Ethics question

[slappy4428]

Not mine; mine are above scrutiny -- I have none.
But am channel surfing tonight and see the local Coach's Show on a station where they alwyas refer to coach ... oh, we'll call him Sawed-off .. as COACH Sawed-off.
So Coach Sawed-off is standing there with a TV Foof we'll call ... oh... Taxicab and both are resplendent in matching Local You shirts standing on the hallowed turf. Taxicab has no other tie to the university; he doesn't do PXP or color on radio. All he does is read the local sports over the teleprompter.
Should the fact they have matching costumes bother me, since he's supposed to be an objective reporter? Hell, in his home state, Large U's large coach's show host played for the school and does the radio broadcasts and doesn't wear Large U costumes...

 

[slappy4428]

He's a "host." Not a reporter, and certainly not objective.

Wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

No... He's a host for the show, but a "sports director" for the same TV station when he's not paid to blow Sawed-off for a half hour each week.
So my question is does this blur the line? Is it over the edge? Does he.should he lose credibility as a supposed "objective reporter" for hosting the subjective coaches show and wearing the school garb?

 

[PCLoadLetter]

If there's an issue it's with the job, not the shirt. The coach's show gig is a contractual tie to the university; that's obviously a blurring of the line, but given that, the shirt is fine.

I could easily go Poynter here and rail about why it's wrong for him to be hosting the show... but honestly, I don't care, and the viewers won't either.

 

[Jeremy Goodwin]

He's wearing a different job hat and probably getting paid by a different company. Yes it's bluring the line. Over the edge, probably not. I think most local sports people, if they could, would do coaches shows. 30 min a week for an extra paycheck aint bad. I would say he loses credibility with other reporters, but viewers probably don't care that he is wearing State U gear. If I were him, I wouldn't wear team gear, since you are already sucking up to the coach, but it might be part of his contract for that gig.

 

[slappy4428]

Can he be objective? If they play lousy one week, is he going to be able to deliver his analysis objectively (in this case, jump off the bandwagon when they lose) and not get rapped on the knuckles from Large U?

 

[Jeremy Goodwin]

I would hope that he can still be objective. In his full-time role as sports director he needs to be objective and be a legit journalist. When he does the coach show he might sugar coat things because he is host instead of reporter or anchor. Large U should do nothing to him if he is objective and says the team is bad during the news. He is basically a freelancer or stringer for them, and having a local face probably gives the show some respect, instead of having the SID or other school official hosting the show. The school, just like the host, should know that they each have their roles to do on the show and once the show is over for the week they go back to their regular job / role.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Can he be objective? If they play lousy one week, is he going to be able to deliver his analysis objectively (in this case, jump off the bandwagon when they lose) and not get rapped on the knuckles from Large U?

I say this as a TV guy...

You really look to the local TV sports director for "objective analysis"? I just want to see the damn highlights.

 

[slappy4428]

Can he be objective? If they play lousy one week, is he going to be able to deliver his analysis objectively (in this case, jump off the bandwagon when they lose) and not get rapped on the knuckles from Large U?

I say this as a TV guy...

You really look to the local TV sports director for "objective analysis"? I just want to see the damn highlights.

True, but I don't want to see Bandwagon Boy either

 

[markvid]

We have a news reporter in Pittsburgh who will do a Steeler story and wear a Steeler pullover.
He does a Pirates story, he wears a Pirates jacket.
He does a Pitt story, he wears a Pitt pullover.
Mind you, only in the case of the Steelers is he reporting on actual game stuff (they send him to the Tuesday coach PC for some reason). The other things, he's usually doing tailgating, etc type of stories
It drives me nuts.
It's wrong. Period. Be objective and a journalist, not a fanboy.
The morning of the last Steelers Super Bowl, the ABC affiliate carried news from 6AM-noon with an anchor in a Steelers sweater.
It's unprofessional, it's pandering, it's rooting and I hate it.