The difference between Louisville and Lex media

[CardinalDave]

I grew up in eastern Ky. , moved to Louisville as a teen and graduated from Georgetown College and I am well well aware of the media in each of these markets. The Lexington media (all outlets) will take any news on UK or whomever their coach is and present it or spin it in the most positive way possible. If anything negative, it is either ignored entirely or presented in a way to minimize the negative. Their media actively supports and promotes the local school. I completely get it.
The Louisville media(all outlets) appear to be concerned that they will be viewed as supporting the local school and,consequently are not as supportive and appear to prefer reporting and promoting the negative.
In my years of working and traveling the country I know of no other college town that gets similar treatment from their local media. I don't know if it is the ridiculous notion that, being the states largest city that they should cover both institutions equally , or if it is that many UK grads work for local media and prefer to promote UK. Either way I believe it to be a ridiculous business model.
The Lexington outlets and LHL will ALWAYS cover any UK news more thoroughly than the CJ and local news. Why the CJ specifically (and the local radio and TV outlets to a lesser degree) have not taken the opportunity to embrace and support the "local" school and gain the loyalty of the majority of college sports fans in the metro area is beyond me. I recently cancelled my 30+ year subscription to the CJ for this reason. The only UK games I ,as a Louisville resident and U of L supporter, watch or care reading about is when they play Louisville. I never read any article concerning them or their coaches.
If I am not mistaken the LHL doesn't even have beat writers cover Louisville games. They take an AP article and print it. Makes sense to me.
It has always appeared to me to be very short sighted to do business this way and is perhaps why the CJ is near death(as are many newspapers nationally).

 

[KerryRhodes]

Here we go ;

I cancled 5 years ago because of the stoopid rotation of the cover story. Cards article
would be at the top, while the cover pic, which took up 3/5 of the page , was on SuCkS.

Lex herald FINALLY got a beat writer for UofL about 3 to 4 years ago?
They did previously use AP wires. The short ones.

Lex herald has 4 writers covering SuCkS. UofL has 1 writer covering UofL.

Lex herald has a DAILY article on SuCkS. The CJ (when i read it) would not
do a daily article on UofL.

One morning i made a delivery in Lexghanistan. Stopped at hardees to eat breakfast.
Lex herald laying there. Nite before, UofL had played UC in basketball. SuCkS didnt play.
On the front page of the sports, was a feature on a local HS team. The UofL-UC write up
was on page 12. A small write up. This would NEVER happen with the CJ.

I understand there is a sizeable portion of SuCkS fans in the metro area. Also understand
that the CJ is the statewide paper where SuCkS fans outnumber Cards fans 3-1. However,
it still should be UofL first.

Local news will rotate between who is covered first between the two schools when
both play on the same day. I highly doubt Lexghanistan media does this.

Lexghanistan has 3 radio stations that 95%5 cover SuCkS.
Louisville just got a station that covers UofL 95% of the conversation. Before, 840, 680,
and even 790 split 50-50 between UofL and SuCkS. 840 sold out and gave SuCkS priority.

Louisville media blows and is blew tinged. I rarely watch local news. Dont read the crap journal.
Rarely listen to local sports radio, save 93.9.

Put UofL first and 90% of the coverage, not only will i'll be back, but so will many fellow
UofL fans.

 

[PHCARD]

I'm with you Kerry. CJ kicked out. WDRB was my only TV news station. They are turned off. 790 turned off. I'm one of those customers that just walks away and never comes back.

 

[KerryRhodes]

I guess you have never heard of Jerry Tipton. Louisville media has been a Puppet for Jurich and Pitino for years. They are reporting on this scandal because it happened and everyone has come to terms with it. They are reporting on Rick being a sore loser because he's now 1-8 vs Cal and flipped off the crowd while walking out and dodged the media. It was a childish move and he should have been called out for it.

Get it right loser. Cow is 16-12 vs Coach Pitino.
Its not a scandal , its allegations. Reports are that hoe-trina's journals
will soon be confirmed to be fabricated.
If Jurich owned the media, nothing would ever come out about UofL.

