Friday, October 30, 2015

NO COMMENT

Much debate has centered around whether or not Edinson Volquez should have been told about his dad's sudden death or if the media should have broadcast it, even though it apparently found its way to social media.

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The on-going, long standing debate about what is news and what isn't news will never go away. The line is blurred at best and the increasing demand to be the first, even if it's :20 seconds ahead of the pack to break the news is getting absurd. I'm not here to judge or justify how anyone delivers bad or controversial news. However I find it ironic that no one seems to really put themselves in the shoes of the athletes or entertainers to be fair.

Have you ever, really heard of a media person breaking a story on another media person's family member whose been arrested or convicted of something? You know they know but is it kind of an unspoken code like the Blue Shield? My point is this: If you think it's okay to broadcast bad news about a players family or a coach's child or even an Owners financial troubles, then do the same for those you work with. Using your formula we would consider that news. You're a celebrity if you're a journalist or broadcaster. You're on the air or in print daily or weekly and have a social media following that crest into and beyond six figures. And you carry yourself like a celebrity even though you misuse the word humble to describe yourself, but that's for another day.

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I think if we started hearing about how ESPN anchor "so and so's" husband was arrested for DUI it might change their approach; and as we learned of the ESPN reported in D.C. berating the garage attendant, notice how it was literally erased from the sports scene in seconds. It proves my point that no preferential treatment should be granted to, or the sensitivity of reporting about, the family members of those doing the reporting.

I'm sure there have been cases where it was unavoidable that a media persons family member or even themselves were the story or column headline. But how many more stories faded away like the career of a player past his prime? How many stories had it been the same circumstances with an athlete would have made the news blotter or TV top five stories?



All I'm simply saying is be sensitive and ask how does it impact the game? If it doesn't show some class, have some compassion. I have an idea: ask the player and maybe you'll find there's a mental illness somewhere or an unforgiving circumstances at the heart of it all. And if that's the case maybe the story is about drawing attention to the illness or the disease using the athlete to help raise awareness. Wow. Sounds like a lot of people win that way; especially those who want to convince us that there is fairness in reporting. Presenting a story from the angle of compassion would leave no doubt about your fairness right? That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

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