Buckeyes football and journalism ethics topic of KSU media panel

I've never been one to care about sports at all. It's just not to my liking to watch athletes playing games. But that doesn't say that the power they hold is inadequate, and that much is beyond dispute. Sports journalism is just as valid as any other form of journalism, and some might say it's one of the most popular subjects, and given the media, I wouldn't disagree.

At the Poynter Kent State University Media Ethics Workshop 2011, it seemed as if majority of the panel discussions revolved around sports media. The panel I tuned into online, titled, “Buckeyes Behaving Badly” delved into some of the problems that can be encountered when in the field of sports journalism.

The title refers to the Buckeyes, Ohio State's football team who was found accepting gifts and luxuries from an illegal booster, who was providing the players with these things, something forbidden in college football. Stephen Buckley, the moderator for the panel, asked the question, “Why wasn't there more coverage of this several years ago?” Terry Pluto, one of the panelists, made a great point by stating that reporters can't be there before the news breaks if the information is kept under wraps.

Paul Haridakis, another panelist, summarized the ideas presented by the others and gave his own. He brought up two points that delved into the subject well. He said the reporter isn't accountable for something that isn't there. The next point was that when a journalist uncovers information about something of such a high caliber, how does one ethically present the information they have?

Some other interesting points brought up included the dependability of the information and the individual reader.

Mike Wagner said, “Think of reporting as presenting in a court of law. Look for sincerity and corroborators to back them up.”

Marla Ridenour said, "I think at some point if you corroborate these stories...it's up to the reader to interpret it." This brings up a good point for any form of journalism. There are an infinite amount of sides to any story, and there are components that people never see. No one can get every aspect to something in a story; it's just impossible. That said, personal interpretation is the key. People say this is a scandal because these college players were taking free things and getting tattoes with a felon. I don't care at all. I think they're already being wasted money on with free scholarships to throw a ball. It doesn't matter to me if they're given free things. It doesn't change my opinion. And that's my personal interpretation. Others are more offended and have a right to be.

I think one of the more important points brought up was whether or not a story should be published depending on how damaging it could be. I don't care if it destroyed careers and college lives, rules were clearly broken, and to hold back the truth is to let those who are guilty get away without ramifications. Terry Pluto said, "When I saw the emails, I knew he (Tressel) was finished, but I didn't write it... I wimped out on my opinion." Is it cowardice to not publish something? Is it fear overtaking? Is it bigger reasons than that? He said Tressel, the coach of the team, was good to him, so there's a conflict of interest. He shouldn't have been involved in the story if he knew the coach personally and received favors for him. It literally kills journalism with influence.

Yes, there are stories that can go over our heads and put us in the deep end as journalists, but a journalist is supposed to convey information without fear for themselves. Thick skin is needed, and if one doesn't have that, then the audience could lose out on potentially important information.

It comes down to the journalist and his willingness to publish potentially threatening information. I believe to hold back information because someone will get mad or lose their job is a pathetic reason. Journalists aren't in the profession to make friends. They're there to write about what they are interested it, and shouldn’t come down to personal feelings. Whether sports, or entertainment or news journalism, there are fine points to consider, and sometimes these points give light to whether or not journalism is for you.