Unlike Lexghanistan media ignoring the 10k for john wall. Cousins family
receiving a furnished home. 200k for anthony davis. Bledsoe passing algebra 3
WITHOUT passing algebra 1. This so called scandal has gotten more coverage
than lloyd tubmans rape allegations.

Kill it with the cheap shots. Why dont the lex Herald do a story on how cow can
amass 30 five stars. On top of that, how cow can amass 30 five stars and only
win one title. That should be more concerning than about someone who hasnt
coached there in 19 years................

 

[Cue Card]

I get better coverage of UofL living in Texas than I ever got when living in Kentucky.Now how pathetic is that? Now to be fair, I haven't lived in Kentucky for 35 years, and I've only lived in Texas for around 10. Still, it's pretty bad when you get better coverage living outside the state compared to living in it.

 

[Jdhays21]

Correct all time Cal is 16-12. However the OP clearly states we are talking about the difference between Lexington and Louisville. Why would Cal's record vs Pitino outside of his tenure at UK have any relevance to this conversation. Either way "Coach Cow" who can't coach at all has a winning record against the greatest coach that ever lived in Rick. Being a scandal and allegations aren't mutually exclusive. Also funny that Rick has admitted something went on and you consider it allegations yet you reel off a list of allegations trying to pass them as fact to prove Lexington media is easy on UK.

 

[CardinalDave]

I was commenting on the difference between the media in the city of Louisville vs. Lexington.
I never addressed Cal vs. Rick. Never said he was the best coach of all time( though I believe an argument can be made that he is among that group). Never addresses the allegations, never brought up Rick flipping off the crowd. You just can't help yourself can you?
Your acceptance of all allegations as being 100% true tells me all I need to know about your position. If you take your opinion(s) to one of the Cat boards there are hundreds who will agree with everything you say. I would venture a guess that the vast majority of fans on this Louisville board would agree with what I initiated and even have some valid and meaningful things to contribute. I look forward to hearing those....

 

[zipp]

My problem with Louisville media is they adapt too slowly. Many still take the easy, cop-out position of a 50-50 split in their viewing audience, when the ratio is clearly and heavily skewed U of L. The best that most of them do is lead with U of L news and info.

There doesn't have to be equal time anymore because that's not their audience. Even out to a 50-mile radius--their signal capability--the BEST it gets nowadays from an LPT perspective is 50-50.

"Elite program", my a$$...

 

[OneEarWonder]

I've lived in both markets. Lexington news is 90% UK year round. God forbid UK is playing that day... The TV stations were all decked out in all blue, trying to one up each other. Journalism and objectivity were foreign concepts.

I think it summarizes the mentality. I've always said Lexington is the biggest small town I've ever lived in.

Louisville is not a major metropolis either, but light years ahead of Lexington... And I think that is reflected in the local media.

 

[nccardfan]

I think it's not that hard to understand. The CJ is not just a Louisville newspaper or market. In fact I have relatives who are UK fans who dropped the CJ for being too biased towards U of L. That's where they get in trouble trying to keep it 50-50 and not keeping anyone happy. Do you think anyone would buy the Lexingon paper in Lexington if they ran stories about U of L?

 

[PHCARD]

Bu!!sh*t on UK fans that claim they dropped the CJ because there was too much on the UL stories.
I don't buy it one bit. They dropped the CJ to pay for their true blue Herald.

 

[baseonballs]

My problem with Louisville media is they adapt too slowly. Many still take the easy, cop-out position of a 50-50 split in their viewing audience, when the ratio is clearly and heavily skewed U of L. The best that most of them do is lead with U of L news and info.

There doesn't have to be equal time anymore because that's not their audience. Even out to a 50-mile radius--their signal capability--the BEST it gets nowadays from an LPT perspective is 50-50.

"Elite program", my a$$...

I agree with the above statement of Zipp.

