"There aren't enough good journalists. There are too many who really weren't groomed to be reporters and, as a result, some of the reporting is shallow"
About this Quote
Will McDonough, the Boston Globe legend who helped invent modern NFL insider reporting, speaks from a world where journalism was learned through apprenticeship. Reporters were not merely writers; they were trained investigators embedded on beats, forged by skeptical editors, relentless fact-checking, and the slow, daily work of building sources who trusted them. Grooming meant learning the craft: how to ask the right questions, verify what you are told, understand the players and institutions you cover, and resist the temptation to publish before you truly know.
The complaint about shallow reporting is less a swipe at individual talent than a diagnosis of a system that no longer cultivates depth. Shrinking newsrooms, the 24/7 news cycle, social media churn, and the economics of clicks all reward speed and hot takes over patient evidence. When reporters are not given time, mentorship, and a defined beat, they skim the surface. Stories lean on press releases, aggregation, and unvetted narratives. The result is coverage that fills space but does not add knowledge.
McDonoughs own career underscores the alternative: mastery of a subject, cultivated relationships, and the courage to risk being second in order to be right. Sports may seem a lighter field, yet it often sits at the intersection of business, law, health, and culture. Labor disputes, concussion science, public stadium financing, and criminal investigations all demand specialized understanding. Without grooming, reporters misread sources, miss context, and amplify noise.
The lament doubles as a prescription. Good journalism is teachable. It requires institutions that invest in editors and training, protect time for reporting, and value corrections as a sign of integrity rather than failure. Digital tools expand what is possible, but they do not replace the human disciplines that produce insight. Depth is not an accident; it is the outcome of a culture that insists on it.
The complaint about shallow reporting is less a swipe at individual talent than a diagnosis of a system that no longer cultivates depth. Shrinking newsrooms, the 24/7 news cycle, social media churn, and the economics of clicks all reward speed and hot takes over patient evidence. When reporters are not given time, mentorship, and a defined beat, they skim the surface. Stories lean on press releases, aggregation, and unvetted narratives. The result is coverage that fills space but does not add knowledge.
McDonoughs own career underscores the alternative: mastery of a subject, cultivated relationships, and the courage to risk being second in order to be right. Sports may seem a lighter field, yet it often sits at the intersection of business, law, health, and culture. Labor disputes, concussion science, public stadium financing, and criminal investigations all demand specialized understanding. Without grooming, reporters misread sources, miss context, and amplify noise.
The lament doubles as a prescription. Good journalism is teachable. It requires institutions that invest in editors and training, protect time for reporting, and value corrections as a sign of integrity rather than failure. Digital tools expand what is possible, but they do not replace the human disciplines that produce insight. Depth is not an accident; it is the outcome of a culture that insists on it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
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