NTY time for a beat writter change in Mobile

[auburntiger77 0]

http://www.nevertoyieldfoundation.com/2012/time-for-change-at-the-mobile-press-register/

Great article, the mobile Bama beat writter is leaving, article calls for woodberry to take his place and get a new Auburn beat writter. Woodberry is an Bama grad who writes biased articles about Auburn.

Did not paste article as we should give these guys the hits.

[dpwspringer 0]

I agree 100% with that article.  It is too bad Evan, as a bama grad, could do his job in a professional manner and just had too much bammer in him to be fair, honest, and ethical as an Auburn beat writer.

[bwillaub 0]

auburnbass had a good thread about him a few days ago.  Looks like a positive change in LA!

[AuburnGrad78 0]

I disagree.  Evan Woodbery has shown professionalism and balance and is respected among his peers.

[bwillaub 0]

I disagree.  Evan Woodbery has shown professionalism and balance and is respected among his peers.

There are many who would disagree.

[beagle34 72]

How about a poll 

[AuburnGrad78 0]

I disagree.  Evan Woodbery has shown professionalism and balance and is respected among his peers.

There are many who would disagree.

No requirement that everyone agree with me .  Just stating my opinion

[WarEagle10 77]

Get rid of Evan altogether?  How's that? He is an agenda driven "sports journalist" (I use that term loosely) who would fit right in at BSPN.

[icanthearyou 4,463]

Regardless of any bias, he is a poor journalist. 

[auburntiger77 0]

Woodberry Responds to NtY... Of course he never once denies his bias, just that he and his family like the City of Auburn...

  http://www.nevertoyieldfoundation.com/2012/woodbery-auburn-is-a-great-place/

To whom it may concern:

After 10 years of covering college football, I’ve learned to have a thick skin and a good sense of humor about message-board insults. But since your article is so comprehensive and has already been sent to me about a dozen times this morning, I wanted to correct or at least clarify some facts.

First, I write equally for the Press-Register, the Birmingham News and the Huntsville Times — the three AL.com newspapers owned by Advance Publications. I work out of the Auburn Bureau with Charles Goldberg, whose copy also appears in all three newspapers. We are colleagues, not competitors. This time of year, my primary job is covering basketball. On National Signing Day, my only job was to help out Charles where needed and monitor a handful of uncommitted prospects. Charles had already pre-loaded signing stories about Auburn commitments into our publishing system. My job was to create stories involving Auburn that weren’t in the database or edit stories to reflect prospects going to another team. Our AL.com coverage — which was outstanding, I believe — should be viewed comprehensively.

Why didn’t I cover Jordan Diamond signing or VanGorder’s hiring or anything else listed in your article? The same reason Charles isn’t driving to Starkville to cover basketball in a few hours. We share duties and work as a team to make AL.com coverage as comprehensive as possible.

I’m not going to go down the list entirely, but I just wanted to highlight your reference to Big Cat Weekend, because it shows a lack of understanding of what we do. You write of my “involvement” as if it were something sinister. Yes, I broke that story and, yes, I’m very proud of it. Every reporter at any newspaper on any beat in the country should love to get that story. That’s what reporters do — or should strive to do. Uncover and report news that would have never seen the light of day otherwise.

You should know that I’ve had at least two opportunities in the past to move to Tuscaloosa and cover Alabama for the Register/AL.com. I haven’t done it because I like my job, Auburn is a great place to live, and I’ve made a lot of great friends here. I’ve lived here longer than any other place in my life other than Ohio, where I grew up. I can’t predict the future, but when/if I leave this job, it won’t have anything to do with disliking Auburn or the people here.

Evan Woodbery

Sports Reporter, Auburn Bureau

Press-Register, Birmingham News, Huntsville Times

[auburnbass 0]

Then he is not a beat writer, he even said it himself. Uncovering a story that was bad for AU, seriously should we celebrate or something.

[triangletiger 1,599]

I've never had a problem with anything he's written or sensed any bias against Auburn.  I think maybe the issue many Auburn people have is that the beat writers for Auburn tend to be objective while the beat writers for Alabama tend to be 'yes' men for the UAT.  If the UAT beat writers were more objective, then this wouldn't be an issue.