At the same time, the PRINT media in Louisville, specifically The Courier-Journal, is financially struggling. The C-J is not alone, though. Newspapers around the country, including the likes of the New York Times, are in a similar situation. It's an outdated media, really, in many ways. There seems to be more stories in the C-J to sell newspapers, not just report the news. The C-J has taken on more a "tabloid" nature.

Tim Sullivan has a lot of years in the print media, working around this part of the country - then out west. Before his job at the C-J, he was let go in his job out west. He's in his mid to late 50's. He said he didn't sleep for days afterward he was let go.

 

[cardfaninmemphis]

Here in Memphis, the TV and print media are all very pro-U of Memphis. With the basketball team struggling and the head coach's ability still in question, they still will take pains to defend him. When Calipari was here and a teammate gave Sean Banks a black-eye, the media would not identify the other player and they defended Banks, who was clearly becoming a cancer on the team.

 

[nccardfan]

PHcard,

My relatives live in hoptown, so no they don't buy the Herald and now they don't buy the CJ. That was my point, the CJ used to have subscribers in Paducah, bowling Green, Owensboro etc, much more than just a "Louisville" paper. It was for people who wanted news about the state of Kentucky.

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Can't believe people still "read the paper."

 

[KerryRhodes]

PHcard,

My relatives live in hoptown, so no they don't buy the Herald and now they don't buy the CJ. That was my point, the CJ used to have subscribers in Paducah, bowling Green, Owensboro etc, much more than just a "Louisville" paper. It was for people who wanted news about the state of Kentucky.

As usual you miss the point.
Newspapers around the country can be statewide AND still feature the city theyre in,
not share or some days ignore.

This isnt Bowling Green or Richmond were the majority of people are SuCkS fans.
You highlight and feature your city and teams-Statewide. You can also report, feature
localities just like the cj used to still does.

If the cj wants to increase hard copy sales, they'll FEATURE Louisville, not share or ignore
the hometown team.

 

[clearthebases]

This thread reminds me of why I turned from supporting both teams back in the late 70's to backing only the Cards. Got tired of local media (T.V. & paper)snubbing the Cards. Been one of the best decisions I've ever made.

 

[nccardfan]

Wrong Kerry. If it was supposed to be all about Louisville it would be call the Louisville Times and I dare say there are probably more U of L fans in Bowling Green than Suck fans.

 

[Cue Card]

Wrong Kerry. If it was supposed to be all about Louisville it would be call the Louisville Times and I dare say there are probably more U of L fans in Bowling Green than Suck fans.

It was the Louisville Times until 1987. Gannet bought the two papers, the CJ and the Louisville Times from the Bingham family in 1986, and then stopped the production of the Louisville Times in 1987. That was the shift away from covering UofL sports in favor of covering UofK sports IMO, and that was the beginning of the end for the newspaper. Billy Reed quit shortly after Gannet bought the papers because he didn't agree with that shift.

That's the way I remember it anyway. That was a long time ago, so I could be wrong on some of the dates.

 

[nccardfan]

Exactly Cue. Once the paper was no longer locally owned, it became more about distribution and marketing, not keeping locals happy about their sports...

 

[zipp]

Media outlets try to cover all the bases to maximize their audience. I have no problem with that. But their coverage should be proportional IMO. You don't give equal coverage to two sports with a 100-to-1 ratio in their respective fanbases. That's negligence or stupidity.

U of L is clearly in the dominant position locally as far as sports are concerned. When the local newspaper starts to recognize that, I may become a customer again. Same applies to all other forms of local media...

 

[CATFANFOLIFE87]

UL fans do not make up a "dominant" portion of Louisville. It's probably a 60-40 split if I had to guess. News coverage and placement in the paper are determined by hits. UK articles must be getting equal hits online or it wouldn't be getting equal preference on the front page. The LHL would be doing the same if that were the case in Lexington. No paper has the luxury of ignoring the facts and writing whatever they want. They don't make enough money to ignore readership statistics

 

[CardinalJim]

Well you would guess wrong as usual. During football season it's probably 10%. While you and nimrod brethren were making your Owen and Three jokes, it may have risen to 15% with the bandwagon "I don't follow football" bunch jumping back on the wagon.

