On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 7:30 AM, Joe Hass <[email protected]> wrote: > > Trying to figure out where a "Deadspin" fits into the media spectrum > is a hard thing. Indeed, it seems to have made a turn from the Will > Leitch days (and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing; I'll just > call it a thing). One of the things that I'd note is that there were > some gentlemen's rules when it came to the old media. The problem is > that not everyone in that world is following the rules. I think > Daulerio tried to follow the "rules," only to discover he'd been lied > to (which is not part of the rules), at which point he said "screw the > rules." > > For ESPN to act as if they've been betrayed because they were not > asked for comment is pure, distilled bullshit. (SNIP)
It is hard to figure out where places like Deadspin fit. Certainly we need something like an independent journalism that focuses on ESPN and other big time sports media operations. There is room in that kind of journalism for more fact-based reporting and for opinion and criticism. But, as with Fox News and Countdown, it is important to be more clear about which if which. If Deadspin is little more than the web version of a sports call in show, then fine. Somebody calls in once a month to those shows to say that Troy Aikman is gay. Maybe he is, maybe he isnt - maybe there are people who care, maybe nobody cares. But if I hear it from Joe in San Mateo on a radio call-in show, (or, to use your example, if I read about it in the Enquirer while standing in the check-out line) I consider the source and don't give it much credibility. But if Deadspin wants to be taken seriously as a source of meaningful information about sports media in general and ESPN in particular, then they do have to follow certain rules. This is not about playing nice with ESPN, it is about being fair to their audience. You don't report to us that specific people have done specific things unless and until you have the sources to back it up. If you don't have the sources, then you don't have the story, and that is it. You don't run the story if you don't have it, regardless of how many hits to your site it might generate. If you report rumors without support in order to generate revenue, then you sacrifice your credibility. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
