Kevin Paul Dupont, @GlobeKPD, made the rounds on Twitter a couple weeks ago for his "opinion" on bloggers:
The blogosphere:journalism with replacement reporters/writers.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) September 26, 2012
Which made the handful of people to notice think: what’s Dupont’s opinion worth, anyways?
The answer is not much. You see, he’s an NHL reporter that leans on the credibility of the otherwise-enjoyable Boston Globe to build his pieces for him. The following tweet is a perfect example:
NHL attendance now is approx 21million. Players get about $80 of every ticket sold. Idea: craft CBA around that fact.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) October 2, 2012
This "fact" is downright impressive, because the average ticket price in the NHL was $57.10. When I pointed out that tying player costs to ticket revenue was a dumb idea, his counter argument amounted to "ticket prices haven’t dropped!" Not a clarification or a correction of his proposal – just that ticket prices go up, so players should tie revenue to that. Considering that this amounts to redefining hockey related revenue in such a way as it represents a massive loss to the players – and would almost certainly result in a decline of ticket prices and an increase in merchandise to protect owner profits, I think we can consider Dupont’s "insight" as the most pro-ownership proposal anyone’s seen so far this lockout.
The incomplete-at-best idea is a great example of why credentialed authors undercut themselves every time they insinuate an anonymous online writer is untrustworthy. Dupont wants people to ignore the obvious incentive he has for painting the owners in a positive light: access. There wasn't an effort to defend the idea - Dupont quickly played the martyr, claimed I was distorting his opinion, and blocked me. And that was the end of the "discussion," because Dupont wasn't interested in having a discussion - he wanted a nice, soft idea that won't ruffle feathers with the local team that takes out hefty amounts of advertising in his paper.
The self-described "Hockey Hall of Fame honoree" takes every opportunity and accolade to exaggerate his ego. You see, he wasn’t actually honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame, but by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, and even they couldn’t find anything better to honor him for besides "sticking around a long time" – but it looks way better to say "Hockey Hall of Fame honoree;" it helps justify his continued paycheck, and it might even trick someone into thinking he’s got a worthwhile opinion. In truth, he's no more a Hockey Hall of Fame honoree than I am.
It’s insane for anyone to suggest that "anonymous bloggers" are any less reputable than a credentialed writer, as credentialed writers are never completely transparent. While you don’t know if I have some personal vendetta against Dupont (though I’ve never taken effort to hide my real e-mail address on the page footer), my words are here for you to judge on their own credibility – I’m not going to block you for suggesting that I might have some unlisted bias, be it access, radio station kickbacks, or a terribly obvious incentive to protect a plagiarist.
Unsurprisingly, and most repulsively, he also takes charity as an opportunity to measure his accomplishments.
GREAT day at WestonGolf club for decades-old Boston Globe Santa. Another thing bloggers don't deliver. Charity. Goodwill.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) October 2, 2012
And if you want to point out charitable efforts like twolinepass' for 826 Boston? Chemmy's for the National Brain Tumor Society?
match Globe Santa. RT"@sarah_connors: Not sure if @globekpd is trolling or serious about that "bloggers don't do charity stuff" thing.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) October 2, 2012
You’re just not as charitable a human being as Dupont, who took a couple hours out of his day to stand around a golf course while the Globe’s name raked in cash – so don’t even mention it. I mean really: don’t mention Dupont’s personal efforts. Wait, altruism isn't supposed to be leverage? Such a champion of giving, Dupont.
When everyone sits around and says "print journalism can’t adapt" and "print journalism is dying," Kevin Paul Dupont should be hoisted as a shining example of why: he offers no unique insight, no unique analysis, and has no desire to serve readers with interesting content. He leeches readership from the Globe, leans on its name for reputation, and wouldn't survive in an environment where his content has to stand on its own merit. It’s easy to see why Kevin Paul Dupont tries so hard to undercut online writers: he doesn't try hard at his real job.