I think the Journal Sentinel is a fine newspaper; in fact, I enjoy reading it as much as any of the other newspapers I read every day. But to have nothing -- not a single word -- about MU's men's basketball team in today's editions seems like a glaring omission.
Has anyone seen something that I have missed in today's Journal Sentinel? Is there really nothing about the team in the newspaper? I would have thought the editors and reporters on State Street would have viewed Marquette and the week it just finished as topics warranting Sunday coverage.
Many accuse the Journal Sentinel of having a slant or bias toward the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I have always steered away from such claims, or of accusing the Journal Sentinel of devoting greater coverage to -- and showing boosterism toward -- Madison. But on days like this, when the Journal Sentinel passes on an important opportunity to provide good sports journalism on a team and topic that deserve it, I find myself wondering about the newspaper's priorities and news judgment.
I have long thought that the Journal Sentinel should cover Marquette -- the entire university -- much more thoroughly and aggressively. There is a lot happening at and with Marquette, but little makes it into the Journal Sentinel.
This is not sour grapes. I like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and have high expectations of it. Those expectations include strong, steady coverage of Marquette University, including its basketball team.
and will argue that there's more interest in UW than there is in MU. They cover MU because they have to; they cover the Badgers because they want to.
That the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel considers itself a "state" newspaper and that some on the Journal Sentinel staff believe there is more interest statewide in University of Wisconsin at Madison sports than in Marquette athletics.
I have no doubt that the University of Wisconsin at Madison, as the state's largest public university, has a good following, at least when it comes to sports. But is it truly possible that some who edit and write for the Journal Sentinel really believe that many, many Wisconsinites are not following Marquette, which is winning attention from and coverage in newspapers across America?
I have trouble accepting, as ecompt writes, that the Journal Sentinel covers MU because it (not "they") has to and covers the University of Wisconsin at Madison because it (not "they") wants to. If these claims are accurate, however, they help explain why Marquette often receives more and more-thorough coverage in newspapers in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota; across the Northeast; and even in California.
Actually .. they did have an article today that spoke a bit about the team.
It's mainly about Doc Rivers' troubles with his current job, but mentions MU and Crean quite a bit.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=535259
Quite honestly, I am not surprised nor disappointed. The JS has, in the past, printed weekly columns on MU, UW and UWM during the week. It has not, typically, had a weekly column on Sunday's. That is saved for the professional sports - football, basketball and baseball.
As MU did not play since Tuesday, I did not expect to see an article.
Avenue has a good point. MU draws more attention nationally than within the state of Wisconsin. Not sure if this happens in other states with large public schools and small (but quality) private schools, i.e. Indiana and Notre Dame.