ESPN Poynter Review Project: Finding proper alignment

[huskyjawz]

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7149965/espn-middle-college-realignment

 

[Murph]

Lots of Flipper stuff in that article.

 

[Excalibur]

Sounds like someone trying to formulate a defense.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This really is quite good. It's pretty fair, even if somewhat defensive of ESPN. I tend to agree with those defenses.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

"ESPN serves its audience with one team and its business partners with another. The network navigates this world by being so big that Wildhack's business team members rarely cross paths with ESPN's journalists. And if they do, they know they're not supposed to exchange information."

I laughed out loud for real when I read this. That's a doozy!

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

"even as its business interests in colleges grows -- the network should assuage most of its understandably skeptical critics."

Another one!

 

[flyonthewall]

The tension between the journalistic side and the business side is not something unique to ESPN. Look at how what happens on shows like American Idol, Survivor and Dancing with the Stars is often a 'news' story.

The article summarizes what I thought happened all along between the ACC and ESPN. No plots or conspiracies hatched in the dark of night but rather a discourse between business partners as in a discussion of what combination of two new schools would maximize revenue for the ACC. Simple and sensible, no looking for a furtive figure on a grassy knoll required.

 

[SubbaBub]

There's a rather large hole in that story. It's right where the ESPN exec clams up regarding Filippo's comments. The fact that the BE is also an ESPN partner and the conflict was also left out of the story.

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[businesslawyer]

Her column, which was well done, is talking about journalism ethics. I don't say that as a knock -- that is what she is supposed to be reporting on.

But I don't give a crap about how "independent" on air personalities are of corporate. What I care about is whether ESPN violated its implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in its TV contract with the Big East. A debate about its "journalistic integrity" can wait until we've threatened them into making another conference take us.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Legally, a business cannot act independently of its own interests. The notion is absurd.

 

[Druken Friar]

Nice self serving article. Now I'm convinced ESPN was annoyed that the Big East was going to the open market. They whispered in some ears and Syracuse and Pitt left. ESPN has become the mouthpiece for the whole BCS system. Look how they talk down Boise and TCU last season. They have a vested interest in who gets to each bowl game and too much influence on the decision. The whole thing has become a bad joke.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Did anyone notice the glaring omission of NBC Sports (Comcast) as a competitor? They were happy to talk up Fox Sports but not the other entity that the Big East was allegedly talking to? This reaks, plain and simple.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Legally, a business cannot act independently of its own interests. The notion is absurd.

This kind of statement, while sensible on its face, is not really the tautology you think it is. For example, the New York Times did report on its own in-house problems with past writers, which was clearly bad for business, but had to be done. There are many other examples out there, especially where whistleblowers are involved.

 

[IthacaMatt]

There's a rather large hole in that story. It's right where the ESPN exec clams up regarding Filippo's comments. The fact that the BE is also an ESPN partner and the conflict was also left out of the story.

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The article also sidesteps most of the background to what happened to the Big East and the decision to turn down the ESPN contract. It's as if the 2 things were in separate universes. No mention whatsoever of NBC in this, either., as the potential 3rd "superconference".