The demise of Jason Whitlock’s career with The Star has enraptured all of Kansas City media to such a large extent that I want try and help guide folks through this grieving process.
It’s not every day that such a prominent Kansas City media player loses a job and it seems that this town is without direction in dealing with the news. To wit, I have outlined the process that both Whitlock and Kansas City media watchers can use to overcome this setback, despite the fact that there really aren’t any other jobs out there for Big Sexy in the aftermath of his Star fallout.
Nevertheless, let’s try to at least start the healing.
1. Obviously, the first step is disappearance. For many months now Whitlock has been missing in action and this one of the more obvious coping mechanisms. Similarly, I skip all of the spam from The Star and I don’t share any real personal info for their meaningless marketing schemes.
2. Angry Tweeting seems to be the second phase of a media downfall. I don’t know how we managed to deal with grief b 4 the Internet allowed us to be so clever with brief quips. Also, blaming Hearne for all your problems does not count as a step, even if it is convenient.
3. Phony recollections and reminiscing provide the public the best way to connect themselves to a media tragedy. Right now we’re all boring each other with Whitlock stories that often fail to acknowledge that in 24 months most media watchers won’t be able to remember his name. If he doesn’t get another high profile gig.
4. Eating. Whitlock held a press conference at Gates this afternoon. BBQ is a bit heavy for lunch but certainly qualifies as this town’s favorite comfort food.
5. Blogging. Posnanski has an amazing sports blog with a national audience. I’m not sure if Whitlock has the discipline to maintain a strict blogging schedule or even to plug in Google Ads. However, this is the final frontier and best road to recovery for all former Star employees. Sadly, there is no six-figure paycheck for bloggers. But until net neutrality is completely abandoned, it’s the best route for self-expression at a time when the rest of the legacy media simply isn’t hiring.
In the end, getting over Whitlock isn’t going to be very difficult.
The real entertainment will come from watching Whitlock look for other work. From a VERY RELIABLE source I’ve heard about those Cable TV news writing gigs and it’s hard enough to get people to read The Star. So a book about the paper-of-record isn’t really a guaranteed home run.
What we have witnessed today is a guy losing the best job he ever had or will have and while that’s sad, it’s worth noting that it’s happening to so many other people across the nation with increasing frequency and in jobs that involve a lot more than talking to people and typing.
Tony Botello
Rainbow Man
Wrong Tony. This is up to Whitlock. He has options. KK made it clear today. He could have an 810 job if he wanted it.
The Independent Rage
Tony with just another typically negative blast about one topic or another — day after day after day after day after day — which is just what all of our daily lives really need these days! Not. If Whitlock does start up a blog, I will at least have some minimal interest in actually reading it. Tony, in contrast, bores the living hell out of me. Which is why I only very rarely ever hit the “continue reading” link on his posts. And boring’s the deathknell of any blogger. Yawn! In contrast, I hit “continue reading” just about anytime I see a Greg Hall post.
Stevo
Re: Tony, in contrast, bores the living hell out of me
And yet, here you are…yawn indeed.
Jim Fitzpatrick
Having entered “the final frontier” five months ago, I can attest to your theory, Tony, that that blogging is the best road to recovery…But I won’t read Jason’s blog, if he puts one on the field. It probably would be worse than “Indepedent Thoughts.”
jojo
the only ones who care about whitlock and his
hjob are hearne and tony…the rest of us could
care less…he’s just another opinionated writer
in a small market….so big deal that he’s gone.
Tony
jojo, the phrase is “couldn’t care less”. That means you care so little it would be impossible to care any less because you care none. Why do so many people screw this up?
Jim Lahey, member ITPSAATPS
Tony, language is what the public perceives. There is no official, canonical English.
Someone like yourself that can neither write English nor Spanish well should know that.
Whitlock was a lot like you, Tony. A race baiter who wrote on a 4th grade level, with opinions that appeared to be hashed out over a long lunch.
What made him famous was he made his bank turning on his own people while you toil in obscurity trying to blast whites for slights that exist only in your own head.
Jim Fitzpatrick
OK, Jim — Tony and Whitlock are both on your shit list. Thanks for that. Now, would you mind putting on your positive hat and naming a couple of writers — anywhere, any publication or Web site — that you like?
Duh
Jim – you are telling Jim to put on his positive hat? Tony is the most negative writer I have ever read! He obviously hates everything about KC.
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