During basketball season, it peaks at about 25% in the less affluent areas of the city, and that only lasts until they lose in the tournament. They talk so much crap during the season they quickly disappear to keep from being reminded about their silly predictions about going undefeated.

You do realize uk used to try to hold pep rallies here before the football games but stopped because no one showed up. UK opened an extension office on Main and it quickly closed as it was never used. UK used to hold an annual game here but stopped due to lack of interest. If Louisville is 40% uk fans as you state why can't they sell out Freedom Hall for a basketball game?

UL fans do not make up a "dominant" portion of Louisville. It's probably a 60-40 split if I had to guess. News coverage and placement in the paper are determined by hits. UK articles must be getting equal hits online or it wouldn't be getting equal preference on the front page. The LHL would be doing the same if that were the case in Lexington. No paper has the luxury of ignoring the facts and writing whatever they want. They don't make enough money to ignore readership statistics

 

[CATFANFOLIFE87]

Well you would guess wrong as usual. During football season it's probably 10%. While you and nimrod brethren were making your Owen and Three jokes, it may have risen to 15% with the bandwagon "I don't follow football" bunch jumping back on the wagon.

During basketball season, it peaks at about 25% in the less affluent areas of the city, and that only lasts until they lose in the tournament. They talk so much crap during the season they quickly disappear to keep from being reminded about their silly predictions about going undefeated.

You do realize uk used to try to hold pep rallies here before the football games but stopped because no one showed up. UK opened an extension office on Main and it quickly closed as it was never used. UK used to hold an annual game here but stopped due to lack of interest. If Louisville is 40% uk fans as you state why can't they sell out Freedom Hall for a basketball game?

They stopped selling out the game in Louisville because when Cal was hired season ticket holders complained that one of the better non-conference games was being played in Louisville and not a part of the season ticket package. UK stopped scheduling IU and ND and started scheduling D2 teams so it became harder to sellout because people don't want to pay $45 to sit at the top of freedom hall to see Appalacian State. You can't honestly believe that UK fans are only 25% of Louisville. A reasonable person could try to argue that louisville is 35% UK fans but any less than that is just being dishonest. This thread wouldn't exist if UL fans made up +70% of the city. The CJ wouldn't be forced to cover the two teams so evenly

 

[OneEarWonder]

According to an old survey by the CJ (2005),

The numbers showed Kentucky was favorite for 67 percent of respondents, Louisville at 17 percent and other schools at 16 percent.

But in Louisville, 57 percent of those polled said they cheer for the Cardinals, 33 percent for the Wildcats and 10 percent for other teams.

If the CJ was focused just on the Louisville Metro area, sure. But they try to have coverage through the entire state. Having a local "neighborhood" section makes sense, having localized sports, not so much. In the end, I don't think the CJ cares about what team does what, as long as they can maintain advertisers and subscription rates.

Personally, I haven't subscribed in about 15 years because (a) the Internet and (b) was not thrilled with the publication as a whole.

 

[CardinalJim]

So Texas A&M should have won going away huh? The only reason Louisville won was because the 2nd team QB didn't play? Do you actually watch football?
CJ

They stopped selling out the game in Louisville because when Cal was hired season ticket holders complained that one of the better non-conference games was being played in Louisville and not a part of the season ticket package. UK stopped scheduling IU and ND and started scheduling D2 teams so it became harder to sellout because people don't want to pay $45 to sit at the top of freedom hall to see Appalacian State. You can't honestly believe that UK fans are only 25% of Louisville. A reasonable person could try to argue that louisville is 35% UK fans but any less than that is just being dishonest. This thread wouldn't exist if UL fans made up +70% of the city. The CJ wouldn't be forced to cover the two teams so evenly

 

[Louisvillian]

If enough Louisville fans dropped their subscriptions to the CJ they would be forced to do what they already do when it comes to local/state news. If you get the CJ out in the state you don't get a Louisville Metro news section, (makes sense) you would get a "Kentucky" or "State" section.

