Oklahoman - OU basketball coverage

SKSooner said:
I don't doubt that she is an extremely hard worker. I didn't mean to insinuate that she is MIA on the job. Ada is correct to point out that she has run some really nice features on some of the players. My point is that when you compare the quality of her work to some of the previous beat writers we've had, it's not even close. It appears to me that the job of covering OU sports at The Oklahoman has been significantly downgraded.
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SK, my defense of Stephanie is based entirely on her positive approach to the articles she writes and the volume of work she produced last season. I agree that she may not be the most polished writer we've had over the years. But I believe she deserves at least an opportunity to improve her skills as she grows into the job. She's new to the Oklahoman and also young. One would think that a graduate of IU's journalism school will continue to get better if given the chance.

Fact is, she is better now than she was early in the season. Unlike my good friend, Bounce, I have read everything Stephanie has written the past few months. Trust me, she'll be a good one in time if someone doesn't steal her away from us.
 
I mean, you don't say surprises and underachievers. you say surprises and underachievments.
 
AdaSooner said:
To set the record straight, I'm no fan of the Oklahoman. Some of their reporters seem to go out of their way to produce negative press about OU. That has not been the case with Stephanie Kutzdym.
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I have no problem at all with the subjects she's chosen to write about, but her prose is sub-OU Daily quality.

She's being paid (not very much, I'm guessing) to learn to write on the job at a newspaper in a decent-sized market. That's not where an inexperienced writer should be starting, and she certainly shouldn't be writing featured columns, not without far more editorial oversight than she appears to have received.

The Oklahoman is clearly trying to skate by on the cheap, and by not even giving her columns a close look (do they even employ a copy editor?), they're showing a total lack of respect for their readers.
 
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skyvue said:
I have no problem at all with the subjects she's chosen to write about, but her prose is sub-OU Daily quality.

She's being paid (not very much, I'm guessing) to learn to write on the job at a newspaper in a decent-sized market. That's not where an inexperienced writer should be starting, and she certainly shouldn't be writing featured columns, not without far more editorial oversight than she appears to have received.

The Oklahoman is clearly trying to skate by on the cheap, and by not even giving her columns a close look (do they even employ a copy editor?), they're showing a total lack of respect for their readers.
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Maybe you missed my follow up to that post:

AdaSooner said:
SK, my defense of Stephanie is based entirely on her positive approach to the articles she writes and the volume of work she produced last season. I agree that she may not be the most polished writer we've had over the years. But I believe she deserves at least an opportunity to improve her skills as she grows into the job. She's new to the Oklahoman and also young. One would think that a graduate of IU's journalism school will continue to get better if given the chance.
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AdaSooner said:
Maybe you missed my follow up to that post:
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I read it, but that's where we disagree. A featured columnist position at a relatively major newspaper is not the place for her to be improving her skills. The Enid News & Eagle or the Topeka Capital-Journal or the Sequoyah County Times, perhaps, but not the Daily Oklahoman. Not right out of college.

And if they are determined to let her learn on the job, an experienced editor should be going over every sentence she writes with a fine-toothed comb. That's clearly not happening, and by giving her free reign, they're doing her -- and, worse, the paper's readers -- no favors.
 
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I mean, I don't mean to come off as harsh, but you've got to respect the skills required to do that work, just as with any prominent job. What if OU had hired some fresh-out-of-college kid to replace Bob Barry on the radio broadcasts? Many, if not most, fans would feel that showed a lack of respect for the position; a featured columnist position at a newspaper is not so different. Maybe you get lucky and find a prodigy who's got the chops of an experienced veteran, but more likely, you get someone who's in over his head, and in the meantime, the fans are asked to be kind and patient--two qualities you have in spades, Ada, but I fall short in those areas, I guess.
 
skyvue said:
I read it, but that's where we disagree. A featured columnist position at a relatively major newspaper is not the place for her to be improving her skills. The Enid News & Eagle or the Topeka Capital-Journal or the Sequoyah County Times, perhaps, but not the Daily Oklahoman. Not right out of college.

