Golf Coverage Falling Victim To Newspaper Budget Cuts
 |
Newspaper Budget Cuts Likely
To Lead To Less Golf Coverage |
With many newspapers facing layoffs and budget cuts, the "balancing act increasingly is tipping toward less golf coverage," according to Bill Fields of GOLF WORLD. There were "about 30 full-time golf writers" at daily U.S. newspapers around 20 years ago, but now the number is "less than 10 and dropping." Fields writes media centers at the PGA Tour The Players Championship and the U.S. Open this year were "noticeably less crowded, with 12[%] fewer reporters at the Players and [5-10%] fewer at the U.S. Open" than in '07. R&A Communications Manager Malcolm Booth said that of the 90 U.S. journalists accredited for next week's British Open, only 18 are from newspapers, down from 27 in '06. Chicago Tribune golf writer Ed Sherman, who was going to this year's British Open before Tiger Woods withdrew due to his knee injury, said, "As sports sections begin to shrink, the first thing to go is golf. I've already felt the squeeze and I know it is going to get much, much worse. In our paper, what are they going to cut: Cubs' coverage or golf?" L.A. Times golf writer Thomas Bonk, who also is skipping the British Open, said, "If there are any saving graces for me, which I need, it's that Tiger Woods is a local. He considers Southern California home." Craig Dolch, who recently accepted a voluntary buyout from the Palm Beach Post after serving as its golf writer for 14 years, said, "No decision has been made, but it was made clear that if there is a golf-writing position at the Post after we cut 40[%] of our staff, it would probably be only to cover local golf and pro events in our area." Fields notes newspapers are relying more on AP golf writer Doug Ferguson, who will cover between 26-28 tournaments this season (GOLF WORLD, 7/11 issue).
|
