Good for Pils. More of these should be written when appropriate.
www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA070807.02C.COLpils.page2.367bcd1.html
The Associated Press gave us credit. Heck, even ESPN.com, the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in what we do, gave us credit.
But not KSAT.
So, without further ado ... a missive from the sports editor's office:
"We have breaking news!" KSAT's Larry Ramirez shouted, almost elevating to his tippy-toes in his own excitement. "Apparently, the Seattle SuperSonics have hired P.J. Carlesimo as their next head coach!! And I'm sure we'll have much more on this at 10 p.m."
What Laughable Larry didn't tell people who were watching his telecast on July 3 was that the "breaking news" he worked so hard to get was taken directly off the San Antonio Express-News Web site. And he delivered on his promise. He did have much more at 10 p.m., after the Express-News posted many more details online.
This, unfortunately, has become standard practice at KSAT, where Ramirez, Greg Simmons and David Sears are more comfortable deceiving their viewers than they are practicing real journalism. Real journalism would entail developing sources and contacts, doing a little work on your own. Apparently that's too complicated for this trio.
The Carlesimo "exclusive" is just the latest in a long list of stories that KSAT's sports guys have stolen from the Express-News. They dance around the ethical issues surrounding this practice by using terms like "KSAT 12 has learned" and "KSAT 12 has confirmed."
The Radio/Television News Directors Association's Code of Ethics practically begs electronic journalists to "... clearly disclose the origin of information and label all material provided by outsiders." And the Society of Professional Journalists' code is even more direct: "Never plagiarize," it says.
We can be thankful that other local sports personalities — Don Harris and David Chancellor at WOAI and Joe Reinagel and Bob Ballou at KENS — give proper credit when credit is due. They correctly source the Express-News or other media outlets when necessary.
But Larry, Greggy and Davey have set a whole new standard for laziness, thievery and ineptness. And until the three stooges at KSAT man up and admit they are incapable of doing their own reporting, we'll recognize them as journalism miscreants, a species that some day, hopefully, will become extinct.
