A Letter to the Globe
My father today copied into the comments section of a previous post the contents of a letter he sent the Globe regarding Theo's departure and Shaughnessy's alleged role in it. I'd like to reprint it here, because it brings up a number of important issues concerning the Globe's coverage of the team generally and Shaughnessy's involvement in the Theo Epstein resignation particularly.
To the Sports Editors:
While I understand Dan Shaughnessy's decision to write the column he wrote on Sunday, and feel as though any other reporter, presented with that information, would have done roughly the same thing, I strongly disagree with the way the material was presented. It was clear that Dan made no attempt to get Theo's point of view on any of these matters (or if he did, he ignored it). It was clear that Dan got inside information from someone on the Red Sox, be it Larry Lucchino or someone else, and presented it as facts (uncorroborated, I would guess, by any other source).
Dan has a history of being a shill for management. He did it before Clemens left, he did it before Pedro left, he did it before Nomar left, and now he's done it again. If he wants to be a P.R. person for the Red Sox, please give him the opportunity. But if he wants to be a reporter, he owes it both to you and to his readership to do so honestly.
The only reason I'm not canceling my Globe subscription today is that the pages in your rival's paper other than the sports pages are just too odious to read. If it were just for sports coverage, I'd be gone as a Globe subscriber today so that I wouldn't have to read any more of that particular columnist.
It was mentioned on EEI today, after a caller related her conversation with a Globe representative, that the Globe is specifically taking note of and compiling records of complaints regarding Shaughnessy's column. Combined with the overall interest in the Globe's relationship with the team - the subject of a recent article by the paper's ombudsman - the events of the last few days could and very well may open a new and more serious discussion as to the propriety of the relationship, and the propriety of Shaughnessy's close ties specifically. Let's hope this is the case. We may not be able to clean up the inside of the Front Office, but the Globe is accountable to us its readership. They need to address this issue, along with others, before they can regain their reputation - long earned - as a top sports section.
