The Toledo Blade is a very respected newspaper, where they've been publishing the news for more than a century, almost two in fact.

They showed their age on Wednesday when they began waving their canes at the new generation of journalists, many of whom no longer work at the newspapers that laid them off, cut their positions or just stopped paying them.

Their specific targets were at Deadspin.com, famous now for not just its humor, insight and occasional profanity but for breaking and fully reporting the Manti Te'o lies. The Toledo Blade was beaten to a story in its own backyard by Deadspin, which did not name a woman who was the subject of a coach's improper affections. The Blade later named her, and in their comments defending the naming, they said you can trust the Blade and its named sources more than some web site.

Ooops.

They're sounding very old-timey here, dismissing the new media.

Now the folks at Deadspin weren't necessarily laid off from newspapers, though several come from very respected newspapers. They are top-notch journalists who are professionals working on an online platform. The web is not just the future of publishing, it is currently the primary format, where the format does not dictate the quality of journalism. The format is just how the consumer sees, views, hears, reads, watches the story, and the format merely involves the method (and speed) with which they receive the news and the price they or others pay for it.

Less money is going to newspapers' printed products and more money is spent online. That's all there is to it.

But to 'diss' the new media as less reliable is an outright lie and deception on its readers. It's spin, it's a PR stunt and it's being properly called out.

Note, the editor who made the comment said he did not mean to diss the Deadspin guys; rather, he was just praising his guy. He referenced them being sensitive. He appears to be lying.

From the Atlanticwire.com is that comment that sparked the controversy:
The difference between the coverage of this story by The Blade and Deadspin is that (Blade writer Ryan) Autullo is a professional journalist who has named sources and you can believe what he reports.

Again, if he later says he didn't mean to say anything about the winning competitor's story, he appears to be lying. And, I suspect, he was initially covering his own blunder, holding the story out of fear his writer had something wrong.

Deadspin does fabulous work. They are quick, funny and sharp. And they get the world, sports is not just sports, news is not just official statements and reaction. They are profane. They do not hold back. And they call people out. Some of their best work is the constant analysis of the 'journalism' that goes on at ESPN, which is more brand promotion and event sponsorship than journalism.

Put down the cane and just cover your community and write your stories.