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July 9, 2023
By Brian Hews, Editor and Publisher
ESPN the Magazine, National Sports Daily two publications with deep pockets, who thought they could change the look of a sports section…. both went out of business.
Today, the Los Angeles Times with their sports editor “Illiana,” redesigned their sports section to look more like, as they put it, “a magazine.”
I have been reading the Times for over 40 years, I have seen them try sections, but this is the worst change ever.
Gone are statistics, standings, TV listings, and “traditional sports stories” replace by “in-depth stories with pictures.”
Woopee.
In today’s section, it was a half page of letters with an above the fold picture of Clayton, “my shoulder hurts” Kershaw, a story on Dennis Rodman’s daughter, women’s soccer, a typical Dodger Ohtani story, women’s track and field and tennis.
Pinch me I’m dreaming
Look, I get it, I own a newspaper, it’s a tough business, made tougher by state politicians, who are trying to take away revenue from newspapers and Meta and Google taking our news without paying for it.
But WOW, no standings, stats or TV? Bad choices.
Hopefully it won’t go the way of the ESPN magazine…
I will be adding more thoughts…
