OPUBCO / Oklahoman Business Practices

[BG918]

The "newspaper" is like the horse & buggy after cars were invented - people still used them but their days as a viable transportation method were numbered. Same analogy is the VCR, or DVD player, or countless other examples. Digital media is the future and has been for the past decade. Discussion sites like this that are also tied to social media are the cutting edge of current media, but even then something will come along and this will be an outdated medium before we know it..

Oh and I never like Barry Tramel's writing style. It read too much like he was talking and not like an actual article. I know many people love that style of writing but it annoyed me.

[Pete]

I noticed that thus far there are now no real columnists on the Oklahoman's sports page.

Just a handful of beat writers for HS, OU, OSU and the Thunder. As we all know, there are much better sources of information on all those subjects.

[barrettd]

The "newspaper" is like the horse & buggy after cars were invented - people still used them but their days as a viable transportation method were numbered. Same analogy is the VCR, or DVD player, or countless other examples. Digital media is the future and has been for the past decade. Discussion sites like this that are also tied to social media are the cutting edge of current media, but even then something will come along and this will be an outdated medium before we know it..

Oh and I never like Barry Tramel's writing style. It read too much like he was talking and not like an actual article. I know many people love that style of writing but it annoyed me.

I've never liked Barry's writing, either, and Carlson is even worse. Different strokes...

[PhiAlpha]

I've never liked Barry's writing, either, and Carlson is even worse. Different strokes...

I’ve always liked Tramel’s kinda hokey style and he generally knows his stuff but can definitely see how it’s not for every one. Jenni Carlson is a very good writer in general but I hate her as a sports writer.

[Pete]

It will be interesting to see how all these former print-first writers adapt their style to digital formats.

You first have to understand that a writer is basically given a word budget for every story and usually a story quota per week. Often, you go into a story knowing you need to hit a very tight range. To me, this is one of the huge inherent flaws of print... Not only does it limit writers but more often they HAVE to write something and HAVE to fill a certain amount of space. Think about how messed up that is and how it leads to leads to covering things that don't need covering at all (have to fill space to sell ads) or that you have to write a lot more or less than the subject requires.

The need to fill space leads to a lot of worthless re-writing of press releases or far worse yet, the writers are easily corrupted by people coming to them with a story they want to be printed and then dictate the terms in which it is written. I know this happens all the time with the Oklahoman because I usually have the same info from the very source and then see how the subject is written about by the paper. 9x out of 10, they are merely writing what somebody told them which is a horrific way to approach journalism. No fact-checking, no perspective, no opposing voices. It's basically PR for the person/group that fed the story to you. Simply put, every time someone approaches you with 'information' or is willing to be interviewed, they have an agenda and merely printing what they say is simultaneously serving their motives (which range from manipulation all the way to malevolent) and denying the public a fuller truth.

It applies to sports too. Writers cozy up to coaches and administrators and often print what they hear from those sources. Every single person who speaks to a journalist wants information shared in a certain way. At the very least, they only tell you what they want shared and leave out tons of other things.

Experienced writers have a way of making these things seem like news, but they are not factual articles and virtually nothing has been independently verified.

And when challenged on all these points, Oklahoman writers in particular are quick to blame the owner/management of the paper and editors, even though both those functions have changed over and over again during the careers of the veterans. The simple truth is they never learned proper journalistic techniques, will never admit that, and they've double-down on that stance so many times they are not going to change now.

[Pete]

^

Continuing my point from above, I often criticize their business writers because I am simply in a better position to know the raw truth about most things they write about.

But I just remembered a recent Tramel article that very much fits this discussion. Some time ago a video was leaked about the proposed OU football operations facility. The video got out but only through OKCTalk social media posts did the images and basic info really get traction.

It was a huge story -- especially in sports -- and ultimately the Oklahoman felt like they had to try and get some of the same attention without, of course, crediting how they knew about it in the first place. (The other main motivation bourn out by their obsessive refusal to credit another outlet is pure embarrassment.)

Tramel wrote an article about how it was just a rumor (which was clearly stated in all our posts) and the design was conceptual (again, stated). He then went on to trash the idea in general (who does this sound like?) and despite his access to the athletic director and just about everyone else at OU, it was clear he never talked to anyone and was just speaking out of his rear end. That facility may or may not happen, but he brought zero new info, didn't bother with the images, and then tried to make it look like he was on top of things all along.

My experience has been that when Oklahoman writers 'take other opportunities' they merely continue these terrible and somewhat unethical habits, even though they can no long point fingers at some vague authority figure.

[BoulderSooner]

I’ve always liked Tramel’s kinda hokey style and he generally knows his stuff but can definitely see how it’s not for every one. Jenni Carlson is a very good writer in general but I hate her as a sports writer.

same

[PhiAlpha]

Pete, I know you were kind of starting to do it with the Gazette and have thought about it here but you should start a podcast. Based on how much your social media following has grown, I bet it would be pretty popular and given the small percentage of that crowd who probably reads these threads in as much detail as we do every day…they would probably find it really informative.

[Pete]

Pete, I know you were kind of starting to do it with the Gazette and have thought about it here but you should start a podcast. Based on how much your social media following has grown, I bet it would be pretty popular and given the small percentage of that crowd who probably reads these threads in as much detail as we do every day…they would probably find it really informative.

