The Couch Gymnast is (literally) a student of reporting.
In a post that made me laugh out loud, she quoted Barabara Matson, paid journalist for old media, the Boston Globe:
… Raisman opened her first senior competition with a splash, posting the top score on the beam, sticking a Yurchenko double full dismount to earn a 15.15. …quoted in Couch Gymnast
Yurchenko double full on beam. Now that is impressive.
I’ve watched old media sports journalists at NCAA and VISA Championships in the States. With a very few exceptions (e.g. Linda Hamilton, Deseret News) they have no idea what they are covering. Gymnastics is a complicated, rapidly evolving sport.
All mainstream journalists want is to know who won. And to grab some quotes from the post-meet press conference. Their articles are at best, boring. At worst, embarrassing.
So what should you read if you want to know what actually happened?
Gymnastics organizations with paid staff put out articles that read like dull promotional press releases. For example, the recent World Cup in Montreal. What would you know about that event if you didn’t attend?
FIG – Canada and Japan call the shots at Gymnix
Gymnastics Canada – Calgary’s Gafuik leads Canadian medal haul at gymnastics World Cup in Montreal
Those articles contain no glaring errors. But the writers are careful not to say a negative word. The real “story” of the Montreal World Cup is that it should be cancelled for lack of participation. And that the entire World Cup Series should be eliminated, or improved.
You’d have to talk to someone who was there. Or read the article on GYMmedia by Eckhard Herholz to hear anything about the issue.
By far the most insightful, interesting and entertaining commentary on gymnastics today is on blogs. Almost anyone can find some they like. (Check our list of BLOGS in the right hand navigation.)
Blogs are not perfect, God knows. They over-report rumour, scandal and problems. But I still spend 90% of my own time online reading blogs and watching video. Old media is so predictable I rarely need to skim more than the headlines.
What’s the future?
Blythe Lawrence was one of the most respected gymnastics bloggers (Gymblog) before transitioning to a new media platform called Gymnastics Examiner. She’s a trained journalist, yet her Examiner articles are closer to blog posts than The New York Times.
Examiner has high enough standards to be linked to by the F.I.G.
Gymnastics Examiner is the future.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 