The New York Times’ The Athletic is quietly cutting back on its local podcasts.
The Athletic’s Detroit Pistons beat writer James Edwards III said:
“The Athletic is not doing local podcasts anymore. Don’t worry — I’m still covering the Pistons for The Athletic. This is strictly an audio thing.”
With this new change, The Athletic has said that “beat reporters with canceled podcasts will continue writing in-depth local coverage.”
Publisher David Perpich and executive editor Steven Ginsberg had written in June:
“The Athletic has generally viewed every league in a similar manner, with similar beats and offerings. But our growing body of research and our own understanding of the sports we cover compel a more nuanced approach.
“There is no perfect formula for determining which teams to cover, but we are committing dedicated beat reporters to the ones that most consistently produce stories that appeal to both large and news-hungry fan bases, as well as leaguewide audience.”
They say, a similar stance is being applied with local podcasts:
“We’re always looking to meet our listeners where they are and will continue to evolve our strategy based on their listening habits.”
Read more here.
