8/15/2013 update: Admissions has now hidden the Fiesta Bowl junket photos:
8/13/2013: Not sure how I missed this one, published in the RG on Aug 8:
The recently reported deal the University of Oregon cut with two national media organizations to provide privileged access to the new football performance center is, unfortunately, no surprise. … But it is most troubling for the university itself and its relationship with the community.
As a former journalist, I’m concerned about the growing indifference, if not the arrogance, of the UO Athletic Department toward the community and the news media that serve it. ….
Unfortunately, this type of game will continue until someone calls a penalty, or at least a time out. The university’s credibility, as well as its relationship with the community and local media, is at stake.
John Russial is an associate professor of journalism in the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. The opinions expressed here are his own.
Why nothing on this important matter from UO Journalism Dean Tim Gleason, who spent winter break on a UO paid junket to the Fiesta Bowl Pep Rally, presumably doing undercover research on just these sorts of conflicts of interest:
If you want to see who else took this junket, there’s video here and photos here.
Per the snippet evidently the community and news media serve the athletic department now. It’s sad how far journalism has fallen in attempting to meet the lowest common denominator of sensationalism. We need more Joe Friday’s (“Just the facts ma’am”) rather than this drivel. Pathetic.
Huh? So we should be happy with the UO’s disdain for local media?
“As a former journalist, I’m concerned about the growing indifference, if not the arrogance, of the UO Athletic Department toward the community and the news media that serve it. …. “
I believe the more appropriate statement would have been “…if not the arrogance, of the UO Athletic Department toward the community IT SERVES.” The community and news media don’t serve the athletic department. The Athletic department serves the community and the news media should focus on factual stories and should be INDEPENDENT. IE “UO Athletic access restricted to two media groups. A request for rational behind this restriction has not been answered by administration.” I am interested in what was done and why. I could careless what his opinion is I’ll make up my own mind thank you very much.
I think it should be read as the news media that serves the community.But your point is well taken!
That sentence can be read more than one way. Doesn’t appear to me Russial is claiming the news media serves the university. Rather, it serves the community.
If you don’t care about his opinion, why are you blogging about it?
The images of the empty tent are embarrassing. The buzz from their wild weekend away must have faded enough for them to see that.
Roger Thompson is an idiot. You don’t say that the entire leadership team was brought to Arizona just for them. What a lying, obvious, joke. Gleason at his finest, too. (Admins must hate youtube.)