

I looked at the paper again that day after Buzz's original post and I never saw the "ad" he was referring to. What I did see was a column by the sports editor, but no "ad".
Is that what Buzz meant?

No, it was a full-page "house" ad. Not a column.

Sorry it took me so long to reply!