Where Are They Now? Josh Anthon

[skizzle34]

No way does this regard the conversation being had but watching the EO2016 video on spinTV I noticed Mcbeth is throwing an Anthon destroyer. That is all.

 

[discgman]

Great article no matter how you feel about the situation he is in. One of the best golfers in the world and a nice guy who got himself in a crappy situation. No excuses, he needs to do his time for his crime.

 

[onemilemore]

On a disc golf website, with an article geared towards disc golfers, you would include a section on the victim's family?

How exactly do you imagine that conversation going?

"Uh, Hi, yeah I'm doing an article on that guy who pleaded no contest to killing your (insert relation) a couple of years ago. It's really about letting his disc golf fans know how he's doing - care to comment?"


Absurd.

Yep, this was also a consideration. It's one thing to be a journalist writing for a wide-reaching news organization reaching out to the family of the deceased. It might come off a bit tone deaf if you're doing it for a disc golf website. We are still journalists, and I think you can see that in the content we've been putting out.

In the context of disc golf - getting the first public comments from Innova, getting the PDGA's take, and talking to Drew Gibson - Robert did a phenomenal job.

 

[corin_brown]

On a disc golf website, with an article geared towards disc golfers, you would include a section on the victim's family?

Absolutely. If I was a journalist. The article is about how a disc golfer is rehabilitating from causing death of an innocent person. To ask the disc golfer about what specifically happened to put him in jail and not even ask what the victim thinks, leaves out a huge piece of the picture.

How exactly do you imagine that conversation going?

"Uh, Hi, yeah I'm doing an article on that guy who pleaded no contest to killing your (insert relation) a couple of years ago. It's really about letting his disc golf fans know how he's doing - care to comment?"

Precisely.

Absurd.

Why is it absurd? If it's absurd then why did the editorial staff even consider it and discuss it in the first place before deciding not to pursue that line of reporting?

 

[corin_brown]

It's one thing to be a journalist writing for a wide-reaching news organization reaching out to the family of the deceased. It might come off a bit tone deaf if you're doing it for a disc golf website. We are still journalists, and I think you can see that in the content we've been putting out.

You're either a journalist or your not. Why should it matter if you're working for the NYT or Cat Fancy? Just because someone covers disc golf doesn't require a reduction in journalistic standards. The fact that the editorial staff even considered trying to get in touch with the victim shows that they knew that journalistic standards exist. It's 100% fine, if someone wants to publish a fan blog or help a disc golfer rehab their image without reporting all the angles, like talking to the victim. Talking to victims would be unpleasant to do. I wouldn't want to do it. But I'm not a journalist. Again, it's fine to roll out a one sided PR campaign, just don't call it journalism.

And to seek cover behind only being a niche publication covering something tiny like disc golf and not being a "wide-reaching" news organization is making flimsy assumptions about what your current readers want to know about Anthon and it shows a complacency about reaching the general public - which is totally fine to do, it's just not professional journalism.

And you state that it's tone deaf to fully report a story like Anthon? To whom is it tone deaf? What if someone in the family reads the piece? I know the odds are long but what if someone in the family is a disc golfer? You think they're gonna be stoked hearing how great Anthon's doing without being given the chance to respond?

In the context of disc golf - getting the first public comments from Innova, getting the PDGA's take, and talking to Drew Gibson - Robert did a phenomenal job.

There was some good reporting. But Anthon is news, not only to disc golfers but to the public. And aren't disc golfers members of the public too? Yolo County represented the public against him in court, and it wasn't for littering. Publishing his views regarding his crime and not getting the other side is just not good reporting. When a professional journalist touchs a subject like Anthon, that person owes it to their readers to cover it correctly.

 

[BionicRib]

Why is it absurd? If it's absurd then why did the editorial staff even consider it and discuss it in the first place before deciding not to pursue that line of reporting?

Maybe because the answer is obvious.


Tune in to mainstream media if you want to see that kind of crap...(I mean good journalism)

 

[Pbmercil]

Publishing his views regarding his crime and not getting the other side is just not good reporting. When a professional journalist touchs a subject like Anthon, that person owes it to their readers to cover it correctly.

But they didn't publish his views on the crime? Anton declined to comment on the inncident And the charges. They told the story as reported to the public about the incident. I don't see the need for another side when Anthon never gave his.

 

[Disc Golf Live]

I don't think the Where Are They Now? angle is legit, considering the writer knew from the get-go at least the basics, if not the specifics, of what is up w Josh. The opening paragraph casts a BS flavor over the piece, IMHO. Pick another name, do some research, and then tell a where are they now story.

 

[dashiellx]

But I'm not a journalist.Again, it's fine to roll out a one sided PR campaign, just don't call it journalism.

And to seek cover behind only being a niche publication covering something tiny like disc golf and not being a "wide-reaching" news organization is making flimsy assumptions about what your current readers want to know about Anthon and it shows a complacency about reaching the general public - which is totally fine to do, it's just not professional journalism.

Admits to not being a journalist, but can judge what is and is not professional journalism.

There are different levels of journalism, this is a feature piece and thus a different level of journalism.

