question for the PDT

[ManitouDan]

I know sometimes people familiar with the paper hang out on here -- In todays edition of the sports there was a nice recap of the Clay-Eastern District final. Nothing wrong with the piece but my question is about choice of photo's. There was 1 small color action shot included. Right below that was a really large color of 3 people -- A Horse trainer , Rick Dutrow, the exercise rider Michelle Nevin, and assit' trainer Walter Blum. It would be my guess that far less than 10% of the readers give any care in the world to the activities of horse trainers. So why give 3 people very few people have ever heard a really big color pic when space could have been used for a additional or larger Clay-Eastern shot ?

Would'nt a larger Clay high school article with more or larger pic's be preferrable to the readers ? The piece on the NFL (which is even OUT OF SEASON) extending a labor deadline got as much space on Page 1 than the local girls team .

In the same line of questioning why not include a nice pic from the SW-ND boys game. The PDT covered the game and had a nice recap . Would'nt a local HS pic from a tourney game be better than a Edison Volquez picture ? thanks MD

[ManitouDan]

In todays edition they was a feature across the bottom about the ND waterford game , no problem with that , but it says " See ND on B-2' for the 2nd half of the write-up but sadly they left out the last 1/2 of the story .........so the story stops right in the middle of a quote. you just have to do better than that. MD

[Nine20four]

The Portsmouth Daily Times is a joke of a newspaper and it has been for many, many, years. I'm not sure they even proof-read or edit the thing any more--if they do, they need to hire someone that got a little better grades in spelling and english classes. When it comes to local sports coverage, especially girls high school sports, they drop the ball more often than not. That said, we are fortunate to even have a local paper in this one-horse town. The Scioto Voice is MUCH MUCH better covering local high school sports--their write-ups are more extensive and they publish more photos. I think it's like $20 a year, delivered to your mailbox. I highly recommend it.

[kahn]

The PDT is in rough shape, no argument here. I see errors in it all the time and when I worked there I made my share.

When a staff as small as theirs is forced to put out a daily paper with beyond unreasonable deadlines they have to make a choice. They can either move as fast as they can, get some coverage in and make some mistakes in their rush, or they can take their time proof everything the way it should be done, and get about half the local coverage they do.

It's a rough situation and I don't envy them.

As for the Scioto Voice, Debbie Allard has done a fantastic job with that paper. Having local ownership is such a benefit.

But also realize that a weekly paper has all the time in the world to get to more games because there is no nightly deadline but once a week.

Oh and MD, on your original question I'll chalk the layout concerns up to a new sports editor who I don't think was particularly familiar with the program they use but I really don't know. I always tried to put all the local stuff near the top and in the dominant art spot. Maybe the new guy has a new theory but also they really don't have but one photographer to work with.

[ManitouDan]

hopefully they will listen to constructive criticism and get better. I don't want them to go away. Just offer a better product.

[daluvofallsports]

if you saw sundays paper you will notice that the lady oaks were pictured and their local team wasnt.

[kahn]

Daluv,

People have always found this hard to believe but Oak Hill is to some degree a local team. All the teams in the SOC I and II as well as Portsmouth and Piketon have long been considered the local teams. There are subscribers in all those places.

Also who knows, maybe they didn't get a good photo of the Minford game.