The fall of the Las Vegas Raiders’ beat writers

Another day, another respected voice covering the Las Vegas Raiders is gone. It’s become the norm these past couple of years.

Not long ago, Raider Nation could choose from a deep bench of credible beat writers and local outlets producing consistent reporting. That pool has thinned fast, and the coverage gap is showing.

More often, fans are waiting for national insiders like Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport to confirm what’s happening—instead of getting it first from reporters on the ground. That’s not how it works for most NFL markets. So what’s happening to journalism for Raiders fans?

Local sports coverage used to be subsidized by print ads, classifieds, and broad “bundle” revenue. That’s gone. Even digital subscriptions don’t reliably cover labor-heavy beat reporting (travel, time, editing, benefits). When outlets make cuts, beats are the first expensive “non-essential” line item.

It’s not just “one writer got fired.”

The issue lies in the reduction of entire newsrooms, the overstretching of editors, and the demand on the remaining staff to multitask by reporting, shooting video, publishing social media, podcasting, and optimizing SEO. That reduces time for sourcing, cultivating relationships, and verification—the exact stuff that produces breaking news.

Teams leak to Schefter- and Rapoport-type accounts because the reach is massive, the message stays controlled, and the timing can be coordinated. Local reporters can be excellent and well-sourced, but in today’s news cycle, teams often treat national megaphones as the preferred distribution channel for transactions and major announcements.

The Raiders have their own media arms, their own content, and increasingly their own preferred narratives. If access gets restricted—formally or informally—it becomes harder for a beat to “beat” the national guys, because the pipeline is narrower.

Las Vegas doesn’t have the same legacy newspaper infrastructure as older NFL markets. The Raiders have a national fanbase, so it’s easy for them to get national content. This makes it easier and cheaper for outlets to aggregate and comment on news. For Raider Nation, the outcome means less original reporting, fewer questions about accountability, and more narrative drift caused by national framing and the loudest online conversations.

The issue isn’t that the writers suddenly deteriorated; rather, it’s that the incentives collapsed, leaving Raiders fans grappling with the consequences. Just look at the roster of losses.

Tashan Reed, The Athletic

Tashan Reed’s career took off covering the Raiders. His steady work made him a reliable read for Raider fans, and he expanded that presence as a co-host of the “Just Win” podcast.

He left The Athletic shortly before the 2025 NFL regular season. He later joined The Washington Post, but the paper laid him off on Feb. 4, during his first season there.