ESPN - Lack of Integrity?

[davidmc467]

Interesting read. I thought I'd share this link to start a discussion on what everyone thinks of ESPN.

Here is a portion of the article:

A story we've closely followed over the last year and a half has been what's happened to journalism at ESPN. As one of the biggest, most valuable media companies in the entire world, ESPN can be all things to all people. They air the games, report about the games, debate the games, and all on global platforms of TV, radio, and the internet.

Sports fans have to feel they can trust ESPN because ESPN is sports. The national sports discussion is ESPN and what ESPN's talking about dictates and reflects what sports fans are talking about on Twitter, around water coolers, and everywhere in between.

But in the last year and a half, that trust factor has eroded for fans who follow the sports world and the world that covers sports closely. Several things happened this week to bring this to the forefront. Monday, the scrutiny facing ESPN's journalistic practices reached new heights as Poynter filed their last column as ESPN ombudsman and John Koblin filed a great piece on ESPN selling their soul to Tim Tebow at Deadspin. Monday night, Rick Reilly was sheepishly caught begging for attribution in having Ben Roethlisberger's injury news first on Twitter. Then on Wednesday, Fox's Jay Glazer became the latest reporter to publicly call out ESPN for stealing one of his reports without attribution. The combination of those two pieces (that are well worth your time to read in full), Reilly's actions, and Glazer's frustration bring to light an issue that has haunted ESPN in the last year and a half.

ESPN is losing our trust.

ESPN'S JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY COMING UNDER CLOSE EXAMINATION

[Spurrier_Superior_One]

The only I use the 4 Letter Network for is watching the games other than that won't watch their "journalism". I don't get a tingling feeling running my leg from watching the Four Letter.

[I Bleed Garnet]

Its entertainment and even they know it.

all of their good journalists leave.
Bruce Feldman, Pat Forde are two of them

[Emery]

I look at ESPN for scores and read articles at yahoo sports and cbs.

[uscfreek88]

i love DLHQ....that show is so funny

[Schecter]

I couldn't care less if ESPN "steals" a story. It's not my problem. as long as I hear the news ASAP, I don't care who is reporting or if they stole it from somebody else.

[imabeastonu]

Originally Posted by Schecter

I couldn't care less if ESPN "steals" a story. It's not my problem. as long as I hear the news ASAP, I don't care who is reporting or if they stole it from somebody else.

i agree but the people who make a living off of that stuff are the pissed ones

[davidmc467]

Originally Posted by Schecter

I couldn't care less if ESPN "steals" a story. It's not my problem. as long as I hear the news ASAP, I don't care who is reporting or if they stole it from somebody else.

Stealing a story is absolutely a problem. Other journalists shouldn't have their material and scoop ripped off. What if your co-worker (or even another company) took credit for something you worked on. How would you feel? The project was completed, so is that all that matters to you?

[Schecter]

Originally Posted by imabeastonu

i agree but the people who make a living off of that stuff are the pissed ones

I agree completely.

Originally Posted by davidmc467

Stealing a story is absolutely a problem. Other journalists shouldn't have their material and scoop ripped off. What if your co-worker (or even another company) took credit for something you worked on. How would you feel?

I would be pissed, but sense I have nothing to do with journalism nor does my job, I don't care. Do you see what im saying? I know it's not right, but at the end of the day, I dont care because it doesn't effect me.

[CarolinaBand]

They operate just like the major 24 hour news networks do. Very little reporting and heavy on the analysis (by analysis I mean two stuffed suits screaming producer driven opinions at one another). Oh and plenty of Tebow stories.

[markymark550]

I watch ESPN for their game broadcasts and the 30 for 30 series. Don't care much for their on-air personalities and analysts. I use their website a good bit for scores, schedules, etc. I think they are faster and better at keeping up to the minute stats and scores. Their journalists and online analysts are hit and miss. I agree with Emery in that yahoo and CBS have better analysis. In this day and age though, it's really the consumer's fault if all they use is ESPN. There are many good alternatives and it's not that hard to find them.

[Tater Tom]

They need some legitimate competition.

[I Bleed Garnet]

Originally Posted by Tater Tom

They need some legitimate competition.

I'd like to see it be NBC sports

[CarolinaBand]

Originally Posted by Tater Tom

They need some legitimate competition.

Amen

[ccured]

the whole Sarah Phillips thing showed their lack of integrity. How you hire someone without doing a background check or meeting them in person is beyond me.

[b381l]

Originally Posted by Tater Tom

They need some legitimate competition.

While there are plenty of other sports outlets to get information, some more accurate and credible than ESPN, to me your post really is applicable more to the mainstream media which is severely lacking when it comes to more legitimate competition and accurate reporting.

[JNGolf]

Originally Posted by I Bleed Garnet

I'd like to see it be NBC sports

Not with Erik Kuselias on air...

[uscgmck]

NBC Sports = Comcast

Since Comcast purchased NBC things have gone downhill. They now have control of the weather channel, seen much weather there lately? Mostly reality shows. They will ruin NBC Sports just like they have everything they touch, Just ask Jay Leno who just had major cuts to his show staff even though they are profitable.

Comcast is known as the worst company in America, thats why they are changing their name to Xfinity.

[I Bleed Garnet]

NBC sports has big names.

Costas, Beadle, DP, Michaels, Mayock, Emrick, it's not Comcast

[Cocknfire55]

I like NBC sports coverage. They're just missing the big sec/pac12/big 10/big 12 games. Notre dame just doesn't cut it.