The same could be done with the sports section if it cost them enough in Louisville area subscriptions. Of course the downside of this would be that Jefferson County Big Blew fans would cancel their subscriptions, at least the 17% that can read.

 

[Petjurino]

I'm with you Kerry. CJ kicked out. WDRB was my only TV news station. They are turned off. 790 turned off. I'm one of those customers that just walks away and never comes back.

Yep. I have done the same. UKourier Journal has been gone for years. 790 turned UK a few years back, gone. All of the TV stations except for WDRB and WAVE are pro UK so they are gone. WDRB and WAVE are all I'll watch. 840 is a definite no no after they sold out and employed Lachcat for all of those years. It's pitiful that our own city is biased (errr bought) for UK.

 

[PHCARD]

WDRB is turned off because Bozo called for CRP's head the day after ESPN did the interview with the can't get my lying stories straight hooker.

 

[Petjurino]

WDRB is turned off because Bozo called for CRP's head the day after ESPN did the interview with the can't get my lying stories straight hooker.

True, sometimes I forget Bozo works for WDRB. I always associate him with the UKourier. I am torn though because Eric Crawford has been great through this. He's the only one that has told the truth and investigated the truth. I guess for now WDRB goes off because Bozo is so bad. I guess it's just WAVE. Hopefully they don't let me down.

 

[baseonballs]

While I have like Bozich in the past, I disagree with his perspective and opinions on these issues. I do believe that maybe he learned after leaving the C-J that not only is he paid to give his opinion; but he must "sell" stories and get "clicks" on the internet. He may very well understand the business of the media even better after leaving the C-J.

Same with Tim Sullivan. While he has talent as a writer, I believe that his experiences after getting let go from his previous job made him realize even more that he has to "sell" stories to keep his job. No matter how good or bad he writes; if people don't buy the newspaper, he won't have a job.

 

[Senore2006]

This time around things get really, really ugly. Bozich and Sullivan both have made explanatory articles explaining themselves to a dubious public who relished seeing them pay - via Rick - for violating a primary principle of Loyalty: You do not kick the locals when they are down.

Their fascinating rationalizations cover the standard pundit clauses, although Sullivan in his stunning ignorance (or maybe he just doesn't care) actually finds ways to double down on his massive sense of Pitino's disgrace to the sport. Bozich implies he has been back and forth with Rick before, but, to this naive mind, I see it in another light...........Bozich took advantage of a situation where Louisville could have used a little support - a la Crawford (who seems embarrassed at being embraced so fully because of another set of fearful perceptions that he might be in the throat of UofL fans for reasons other than his urges to counsel patience and his movement towards discovery of fact.) I liked his clearing the air - Eric, I mean. And I respect his caveat sort of article.

I happen to believe the damage done to Bozich and Sully to be of the most fatal sort. In fact, the others in the wider media - John Barr, Cowherd, the local dismal-assed harpies who piled on the anti-Rick bandwagon like rats smelling cheese, the always-pathetic Corky Goodman, football morons Mike and Mike - have damaged any relationships with UofL fans at the same time in memorable ways.

But Boz and Sullivan have achieved an emotional distance nothing will ever repair. It is the kind of contempt that never wavers or repairs itself. We all make choices in life - I can only imagine the rabid censure these guys poured on Papa Joe or any of the other dupes in scandalous situations. As our supposed mouthpieces, that is generally their role as opinionators, right or wrong. They get paid for that. But they chose in this instance to ignore patience and caution and to savage something very dear to us all.

There is a level of contempt that needs no memorization. WEhen trust is violated, no one needs to write down the names - it is felt to our bones. I feel that Bozich has mishandled our trust - and Sullivan not only mishandled it, but is peeing on it as we speak. Both have earned a lifetime sentence for Louisville fans. Our trust in their motives and persons will be forever withheld. They have literally achieved villain status.

