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Sportsnut17

Sportsnut17

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Oct 7, 2005
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Slash and TD got me to wondering.

I do not know the answer, so don’t take this wrong. Does the Mt. Airy paper send anyone to games or just get recaps from coaches? Do they cover any of the other schools in Surry County, since I guess there are no other newspapers?

The WS Journal does not cover any games nor does the GSO news and record, as they are owned by same company. Probably talking about 25-30 schools in the 2 counties.

To take it one step further, the Clemmons Courier does not send anyone to cover West Forsyth games either. First time for at least 40 years they no longer write about West Forsyth. They do have Jay Spivey on contract, but all he does is write something about a particular athlete each week. They don’t send him to games.

I really enjoy reading about local sports, but the newspaper coverage is getting less and less.

I would like to hear about coverage or lack there of around the state.
 
It's like one company owns all the newspapers now. At least that how it appears. In my area (Rocky Mount/Greenville), all the local papers are owned by one parent company now, and local sports coverage is terrible, unless it's some sort of league baseball. They're all over that. But high school football coverage is less than what I can read on online forums.
 
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Newspapers started struggling, corporate America swoops in, looking for tax write offs and to cut their bottom line.
 
Sportsnut17 said:
Slash and TD got me to wondering.

I do not know the answer, so don’t take this wrong. Does the Mt. Airy paper send anyone to games or just get recaps from coaches? Do they cover any of the other schools in Surry County, since I guess there are no other newspapers?

The WS Journal does not cover any games nor does the GSO news and record, as they are owned by same company. Probably talking about 25-30 schools in the 2 counties.

To take it one step further, the Clemmons Courier does not send anyone to cover West Forsyth games either. First time for at least 40 years they no longer write about West Forsyth. They do have Jay Spivey on contract, but all he does is write something about a particular athlete each week. They don’t send him to games.

I really enjoy reading about local sports, but the newspaper coverage is getting less and less.

I would like to hear about coverage or lack there of around the state.
Click to expand...
The Cherokee One Feather writes about all Braves athletics and sends someone to the games if I’m not mistaken. Swain has the Smokey Mountain Times and I believe they also send folks to the games. They do a pretty good job imo and the photography is always on point.
 
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Follow the money. It's not profitable anymore for newspapers to cover HS sports (or much of anything really). Years ago every summer I'd wait for the Observer's HS football preview, then drive to the next county to the only Gboro N&R pay box for miles around and get theirs too. Used to be a multi-page section with in-depth profiles of each team, star players, coaches, etc. It was awesome. The in-season coverage was good too.

Sadly those days are long gone, but there's a lot of good info online now too, including on these forums. The only constant in life is change. . . .
 
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Cleveland County has very little coverage. One sports guy that also covers Gaston County. One person to cover like 12 schools for the Star and Gazette. I miss the good old days when you got up Saturday morning and could check out the Yardstick that included all of the stats from the games plus you had write ups from the games. Even little extra stuff like your sports guys making their picks each week as a little competition. Very little local in the local paper now, so no wonder you loose your reading audience.
 
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I think The Mount Airy News has one Sports reporter and only 3 days a week newspaper and down from 3 Sports reporters and Newspapers 7 days a week when I was there 10 years through the 1990s. So much free information on the internet and it takes advertisers to pay for all the employees, paper & ink, color & black and white, and delivery drivers to cover the majority of Surry County & Partick, and Carroll counties in Virginia. Besides the 3 sports reporters, they had 6 or 7 regular news reporters and 6 to 9 advertising salespeople including the classified ad sells. Counting the press room where the paper was printed, I am saying that they had around 35 in-house employees and I never kept up with how many delivery drivers as I think they were subcontracted and not hourly or commissioned. In all, I think the employees maybe 15 or 20 now The newspaper has changed ownership about 3 times since I was there and Mid-South Management Company was the owners then with 17 total newspapers. Now the company total is unknown to me. I think the Mount Airy News location does all the printing for about 11 of the newspapers now,
As it was when I was there and it was great 7 days a week paper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-South_Management_Company

The Mount Airy News Started as a locally owned newspaper in 1880
www.mtairynews.com

About Us | Mt. Airy News

For 140 years, The Mount Airy News has served the people of Surry County as their primary source of news, as well as a guide to satisfy the community's appetite for goods and services through…
www.mtairynews.com www.mtairynews.com
 
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I was Commissioner of Surry Little League Football for 11 years (non-paid). During that time I spent my Saturdays doing the Commissioner business, announcing the games and then took my notes/stats to the newspaper and wrote the articles for those games, free of charge.

