ESPN's new ombud--Poynter--takes on the Jalen Rose mess.

I like how they put 'talent' in quotes.

http://espn.go.com/blog/poynterreview/tag/_/name/poynter-review-project

 

I don't blame someone for not wanting to tell their bosses they got a DUI, but if you're Jalen Rose and you roll your Escalade in Michigan, you've got to figure that's gonna leak out.

 

So, in conclusion, ESPN should have reported something it didn't know about.

Thanks, Poynter. You're still the balls.

 

The point, I think, was a) espn doesn't require its talent to report these things, so b) they're not always the first to know, and therefore c) they end up looking like they were covering up for the guy.

It's a perception issue more than a reporting issue.

 

When will the Detroit News or Free-Press ombudsman weigh on as to how Rose's arrest slipped past their police reporter for nearly three weeks?

 

Can you really require someone to report such a thing? ESPN makes it clear they want the talent to report these things, but I suspect it's very hard to get something like that in a contract.

I'm not sure anyone has a moral obligation to tell their employer anytime they get into legal trouble or do something embarrassing. It would certainly be more convenient for ESPN if Jalen Rose did, but that's not really Jalen Rose's problem.

I don't quite get the point of the column. But then, I don't get the point of ESPN having an ombudsman in the first place.

 

I have to. It's now a fireable offense in my shop.

 

If you're a celebrity, if your situation is going to become a headline somewhere, if your employer is going to have to report it...absolutely, you have to tell.

That espn contract (generated by Disney) has all sorts of 'we own you' requirements in it. Amazing they don't require the reporting of legal problems, within certain parameters.

 

If it is in your circ area? Yes. Out of state? Maybe not. Its about credibility. I'd give some slack to people who don't have to worry about credibilty issues (like ad reps), but any newsroom people should report it to a supervisor, let them decide if it runs or not.

 

This didnt happen in New England or New York, does that make it outside of ESPN's circulation area?