| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Great news for sportswriters: ESPNLA.com hires Socal writers
Brad Mangin, Photographer
 |
Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 2:29 PM on 12.18.09 |
->> The Internet has been GREAT for sportswriters. Look no further than this:
http://thebiglead.com/?p=32037
Too bad all these sites spend all their cash on great original content from the writers (paying them BIG money) but settle for the almost free wire photos. Why is this? Oh yes, now I remember... |
|
Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
 |
Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 3:12 AM on 12.19.09 |
->> Quite an impressive bullpen of writers/bloggers.
And probably lots of AP/Getty/"FreeWire" photos rather than paying for unique (read: staff) photographic content...
Can't wait to see it on Monday.
And how the LAT reacts. |
|
David Manning, Photographer
 |
Athens | GA | | Posted: 6:51 PM on 12.19.09 |
| ->> ...because any lawyer/dentist/GWC can get a stringing credential from a 'Freewire' service.... |
|
Brad Mangin, Photographer
|
Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 7:56 PM on 12.19.09 |
->> Like I said above- the Internet has become a fantastic place for wonderfully talented sports writers to go when the newspaper business went bad. You know things are changing when Mike Silver leaves Sports Illustrated for Yahoo! (a few years ago).
Sports Business Journal did a story about how newspapers are bailing on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
From the story:
"The U.S. Olympic Committee, which issued 481 credentials to publications and Web sites for the event, has had 135 credentials returned this year. More than 90 percent of the credentials were returned by newspapers and traditional publications like Newsweek, which returned five of six credentials; The Dallas Morning News, which returned four of six..."
"All of the returned credentials were redistributed to publications seeking more credentials. More than 70 percent of the total returned were given to online news sites."
Things have changed drastically in credentialing since the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. In 2006 Yahoo! had ONE credential. In 2010 they will have 27. In 2006 ESPN.com had 0. In 2010 they will have 7.
There are still publications sending small armies to Vancouver. According to this story USA TODAY has 56 credentials, Sports Illustrated 35 and The New York Times 19.
What does this all mean? Websites continue to spend piles of cash on EXCLUSIVE content for their sites by hiring writers, while spending next to nothing on photographs. This is obviously a real shame. And it is only getting worse.
I started this thread because ESPNLA.com is hiring to writers in Socal. There is a new war raging across the United States with ESPN going into local markets and starting these local versions of their SUPER popular ESPN.com. They have already launched in Boston and Chicago and will soon be in every major US city. Sounds like a newspaper I used to work for :-)
On the other side of the fence are the struggling local papers who are getting killed with poor planning and bad websites. They will most definitely take a hit when ESPN.com comes to town.
And finally a third player has entered the picture. COMCAST. That's right sports fans. COMCAST is buying a majority share in NBC and is slowly beginning a strategy to produce high-quality local market websites to go after local papers and the new localized versions of ESPN.com.
Here in the Bay Area we now have http://www.csnbayarea.com which only last week hired two terrific local writers away from other full-time staff jobs to add credibility and unique content to their site. NBA writer Matt Steinmetz was hired away from AOL Fanhouse and baseball writer Mychael Urban was hired away from MLB.com. This is a HUGE deal around here as CSN is not messing around as they try to dominate the Bay Area sports scene before ESPN.com opens up shop here.
Sorry for the long-winded post. I just wanted to point out how things are changing. I am really happy for my writer friends who are making even MORE money than they used to thanks to the online competitors who are fighting over their talents. I just wish some of that cash would trickle down to photographers.
Not gonna happen. |
|
Mike Brice, Photographer
|
Ogden | UT | USA | Posted: 9:49 PM on 12.19.09 |
->> It isn't going to trickle down to photographers because it already is. There are plenty of photographers working on spec on the sidelines of any NCAA or Pro football game happy with the $25 they get for their online photo.
Writers are not covering story on spec - the outlet has to pay them up front.
Until photographers demand that, they will always be shooting on spec.
Adding to the problem is that these photographers working on spec are talented, produce great images and don't force the news outlets to look elsewhere because they are doing a great job.
Look at the members here - many are shooting on spec every weekend and winning the contests - so we know they are talented. But they are footing the bill to shoot and picking up a 25 or 50 shot here or there - and then waiting 90-120 days to be paid or hoping to land a leading off or zoom double truck in an effort to pay for the flight and hotel room. |
|
Brad Mangin, Photographer
|
Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 2:24 AM on 12.20.09 |
->> Mike- no one gets 25 bucks for online sales. They are all part of cheap monthly subscription plans that pay less than $4.00 per usage- THEN the photographer gets half of that (less than 2 bucks) as the agency takes their cut.
Many years ago we used to get $75 to $125 per usage for online. That was in the 1990's. Not anymore. |
|
Mike Brice, Photographer
|
Ogden | UT | USA | Posted: 10:44 PM on 12.21.09 |
| ->> Wow, looks like the spec shooters I know are inflating their sales figures - I guess it starts with fishing as a little kid and never changes - always bragging things are larger than they are. |
|
Mark Buffalo, Photographer
|
Lonoke | AR | USA | Posted: 1:10 PM on 12.23.09 |
->> ->> http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=4758457
Nick Van Exel the #24 best LA Laker of all time? And Glenn Rice #28?
And Kurt Rambis is below both of those stiffs at #33?
Wow.
Growing up a Laker fan in Central Arkansas, Kurt Rambis was the man. He should be at least in the Top 20. |
|
Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
|
Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 1:42 PM on 12.23.09 |
->> Glen Rice played just over 100 games over two seasons with the Lakers ... not to mention what Mychal Thompson (#27 on the list) said recently:
"Glen Rice couldn't guard this building..."
Kurt Rambis certainly should be in the Top 20...
(This totally illegally posted clip certainly brings back memories, especially seeing Magic's passes and hearing Chick call the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu7tBN80D6Q) |
|
Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
|
Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 1:42 PM on 12.23.09 |
->> Glen Rice played just over 100 games over two seasons with the Lakers ... not to mention what Mychal Thompson (#27 on the list) said recently:
"Glen Rice couldn't guard this building..."
Kurt Rambis certainly should be in the Top 20.
(This totally illegally posted clip certainly brings back memories, especially seeing Magic's passes and hearing Chick call the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu7tBN80D6Q)
Sorry to hijack the tenor of this thread Brad! |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|