 

[ACCCard]

I grew up in eastern Ky. , moved to Louisville as a teen and graduated from Georgetown College and I am well well aware of the media in each of these markets. The Lexington media (all outlets) will take any news on UK or whomever their coach is and present it or spin it in the most positive way possible. If anything negative, it is either ignored entirely or presented in a way to minimize the negative. Their media actively supports and promotes the local school. I completely get it.
The Louisville media(all outlets) appear to be concerned that they will be viewed as supporting the local school and,consequently are not as supportive and appear to prefer reporting and promoting the negative.
In my years of working and traveling the country I know of no other college town that gets similar treatment from their local media. I don't know if it is the ridiculous notion that, being the states largest city that they should cover both institutions equally , or if it is that many UK grads work for local media and prefer to promote UK. Either way I believe it to be a ridiculous business model.
The Lexington outlets and LHL will ALWAYS cover any UK news more thoroughly than the CJ and local news. Why the CJ specifically (and the local radio and TV outlets to a lesser degree) have not taken the opportunity to embrace and support the "local" school and gain the loyalty of the majority of college sports fans in the metro area is beyond me. I recently cancelled my 30+ year subscription to the CJ for this reason. The only UK games I ,as a Louisville resident and U of L supporter, watch or care reading about is when they play Louisville. I never read any article concerning them or their coaches.
If I am not mistaken the LHL doesn't even have beat writers cover Louisville games. They take an AP article and print it. Makes sense to me.
It has always appeared to me to be very short sighted to do business this way and is perhaps why the CJ is near death(as are many newspapers nationally).

 

[ACCCard]

I am annoyed daily with the UK slant in our own city, however, you have to consider where the paper goes and sells. It gets out of Jefferson County and hits Cat Country immediately, and those folks are more likely to read the paper vs. electronic media news sources. Don't like it, but it is probably a good business decision for a declining media outlet.

 

[HedleyLamarr]

Sullivan publishes a 40 year old story about a sleazy recruiter, right before the UK game, trying to compare it to the Louisville scandal. He then follows that with a hypothetical story suggesting Louisville should have paid the whore off. He is just making shit up. Anything to try to sell a newspaper. It is just plain crap.

 

[KerryRhodes]

Sullivan publishes a 40 year old story about a sleazy recruiter, right before the UK game, trying to compare it to the Louisville scandal. He then follows that with a hypothetical story suggesting Louisville should have paid the whore off. He is just making shit up. Anything to try to sell a newspaper. It is just plain crap.

Like SuCkS did with the Chicago sun story on anthony davis and the 200k

 

[OneEarWonder]

Like SuCkS did with the Chicago sun story on anthony davis and the 200k

Not that tired old retread again. That story had no substance and no legs. A single anonymous "source" is no source at all. With all the scrutiny on Cal and UK due to both history and popularity... don't you think if this had ANY validity it would have come out???

 

[KerryRhodes]

Not that tired old retread again. That story had no substance and no legs. A single anonymous "source" is no source at all. With all the scrutiny on Cal and UK due to both history and popularity... don't you think if this had ANY validity it would have come out???

Try your reading comprehension.

BOUGHT THE EVIDENCE. Its not what you know, its what you can prove. Best way
for SuCkS to escape their usual probations was to pay off those involved.
There's a reason Scat has TWO compliance officers.

 

[OneEarWonder]

Try your reading comprehension.

BOUGHT THE EVIDENCE. Its not what you know, its what you can prove. Best way
for SuCkS to escape their usual probations was to pay off those involved.
There's a reason Scat has TWO compliance officers.

I'm calling BS. There is nothing to buy, and nothing to prove. They are too big of a target that IF there was ANY substance to that unsubstantiated accusation someone would have stepped forward. Your wishful thinking does not make it true.

 

[KerryRhodes]

Keep biting your finger nails Scat lover. Id keep a rosary in my hand if i was ya'll to.

It takes one person to blow up what WWW has done for crapiperi at memphis and SuCkS.

If the CIA can execute a president, surely WWW can funnel players through Lexghanistan.

The Emory cash was not a plant.................