That also led to me covering area jv and varsity games on Thursday and Friday nights, went to the newspaper those evenings and wrote the articles (free of charge, not even a press pass) for the next day. That was to help two great sports writers on staff and TD did the photography.

LOL all that stopped when the paper published a completely fraudulent and inaccurate article alleging that had I been banned and charged from my profession for stealing a clients money. The stealing did happen, in a town in NC 2 hours away, a person whose first and last name was same as mine but different middle initial, working with a completely different company that I had never worked for.

That lead to the publisher and a couple of staff people being fired by the parent company and ultimately making a financial settlement with me. That was two or three owners back but the chance to "bury a local business person" was to great to simply check with me. They certainly knew how to get hold of me but did not even attempt to.

You see, local sports is good news, builds local support and pride. What local newspaper wants to do that?
 
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I always use to look forward of getting Salisbury Post on Fridays to check out the teams it covered. It would have good write up on the teams it covered and give predictions for the area teams. Then I would get the paper on Saturday to check out the scores and highlights. I think paper only comes out few times a week now. I now just get information off internet now.
 
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REWhitley said:
I was Commissioner of Surry Little League Football for 11 years (non-paid). During that time I spent my Saturdays doing the Commissioner business, announcing the games and then took my notes/stats to the newspaper and wrote the articles for those games, free of charge.

That also led to me covering area jv and varsity games on Thursday and Friday nights, went to the newspaper those evenings and wrote the articles (free of charge, not even a press pass) for the next day. That was to help two great sports writers on staff and TD did the photography.

LOL all that stopped when the paper published a completely fraudulent and inaccurate article alleging that had I been banned and charged from my profession for stealing a clients money. The stealing did happen, in a town in NC 2 hours away, a person whose first and last name was same as mine but different middle initial, working with a completely different company that I had never worked for.

That lead to the publisher and a couple of staff people being fired by the parent company and ultimately making a financial settlement with me. That was two or three owners back but the chance to "bury a local business person" was to great to simply check with me. They certainly knew how to get hold of me but did not even attempt to.

You see, local sports is good news, builds local support and pride. What local newspaper wants to do that?
Click to expand...
I am truly sorry you were put through that! So many stories went through the paper in those days that at my age I don't remember them all. I do seem to remember you had a son who was a really great basketball player at Mount Airy and transferred to Oak Hill Academy Warriors's basketball or am I thinking of someone else? I have days I can remember anything and day that I start to do something on the computer and one second later I am wondering what I was going to do. You were a great asset to the newspaper in those days because we had more area football games than sports reporters.
 
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smashmouth5 said:
Cleveland County has very little coverage. One sports guy that also covers Gaston County. One person to cover like 12 schools for the Star and Gazette. I miss the good old days when you got up Saturday morning and could check out the Yardstick that included all of the stats from the games plus you had write ups from the games. Even little extra stuff like your sports guys making their picks each week as a little competition. Very little local in the local paper now, so no wonder you loose your reading audience.
Click to expand...
Here in Columbus County the NEWS REPORTER has slacked off to. When Dan Biser was sports editor he covered all schools in county. Franklin Davis took over did a great job. Then paper was sold. Franklin retired and very little coverage compared to 2 years ago. They do cover every in of DIXIE YOUTH baseball.
 
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The Asheville Citizen -Times would have several guys to answer the phones. They would take the box score and leaders, then ask about key plays. Then they would write a summary based on the information. They did a pretty good job. Now with budget cuts it falls to a couple of grossly overworked people. They do well with the resources they have.
 
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The Graham Star does a good job.
I was boycotting them and the Cherokee Scout in Murphy. Now I am back on board with the The Graham Star.
 