 

[Stable]

You Cackalackians are harder on him than he deserves. He is the best state coordinator you have ever had despite sometimes being incapable of keeping his mouth shut.

My observation is that he puts a lot of time into NC disc golf. I'm totally appreciative of all the motivated people (MTL included) we have in this state that give their time to running tournaments, building new courses and helping maintain good relationships with our parks departments. We have a really great scene here.

 

[onemilemore]

You're either a journalist or your not. Why should it matter if you're working for the NYT or Cat Fancy? Just because someone covers disc golf doesn't require a reduction in journalistic standards. The fact that the editorial staff even considered trying to get in touch with the victim shows that they knew that journalistic standards exist. It's 100% fine, if someone wants to publish a fan blog or help a disc golfer rehab their image without reporting all the angles, like talking to the victim. Talking to victims would be unpleasant to do. I wouldn't want to do it. But I'm not a journalist. Again, it's fine to roll out a one sided PR campaign, just don't call it journalism.

And to seek cover behind only being a niche publication covering something tiny like disc golf and not being a "wide-reaching" news organization is making flimsy assumptions about what your current readers want to know about Anthon and it shows a complacency about reaching the general public - which is totally fine to do, it's just not professional journalism.

And you state that it's tone deaf to fully report a story like Anthon? To whom is it tone deaf? What if someone in the family reads the piece? I know the odds are long but what if someone in the family is a disc golfer? You think they're gonna be stoked hearing how great Anthon's doing without being given the chance to respond?



There was some good reporting. But Anthon is news, not only to disc golfers but to the public. And aren't disc golfers members of the public too? Yolo County represented the public against him in court, and it wasn't for littering. Publishing his views regarding his crime and not getting the other side is just not good reporting. When a professional journalist touchs a subject like Anthon, that person owes it to their readers to cover it correctly.

I fully respect your opinion on this, and we've had some quality discussion on here in the past so I don't see this as coming from a bad place. At the end of the day, I had to make a call that balanced the angle of the story, its intended audience, and the author's level of comfort in addressing the issue. Could the family angle made things more complete? Absolutely. The only thing I bristle at is calling the piece a one sided PR campaign. It was absolutely not one sided, and it was still professional journalism. I think the fact that I am addressing the question even being posed to us about the family being contacted shows a level of professionalism, as well. It would have been easy to ignore the comment entirely, but I think this is a good discussion to have.

I truly do appreciate people bringing this up, though. It's a good learning experience for all of us, and it reassures me that people are truly ready for journalism in disc golf, whether it's hard hitting news or feature pieces. That is exciting.

There are different levels of journalism, this is a feature piece and thus a different level of journalism.

Thank you for so succinctly saying what I clearly was struggling with. Good discussion all around.

 

[zgmc]

It so touching that anthon has become a Christian while in prison. :rollseyes:

 

[Halcón]

It so touching that anthon has become a Christian while in prison. :rollseyes:

What's that supposed to mean?

 

[JTacoma03]

Admits to not being a journalist, but can judge what is and is not professional journalism.

There are different levels of journalism, this is a feature piece and thus a different level of journalism.

He does this often with media people, I'm curious to know what he does, because he always seems to know how we're doing it wrong.

 

[filobedo]

Interesting article but I would rather see articles on former players who have not been seen in years that dominated locally or around the country like Larry Leonard, Mike Hoffman and Mandi Snodgrass, Carlton Howard, Todd Branch, Scott Martin, Walt Haney and Tschiggfrie

 

[mj20300]

Interesting article but I would rather see articles on former players who have not been seen in years that dominated locally or around the country like Larry Leonard, Mike Hoffman and Mandi Snodgrass, Carlton Howard, Todd Branch, Scott Martin, Walt Haney and Tschiggfrie

Well, considering he sees or knows most of those, since they are from nc. And I can tell you what those ones are up to

 

[mark996]

What's that supposed to mean?

I believe he's referring to the extremely high amount of people who find Jesus or salvation while incarcerated only to back slide and return to their thuggish ways once released back in to society.

 

[Halcón]

I believe he's referring to the extremely high amount of people who find Jesus or salvation while incarcerated only to back slide and return to their thuggish ways once released back in to society.

I'm not gonna lie. That's the first thing I thought when I read that he has become a Christian. But let's hope we're wrong, and he is really a changed man. He's a heck of a disc golfer, and certainly deserves a second chance once he's paid for his crime.

 

[discgman]

You're either a journalist or your not. Why should it matter if you're working for the NYT or Cat Fancy?

Cant wait for that fancy cat article about ISIS in Syria.

 

[HiFi]

On a disc golf website, with an article geared towards disc golfers, you would include a section on the victim's family?

How exactly do you imagine that conversation going?

"Uh, Hi, yeah I'm doing an article on that guy who pleaded no contest to killing your (insert relation) a couple of years ago. It's really about letting his disc golf fans know how he's doing - care to comment?"


Absurd.

Hard to argue with this. The piece was on Josh and not necessarily on the incident itself. If it were the indignation would be justified.