ESPN is notorious for trying to MAKE news rather than REPORT news. I don't even watch ESPN unless it's the Monday after a game so i can see all the highlights.
Chris Mortenson (and he's not the only one, but he's one of the most high profile guys) will have a minimum of one fake scoop per week during the season (probably a lot more...I don't watch ESPN much so who knows), citing unknown sources with knowledge about the situation. The Brett Favre story this week is a perfect example. He took a slim shred of information based on something that is so obvious that even a 4th grader could guess it (i.e., Brett Favre is feeling the itch to play), beefed it up with "sources" and created a national media frenzy. Maybe this one will turn out to be true, maybe not.
When the situation he describes fails to materialize, there is no apology and there is no correction. A person has to wonder about Mort's sources. Either they are playing him for an idiot by feeding him false information (strong possibility) or he's a liar who makes things up and then takes advantage of the journalistic notion of not revealing sources to back up his fake claims with "sources with knowledge". And, occasionally, he has a good source who feeds him useful information worth reporting.
I understand why it happens. Part of it is trying to fill in 24 hours of news cycles with 1 hour of new information, something that has degraded journalistic integrity in general, not just in sports. A bigger part of it is trying to get the scoop. Yes, Mortenson gets lots of scoops. But who wouldn't when they report false information over and over again? I'd love to see a running tally on his "scoops" during the season to see just what his success rate is. I'm guessing below 20%.
These guys need to be held accountable and it's good to see a whole article dedicated to exposing a clear example of bad reporting.
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