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On my way home from Fridays game I happened to turn the radio station to 92.5 and they had a entire show about high school football across the upstate of SC and had coaches calling in and talking about their games. It’s lasted until I got home and that’s around a 40 min drive so I guess it’s a hour show. I really enjoyed it
 
Sportsnut17 said:
Is that the Wilkes paper?
Click to expand...
Sportsnut17 said:
Is that the Wilkes paper?
Click to expand...
East Wilkes probably is covered by Elkin Tribune & The Wilkes Paper but closer to Elkin,

This is the last update as in today's Edition. 9/11/2023

Adams Publishing Group
All bold is still printed at the Mount Airy News unless changed.


1      GENERAL

1.1    By browsing and using this Adams Publishing Group-owned website (the “Website”) – including but not limited to AAWMAG.com, AdvocateAndDemocrat.com, AsheMountainTimes.com, AveryJournal.com, BlowingRocket.com, BlountMarketplace.com, CockeCountyMarketplace.com, DailyPostAthenian.com, ElkinTribune.com, GreenevilleMarketplace.com, GreenevilleSun.com, HawkinsMarketplace.com, HighCountryMarketplace.com, LoudonCountyMarketplace.com, McMinnMarketplace.com, MonroeMarketplace.net, MountainTimes.com, Mt.AiryNews.com, News-Herald.net, NewportPlainTalk.com, OnTheVineCarolina.com, PilotMountainNews.com, RheaHeraldNews.com, RheaMarketplace.com, TellicoVillageConnection.com, TheCarrollNews.com, TheDailyTimes.com, TheRogersvilleReview.com, TheStokesNews.com, VisitingTheSmokies.com, WataugaDemocrat.com and YadkinRipple.com – you are agreeing to the terms and conditions set forth herein.
www.mtairynews.com

Terms Of Use | Mt. Airy News

Updated: Aug. 15, 2019 1 GENERAL 1.1 By browsing and using this Adams Publishing Group-owned website (the "Website") – including but not limited to AAWMAG.com, AdvocateAndDemocrat.com…
www.mtairynews.com www.mtairynews.com
 
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Sportsnut17 said:
Slash and TD got me to wondering.

I do not know the answer, so don’t take this wrong. Does the Mt. Airy paper send anyone to games or just get recaps from coaches? Do they cover any of the other schools in Surry County, since I guess there are no other newspapers?

The WS Journal does not cover any games nor does the GSO news and record, as they are owned by same company. Probably talking about 25-30 schools in the 2 counties.

To take it one step further, the Clemmons Courier does not send anyone to cover West Forsyth games either. First time for at least 40 years they no longer write about West Forsyth. They do have Jay Spivey on contract, but all he does is write something about a particular athlete each week. They don’t send him to games.

I really enjoy reading about local sports, but the newspaper coverage is getting less and less.

I would like to hear about coverage or lack there of around the state.
Click to expand...
Our Hickory Daily Record is owned by the same company that owns, McDowell News, Morganton News Herald, Statesville Landmark and Concord Tribune among others. The local sports coverage is absolutely terrible for the Catawba Valley area. They have let go all of their stringers and recently lost the sports editor who had been here 4 years. I can't tell you how bad it is for those of us used to reading about local sports growing up. The situation will not get any better. I have been emailing stats, game write ups for one of our middle schools, jv games and varsity games for the past 4-5 years with little repsons by the newspaper to publish anything. It's sad, but it is what it is.
 
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The Wilkes Journal pretty much gutted their sports department when they got sold. Corporate America has to protect their bottom line. Trickle Down
 
It’s all about cutting staff by the newspaper chains. I covered sports in Davidson County for 20 years before retiring at the end of 2021. When I was with the Thomasville Times in the early 2000s we published a 24-page football preview section.

During my early days at The Dispatch, we had a two-man full-time staff. Plus I could count on Bruce Wehrle and Carlton Hurt to cover games. We covered 4-5 football games every Friday night and did box scores.

By the time I called it quits, I was the sports editor of both The Dispatch and the Courier-Tribune in Asheboro by myself. Not my choice but that’s how it was.

The Salisbury Post still has two of the best in the business - Mike London and Dave Shaw.
 