[PotteryBarner 0]

I've never had a problem with anything he's written or sensed any bias against Auburn.  I think maybe the issue many Auburn people have is that the beat writers for Auburn tend to be objective while the beat writers for Alabama tend to be 'yes' men for the UAT.  If the UAT beat writers were more objective, then this wouldn't be an issue.

Another thing is that the alabama beat writers tend to not send letters to the NCAA when they see what they deem to be questionable recruiting practices.

[gAUlf 1]

Did we ever figure out if Evan voted Auburn 3rd or 4th in 2004?

[keesler 5,928]

I've never had a problem with anything he's written or sensed any bias against Auburn.  I think maybe the issue many Auburn people have is that the beat writers for Auburn tend to be objective while the beat writers for Alabama tend to be 'yes' men for the UAT.  If the UAT beat writers were more objective, then this wouldn't be an issue.

So is the NTY Foundation trying to get rid of the guy?

[dpwspringer 0]

I've never had a problem with anything he's written or sensed any bias against Auburn.  I think maybe the issue many Auburn people have is that the beat writers for Auburn tend to be objective while the beat writers for Alabama tend to be 'yes' men for the UAT.  If the UAT beat writers were more objective, then this wouldn't be an issue.

So is the NTY Foundation trying to get rid of the guy?

They suggested he take the recent opening for a bama beat writer.  That sounds like a good idea to me A I got tired of Evan's agenda of trying to screw Auburn over a long time ago.  I'm surprise Auburn allows him on campus.

[gAUlf 1]

It's not that Evan has an anti-Auburn agenda, it's that he covers the team more as a journalist instead of a beat writer. He sometimes writes articles that doesn't always shine a bright light on Auburn. I think what most people have a problem is that no uat beat writers have to balls to do the same.

[kingofhill1 2]

I have no problem with Woodbury. I think he is a good writer. I have read his column continuously since he started covering the Tigers. It seems that if anyone writes anything that could be construed as "negative" toward Auburn all hell breaks loose against them.

[bird36 5]

Newspapers are hurting as a business and have been hurting for years.  Most people who buy them are older and fewer and fewer newspaper customers are alive each year.  With this in mind, most print reporters are trying to hold onto their jobs a few more years.  Put this pressure with the knowledge that 75% of the people in the state of Alabama want to read positive stories about uat and negative stories about Auburn and this is what you get. 

The positive of this trend is uat fans think Auburn is always on the brink of total collapse and uat is on the brink of complete domination in the rivalry.  This leads to A LOT of frustration among the great unwashed. 

[Btiger1982 6]

I would like to see him send a few "objective" stories to UAT about UAT and see what that gets him. They might turn him into a salad shooter.

[NoALtiger 3,873]

I don't care who the AU beat reporters are, I just want them to report info so that I can stay in the loop. I really don't care for their opinions nor do I need them to be AU "homers" and pump sunshine to me. Just give me the facts and leave the opinion stuff to the many other "experts" that aren't very hard to find...ahem.  I will say this however, I can bet ya that no AU alum would be allowed to be a Bammer beat reporter for the major Alabama newspapers. Could be wrong, but I doubt it. Updykes would have a tantrum about it.

[AuburnGrad78 0]

I do know of at least one journalist who wrote something defending Woodbery to be posted on the NtY site.  A few hours later, it's still pending.  That's regrettable. 

[Blue_Sky 0]

I do know of at least one journalist who wrote something defending Woodbery to be posted on the NtY site.  A few hours later, it's still pending.  That's regrettable. 

Maybe they are laughing too hard to print it.

[PotteryBarner 0]

I do know of at least one journalist who wrote something defending Woodbery to be posted on the NtY site.  A few hours later, it's still pending.  That's regrettable. 

Just out of curiosity, which journalist?  Brian Matthews?

[AuburnGrad78 0]

I do know of at least one journalist who wrote something defending Woodbery to be posted on the NtY site.  A few hours later, it's still pending.  That's regrettable. 

Just out of curiosity, which journalist?  Brian Matthews?

Actually, the journalist is identified in the post.  I will tell you only that it is a sports journalist who attended Auburn.

And to Blue_Sky: Maybe they're laughing, but let everyone else in on the laugh too.

And as of today (Feb. 14) the reply still has not been posted.