Way too many, way too much time, no real money.

I have something else I've been working on that I believe is far more needed in OKC.

[PhiAlpha]

Way too many, way too much time, no real money.

I have something else I've been working on that I believe is far more needed in OKC.

Cool! Look forward to it.

[Dob Hooligan]

I think Tramel got very good at putting together statistical analysis articles that took up column inches and were easy to prepare in advance and have "in the oven". Something like "Comparing Tabo Sefolosha to the dozen players taken above and dozen taken below him in round 1 of the 2006 NBA draft".

[Pete]

I should say, I like Berry Tramel's work. I'm sorry to see him leave and my reasons for keeping my Oklahoman subscription continue to diminish.

I enjoy and admire his writing style. He's very talented and his leaving is a huge loss for the Oklahoman.

[Dob Hooligan]

I should say, I like Berry Tramel's work. I'm sorry to see him leave and my reasons for keeping my Oklahoman subscription continue to diminish.

I enjoy and admire his writing style. He's very talented and his leaving is a huge loss for the Oklahoman.

100% agree. He is about as good as there is in Oklahoma. No knock on him from me, but he did figure out how to warehouse product.

[catcherinthewry]

I should say, I like Berry Tramel's work. I'm sorry to see him leave and my reasons for keeping my Oklahoman subscription continue to diminish.

I enjoy and admire his writing style. He's very talented and his leaving is a huge loss for the Oklahoman.

What I like about Berry is that he is an historian and it is becoming increasingly rare to get that kind of perspective in modern day sports commentary. I will miss him and I don't know how much longer I will keep my digital subscription.

[MagzOK]

What I like about Berry is that he is an historian and it is becoming increasingly rare to get that kind of perspective in modern day sports commentary. I will miss him and I don't know how much longer I will keep my digital subscription.

I really enjoy listening to him during the hour or so he's on with Al and Jim on the Animal in the late afternoons.

[HOT ROD]

I've never liked Barry's writing, either, and Carlson is even worse. Different strokes...

OMG, I was trying to scroll down to voice this opinion as well. NEVER liked Tramel's writing style - very small town/time ameteur to me, relying on "Heck" this and infer or assume this and that, rather than actually using words to transcribe thought so everyone can read the article and understand it. His use of Boomers to describe the OKC Thunder in the early days was SUPER annoying that I couldn't read his content.

Carlson was OK to me in the beginning, but she started following his style and got worse and worse.

[barrettd]

OMG, I was trying to scroll down to voice this opinion as well. NEVER liked Tramel's writing style - very small town/time ameteur to me, relying on "Heck" this and infer or assume this and that, rather than actually using words to transcribe thought so everyone can read the article and understand it. His use of Boomers to describe the OKC Thunder in the early days was SUPER annoying that I couldn't read his content.

Carlson was OK to me in the beginning, but she started following his style and got worse and worse.

Yep. She certainly tried to adopt his folksy writing style, which just comes off as artificial for her. At least with Barry, he writes like he talks. I can appreciate Barry's knowledge, and I don't dislike him on the radio. I can't stand their columns where they frequently use one sentence paragraphs, or write like they talk.

[billokc]

My father (age 88) still loves to read the Oklahoman, mostly for the sports section. I'm not sticking up for him, he has Dementia now and most likely hasn't noticed anything different (and wouldn't remember it 10 minutes after he read it anyway). I know the Oklahoman is just a glorified bird cage liner and I wouldn't want it even if it was free. It's a waste of paper and ink.

[BG918]

Yep. She certainly tried to adopt his folksy writing style, which just comes off as artificial for her. At least with Barry, he writes like he talks. I can appreciate Barry's knowledge, and I don't dislike him on the radio. I can't stand their columns where they frequently use one sentence paragraphs, or write like they talk.

Exactly. Fine for the Duncan Banner not the newspaper for a Top 50 U.S. metro

[barrettd]

My father (age 88) still loves to read the Oklahoman, mostly for the sports section. I'm not sticking up for him, he has Dementia now and most likely hasn't noticed anything different (and wouldn't remember it 10 minutes after he read it anyway). I know the Oklahoman is just a glorified bird cage liner and I wouldn't want it even if it was free. It's a waste of paper and ink.

I used to really enjoy getting the Sunday Oklahoman during football season. The sports section was good for catching up on all the local stories, and the social/arts sections had lengthy theatre reviews or features. It's too bad that it seems to be losing all of what local charm it had left, even if I had long ago abandoned it, myself.

[Pete]

Ben Felder has left the Oklahoman once again. This must be the third time he's worked there then left.

He now works for an independent, non-profit newsroom called Investigate Midwest.

The Oklahoman actually picked up a recent article completely debunking Gov. Stitt's claims that the Chinese are buying land in Oklahoma:
https://investigatemidwest.org/2023/...her-countries/

[HOT ROD]

Not to turn this too political - but I find it even more interesting that Americans can't buy land in China. ....

[Mesta Parker]

China is communist. No foreigner can own land. Land is owned by the state or a collective.

[Swake]

Not to turn this too political - but I find it even more interesting that Americans can't buy land in China. ....

Yes you can.

[Martin]

Yes you can.

from what i can tell, a non-citizen can purchase one property in china to live in as a primary residence after 12 months of residency on a valid visa. i don't think that would include purchasing land.