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The main issue with print newspapers currently is earlier deadlines. I’ve heard some places have deadlines as early as 9 pm on Fridays. That’s a huge reason why the coverage isn’t reaching a Saturday morning paper and most game content is going online.

Add that to declining staff and stringers and print newspapers don’t have the resources any more to do what every prep writer would love to do—produce a great game story under the rush of a Friday night deadline. Used to work for a paper where we staffed 5-6 games on Fridays. But we had a 1130 or midnight deadline.

That’s a rarity nowadays for any daily paper.

Still plenty of excellent high school reporters on the beat. Key is now to figure out the happy medium between print edition and online and still delivering quality content.
 
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mistermean1 said:
It’s all about cutting staff by the newspaper chains. I covered sports in Davidson County for 20 years before retiring at the end of 2021. When I was with the Thomasville Times in the early 2000s we published a 24-page football preview section.

During my early days at The Dispatch, we had a two-man full-time staff. Plus I could count on Bruce Wehrle and Carlton Hurt to cover games. We covered 4-5 football games every Friday night and did box scores.

By the time I called it quits, I was the sports editor of both The Dispatch and the Courier-Tribune in Asheboro by myself. Not my choice but that’s how it was.

The Salisbury Post still has two of the best in the business - Mike London and Dave Shaw.
Click to expand...
Mistermean1, I rank you right up there with those guys. Consummate professional with a talent for spinning a narrative.
 
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I say Cory Smith has to have a grade AAA score response, because as I said I think the Mount Airy News has only one sportswriter covering Mount Airy, North Surry, East Surry, and Surry Central. At each of the games covered here has to the right of the date Cory Smith's name covering all the sports period, ALL.... Good going Cory Smith ! ! !
www.mtairynews.com

Category: Sports | Mt. Airy News

www.mtairynews.com www.mtairynews.com
 
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TD-FridayNight said:
I say Cory Smith has to have a grade AAA score response, because as I said I think the Mount Airy News has only one sportswriter covering Mount Airy, North Surry, East Surry, and Surry Central. At each of the games covered here has to the right of the date Cory Smith's name covering all the sports period, ALL.... Good going Cory Smith ! ! !
www.mtairynews.com

Category: Sports | Mt. Airy News

www.mtairynews.com www.mtairynews.com
Click to expand...
Cory is very good at his job and a great guy!
 
it’s a shame that the coverage for Football is not what it use to be…absolutely nothing against the other sports but with Football only once a week it was an “attention getter”especially with local sports…now you look on social media to see what happened right after it happens…no longer need to wait for the next edition
 
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bareman said:
it’s a shame that the coverage for Football is not what it use to be…absolutely nothing against the other sports but with Football only once a week it was an “attention getter”especially with local sports…now you look on social media to see what happened right after it happens…no longer need to wait for the next edition
Click to expand...
It's the way things are now. Can't blame sportswriters as ik Mount Airy news only has one and he has to do it all. Use to be 7-8 worked in the sports. Just don't sale papers anymore bc of Internet.
 
bareman said:
it’s a shame that the coverage for Football is not what it use to be…absolutely nothing against the other sports but with Football only once a week it was an “attention getter”especially with local sports…now you look on social media to see what happened right after it happens…no longer need to wait for the next edition
Click to expand...
True, but knowing the results is not the same as the why, who, how , etc is important. That is why I like the recaps we get on here from some great posters, especially the gentleman from Eastern Randolph.
 
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REWhitley said:
True, but knowing the results is not the same as the why, who, how , etc is important. That is why I like the recaps we get on here from some great posters, especially the gentleman from Eastern Randolph.
Click to expand...
Gentleman???
More like blabbermouth..
Chute’s recaps are all made up and should not be seen as an insight to anything Eastern Randolph wise…
😂😂😂
 
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Talking Morning Joe GIF by MSNBC
 
sbbbfan said:
Can't pay any attention to flatlanders but they do sound good when reading them. Bet he reads a lot of romance novels.
Click to expand...
When you log on and see the Ledford/PG write-up begin with "It was a dark and stormy field. The QB and LB looked passionately into each other's eyes. It was......LOVE AT FIRST DOWN." You have no one to blame but yourself.
 
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