Sports journalists walk a fine line. On the one hand, they are sports fans. On the other, they are required to remain objective in their reporting for the sake of journalistic integrity. But what happens when writers cross that line?
Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey suggests that the media hype of athletes is often out of line with reality. He cites several examples of how sports announcers have been guilty of “excessive gushing” over athletes they are covering. The media’s hero worship has resulted in an overly positive view of athletes to the point that fans are willing to forgive their flaws and indiscretions when common sense says they probably should exercise more caution.
As fans, we tend to believe the images we see on TV because we assume that if the media is presenting it, then it must be the truth. But how many times have we seen TV announcers and analysts forget their place and become “cheerleaders” for a particular sport or athlete? (My frustration with ESPN’s coverage of figure skating is that their broadcast team does not provide balanced coverage and often act cheerleaders.)
Both the media and fans need to take care not to get caught up in hyping athletes. I know that’s much easier said than done, and I know I'm as guilty of that as anyone. The media can certainly do a better job of presenting a more balanced view of athletes. But fans also need to be more discerning and not take what they see or hear about athletes at face value.
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