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1. Nearly all content behind paywall.
2. Free articles are blocked if ad block is on.
3. Quality of content is gone.
4. Ken Goe has retired and had the best daily column.
5. No comments to interact.
I’m not sure why Fentress went back to the oregoninian and left The Athletic. The Athletic is superior, better content, comments, better writing. The Athletic does have a cost, but I pay $1-2/month and have access to all sports.
Whoever has been running the Oregonian has really killed it off.
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GoDucks2020 wrote:
1. Nearly all content behind paywall.
2. Free articles are blocked if ad block is on.
3. Quality of content is gone.
4. Ken Goe has retired and had the best daily column.
5. No comments to interact.
I’m not sure why Fentress went back to the oregoninian and left The Athletic. The Athletic is superior, better content, comments, better writing. The Athletic does have a cost, but I pay $1-2/month and have access to all sports.
Whoever has been running the Oregonian has really killed it off.
The newspaper industry has been in a downward spiral for ages. The online ads don't make enough money and now the problem is the content has gotten so bad that it doesn't seem worth much to pay for a subscription.
I still like the recruiting articles by Nemec. Canzano isn't the most likable, but at least he's a decent writer and occasionally writes a good article like the criticisms of Larry Scott. I wish Ken was still around too. I miss the days of the gigantic Sunday paper with numerous articles and the higher journalism standards that came with it.
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fwiw, I can still log-in and read the College Insider paywall content w my seven-year-old OMM acct . . . guess they haven't got around to cleaning up the IM database yet. might try yours . . .
The O is a Newhouse chain paper. its mission is to make money (or not lose too much), rather than any kind of community obligation. it's filled with subscription content from AP and WaPo and other services (Dear Abby), and gives short shrift to local news (which costs money). there are a few good reporters left--Mike Rogoway is particularly good on the local business & tech beat--but by and large it's become a vehicle for syndicated 'lifestyle' content.
The O has had some talented sports beat reporters in the last few years--Greif, Alger, Danny Moran, Gina (forgot her last name)--but they move on to better opportunities. in recent years the paper would not pay to send a beat reporter to Pac-12 men's basketball road games. now that's sorry.
also can't understate how badly Canzano has poisoned the well for the beats w his attacks on Dana Altman, Mike Bellotti, and other UO coaches. and there's lots of peeps in Corvallis who still resent The O publishing the Luke Heimlich story. all in all, a tough job that doesn't pay very well.
good news is there are plenty of other media outlets available for UO athletics or Pac-12 in general. and they cost less than a Venti Caramel Macchicato.
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I only go to OLive for sports via their app on my mobile phone. More specifically I go to "Sports" then "Ducks"(and sometimes "Beavers") and I never experience a paywall issue?!
I don't live in Portland nor did I grow up there so the other news doesn't interest me.
The challenge for OLive is other than the Blazers there are no other major professional sports in Portland or colleges either. Oregon and osu are in other cities. So what sports can they allocate resources?
Overall I think their proofreading and editing are sloppy; Canzano can be annoying but he has a good podcast...plus what other columnist(not beat writer) in the state keeps Oregon / osu / Pac-12 on the radar?
At least I have people who live / work IN Oregon wtiting about college sports in the state.
Losing a veteran like Goe hurts but he spent his entire career there...OLive is not going to attract elite sportswriters with only the Blazers, Oregon, osu and high school sports to cover.
GO DUCKS!