Ethical Lessons from Jay Crawford Lecture
Situation Definition:
On October 1st 2018, Jay Crawford, former sports journalist and ESPN analyst, met with Penn State students to talk about sports and journalism in American society today. He focused his discussion on telling stories through images which conveyed deep messages and lessons. Though he discussed various topics, two stood out to me due to their ethical messages. The first topic is being aware of social media’s dangers and the second, quite funny but interesting, deals with one’s appearance on television and how perspiring influences how one is perceived.
Crawford began talking about social media awareness through a picture of him and Herm Edwards, head coach of the Arizona State football team, where the two did a show together at ESPN. He chose this photo to talk about social media because Jay said that Herm’s famous phrase was “Don’t hit send.” This means that one must think and be careful of what they are posting before actually doing it. In today’s journalism world, whether it’s world news or sports, we live in a world where everything we do is public and we are the sharers. This sharing is almost second nature in that it can lead to ethical messages.
Analysis:
An ethical message that deals with the dangers of social media and sports can be described by Jimmy Sanderson. In an article titled, “It’s a Whole New Ball Game: How Social Media Is Changing Sports” Sanderson states, “Additionally, many of these reporters also maintain their own social media presence (primarily on Twitter) in an effort to remain competitive for the attention of the sports media consumer” (Sanderson, 2011). This can lead to ethical concerns because these sports reporters often interject their own opinion which makes them biased toward certain outcomes that may impact their job. This can become an ethical issue because once you make something public, it’s the world’s business. The dangers of social media can haunt you forever, which is why Herm Edwards would always say “Don’t send it” unless it is 100% accurate. This can also be an issue because if journalists constantly share their opinions on things, the more they may think their outlook is the only correct one, which could lead to a bias.
Social media also impacts recruiting in the realm of college sports which Jay Crawford also touched on. An article on ESPN titled “The ‘Social’ Science of Recruiting” explained how is an extremely hard defined area which makes recruiting so interesting, but also so frightening (Crabtree, 2016). The dangers of social media in a journalism world bring up ethical issues. Are reporters telling the truth or just inserting their opinion? Is there shadiness with college recruiting through social media? Is the news fake or real?
Another ethical issue that caught my attention in Jay Crawford’s guest lecture was when he told a story about working with Kirk Herbstreit who is a sports analyst for ESPN’s College GameDay. He explained that Kirk never wanted to be on air because he always would sweat to the point that it would take over his ability to do the job. He would get so nervous that he would sweat through his suit and freeze on air. This brought me an ethical concern because being on air is a significant job and the public wants to be able to trust you. The more your nerves take over and the more you sweat, the less the public will be able to trust you, leading to them thinking you are potentially lying. Journalists have “…a greater responsibility to tell the truth than most professions” (Ting Lee, 2004). When a person is anxious or scared, perhaps when they have lied, they may sweat more (Gramzow, Willard, Mendes, 2008). As journalists it is our job to accurately and truthfully communicate to the world with confidence and poise. This is an ethical concern because as the public we need to be able to trust those who are giving us the news and not second guess ourselves. Don’t worry though, Kirk Herbstreit overcame this barrier and remains one of the most trusted sports journalists today.
Conclusion:
This guest lecture with Jay Crawford taught me many things. I now understand how important the job of being a journalist/reporter is and that it is imperative to always be clear and truthful with your audience. I liked learning this aspect through sports and listening to a guest speak. Through social media, journalists need to make sure they are posting appropriate things because it will be seen by the public. Inappropriate social media activity can lead to fake news, suspicious activity, and overly opinionated tweets could ruin someone’s professional career. From this I have learned that the phrase “Don’t send it” means a lot more than it sounds. It is important to discuss these issues because they are recurring aspects in society. No matter how news is reported, journalists have a duty to be honest, open, and objective about news.
References:
Crabtree, J. (2016, January 26). The ‘Social’ Science of Recruiting. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from ESPN website: http://www.espn.com/college-football/recruiting/story/_/id/14646545/social-media-becomes-powerful-aide-dangerous-connection-recruiting
Gramzow, R. H., Willard, G., & Mendes, W. B. (2008). Anxiety and Lying. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from ChangingMinds.org website: http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/lying/anxiety_lying.htm
Sanderson, J. (2011). It’s a Whole New Ballgame: How Social Media Is Changing Sports. Hampton Press. Retrieved from Hampton Press database.
Ting Lee, S. (2004). Lying to Tell the Truth: Journalists and the Social Context of Deception. Mass Communication and Society, 7(1), 97-120. Retrieved from Mass Communication and Society database.