Sun-Times Practices Crappy Journalism

FYI,

Here is Kentucky's response to this article.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/kty/genrel/auto_pdf/legal10_0804_response.pdf (pdf file)

Jon

 

I'm sure Kentucky basketball fans understand that mistakes happen in newspapers.

 

This example goes far beyond a simple mistake.

What Kentucky basketball fans do understand quite well is that this is a common occurrence where someone in a news outlet will throw out an unsubstantiated claim and see if it sticks. (it's happened at least three times this year already with nothing of substance coming out of the claims)

I don't know if this is an agenda on their part or simply a desperate attempt to generate hits to their site but it's almost like a sport at this time. Unfortunately, they know that the people that they hurt are unlikely to sue (the University because it's more trouble than its worth) and the high school kid (because they often don't have the resources to fight slander like a professional athlete would).

To many sportswriters it seems to be almost a badge of honor to be inundated with Kentucky fan's emails, but the fact that is often overlooked is that in most of those cases, it is based on faulty or at least unsubstantiated information that should never have been published in the first place. In other words its a reflection on their own poor journalistic skills and/or honor.

What's also missed by many is that by allowing their peers to participate in this type of yellow journalism and baiting without consequences, it only erodes standards and hastens the demise of professional journalism as we all once knew it.

Maybe you all will remember this when someday you're looking back and wondering what happened to a once great profession and industry ?

Jon

 

No one told me we were expecting guests.

 

The article has been taken down.

 

Jon,

No. 1 -- I truly doubt that the CHICAGO Sun-Times really has an agenda against UK.

No. 2 -- I think that 99 percent of professional journalists here and elsewhere agreed that the article was poor journalism. Isn't the headline of this thread reflective of that?

No. 3 -- We can't stop our peers from publishing a bad story anymore than you can.

No. 4 -- UK hired Coach Cal baggage and all. You have to accept that certain rumors, claims, charges, etc. are part of what you get along with your 35 wins and first-round draft picks.

No. 5 -- UK was stupid to threaten to sue, giving media outlets the opportunity to report a story they probably would have avoided.

 

I learned early on that if you catch a rumor, go to the subject of said rumor and inquire about it.

If they say "That's bullshit," it's probably not true.

If they say "No comment," there's smoke.

 

What if they say "That's a bullshit comment! No."?
See, it's the best and worst of both worlds.

 

I'm curious if it actually appeared in print. There seems to be this mentality that what goes up on a Website is somehow in this ephemeral world where accountability doesn't have to exist quite so much in the way it does for stuff that appears in the paper.

 

No way! You're fucking kidding me! Really?

 

I think there is no chance it appeared in print as it was originally posted.

I agree there is a "good enough for the Web" mindset. To me, though, that should be for breaking news or something where you are getting information out there as you learn it and update as you go.

Not to throw out rumors and crap.

 

The article is back. With a vengance!

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/preps/2571594,CST-SPT-cruit06.article