And if they are determined to let her learn on the job, an experienced editor should be going over every sentence she writes with a fine-toothed comb. That's clearly not happening, and by giving her free reign, they're doing her -- and, worse, the paper's readers -- no favors.
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I don't disagree with you. I just don't see any reason to fret over something we can't control.

My point is that I would much rather have an eager to embrace the programs positives in a reporter like Stephanie than some hotshot who is trying to make a name for himself by digging up dirt. We've been down that road before, and, I, for one, didn't like it too much.
 
AdaSooner said:
My point is that I would much rather have an eager to embrace the programs positives in a reporter like Stephanie than some hotshot who is trying to make a name for himself by digging up dirt. We've been down that road before, and, I, for one, didn't like it too much.
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I agree 100%, but I don't think it need be either/or, is all.
 
AdaSooner said:
I don't disagree with you. I just don't see any reason to fret over something we can't control.

My point is that I would much rather have an eager to embrace the programs positives in a reporter like Stephanie than some hotshot who is trying to make a name for himself by digging up dirt. We've been down that road before, and, I, for one, didn't like it too much.
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He's looking at you, David Ubben!
 
skyvue said:
I have no problem at all with the subjects she's chosen to write about, but her prose is sub-OU Daily quality.

She's being paid (not very much, I'm guessing) to learn to write on the job at a newspaper in a decent-sized market. That's not where an inexperienced writer should be starting, and she certainly shouldn't be writing featured columns, not without far more editorial oversight than she appears to have received.

The Oklahoman is clearly trying to skate by on the cheap, and by not even giving her columns a close look (do they even employ a copy editor?), they're showing a total lack of respect for their readers.
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This. Carlson and Kuzy are attempts to save money. Carlson is horrid and thankfully more scarce, Kuzy is not as bad as JC but still bad, even if trying to get better. Not trying to be mean, but being a great "story teller" might work better in a place where copy space isn't money. More facts and analysis of the game, fewer profile pieces please. Basically, I'm not sure she's much into sports, and it shows, even though I'm sure she sincerely wants to do a good job.

And yes - this is insulting to readers, copy editors, and ultimately her (every piece of copy needs another set of eyes on it). I mean WTH - syntax error:

"I know they said way back in October that’s what their goal was, but every team’s goal is to be the Cinderella and shock the tournament (unless you’re someone like Kansas). Toward the end of the season, when they kept losing, even the Sooners seemed contempt with an NIT berth. I say so, because they said so. Multiple times by multiple players after that Iowa State loss at the Big 12 Championships."

And I realize it is a blog but for a newspaper rated dead last in the country at one time it's not acceptable to put this stuff out there.
 
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Cleavon Little said:
This. Carlson and Kuzy are attempts to save money. Carlson is horrid and thankfully more scarce, Kuzy is not as bad as JC but still bad, even if trying to get better. Not trying to be mean, but being a great "story teller" might work better in a place where copy space isn't money. More facts and analysis of the game, fewer profile pieces please. Basically, I'm not sure she's much into sports, and it shows, even though I'm sure she sincerely wants to do a good job.

And yes - this is insulting to readers, copy editors, and ultimately her (every piece of copy needs another set of eyes on it). I mean WTH - syntax error:

"I know they said way back in October that’s what their goal was, but every team’s goal is to be the Cinderella and shock the tournament (unless you’re someone like Kansas). Toward the end of the season, when they kept losing, even the Sooners seemed contempt with an NIT berth. I say so, because they said so. Multiple times by multiple players after that Iowa State loss at the Big 12 Championships."

And I realize it is a blog but for a newspaper rated dead last in the country at one time it's not acceptable to put this stuff out there.
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Yeah, I have always felt that her writing style was hard to read easily. Something about it just doesn't flow. Even in her best story about David King last season.
 
Point guard consistency. First there was Je’lon Hornbeak. Then it was Isaiah Cousins. Then Sam Grooms. Back to Cousins. Back to Grooms. At one point, Kruger had three point guards playing in one game. It caused Oklahoma to struggle for a leader to run the offense and in the end, Lon Kruger really only got half of what he wanted out of each player: aggression and defense
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I may be wrong, but didn't cousins start off at point? It's been a long season
 
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