WE NEED TWO NEWSPAPERS IN HOUSTON? By LM

Written by: LM
2-04-2011

WE NEED TWO NEWSPAPERS IN HOUSTON?

This will be short and sweet.  I have had my words with writers at the Houston Chronicle but in a strange "twist" of events, I am going to speak in their behalf.

Over the years I have heard sports personalities say "the Chronicle flip flops because they have no competition".  That statement only means something to me when it comes from someone that has actually experienced it.  I am talking about your Lance Zierleins, Rich Lords, Barry Warners and probably Adam Wexlers just to name a few.  I am talking about personalities that have actually experienced it via Houston or some other metropolitan market with multiple print publications.

Then there are the guys that never experienced a two paper town that try to critisize the Houston Chronicle but it renders useless to me because they are repeating what they heard.  In the grand scheme of things, it's like me talking to my friends and spewing off John Lopez's sports analysis like it's my own.  Sure, it may be correct but I didn't live it.  It's similar to all of us speaking about the way Billionaires think as if we know them.  By my count, there are less than 500 Billionaires in the world and the only we know is the Bob "The Rooster" McNair.

Don't get me wrong, they fake it well as if they know the "nuts and bolts" of what they speak but all it requires is a little math.  For the life of me, I will never understand how Josh can openly say he only like John McClain and Jerome Solomon (Chronicle) as if they never had a change of opinion.  The truth is, everyone in media changed their opinions at one point in their career.  Are you telling me Richard Justice's "flip floppery" would change if the Chronicle had competition.

ANOTHER APPROACH

Sports Radio 610 is the inverse of the Chronicle. Once, SR610 enjoyed the benefits of being one of the only sports talk stations in town, now they have competition from 270 degrees.  Are you telling me the quality of talent has improved at 610?  Of course competition dilutes the ratings but the ratings also illustrates listeners are leaving the market.  Why call for the Houston Chronicle to have viable competition, so they can suffer the fate of Sports Talk in Houston?

In all honesty, print media is suffering a slow death, I think competition is the least of their worries, the Chronicle needs to be focused on the public relying on them as a primary source of information. 

My point is, I hate to hear people speak on something they know nothing about.  This pet peeve is similar to those who speak about the Collective Bargaining Agreement as if they have experienced it before.

OUT

LM
HMW
Email: houstonmediawatch@yahoo.com
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