Steele on Tejada/ESPN

[Mad Mark]

From today's Sun, worth a read.

Long ago, as the Worldwide Leader informed us, as a young ballplayer trying to leverage baseball as his escape from the unfathomable poverty of his Dominican upbringing, Tejada lied about his age. This supposedly was a path to insight about the former Oriole and current Houston Astro.

Had the network and its crack investigative team suppressed its "gotcha" desire, uncovered similar information about a number of Latino major leaguers (off-camera), then tied them in to the bigger picture, it would have led to far more insight.

We might have found out why Tejada and others have done it for so long, what about baseball allowed them to do it, how baseball profited from it, what could be done -- indeed, if anything should be done -- about it.

LINK

[Gofannon]

If ESPN had told Tejada what they wouldve wanted to talk about..he wouldnt have done it. So they ambush him.It makes for more sexy television. Its done all the time. It would have been more honest to tell him what they were going to ask and if he didnt want to respond...go with it anyway in a report!

But TV isnt as interested in the cause as they are the effect.

Never changes.

Without getting political here..we are more interested in photos of people wearing "contreversial" headwear in a ritual..without asking why. We are interested in talking about "Lapel pins" than substantial issues that are deep and more complicated.

Same story al the time. True research about life and life stories are tedious and hard to convey in 3 minutes. So they hit you with hot buttons. And instead of reflection in sports television...we get buzzers and"hot seats"..and "takes that dont 'suck'.

If journalism is about finding the truth, then they should turn the camera on themselves.

They did. See The Wire, Season Five, and ask the media how much they liked a spotlight.

[waroriole]

If ESPN had told Tejada what they wouldve wanted to talk about..he wouldnt have done it. So they ambush him.It makes for more sexy television. Its done all the time. It would have been more honest to tell him what they were going to ask and if he didnt want to respond...go with it anyway in a report!

But TV isnt as interested in the cause as they are the effect.

Never changes.

Without getting political here..we are more interested in photos of people wearing "contreversial" headwear in a ritual..without asking why. We are interested in talking about "Lapel pins" than substantial issues that are deep and more complicated.

Same story al the time. True research about life and life stories are tedious and hard to convey in 3 minutes. So they hit you with hot buttons. And instead of reflection in sports television...we get buzzers and"hot seats"..and "takes that dont 'suck'.

If journalism is about finding the truth, then they should turn the camera on themselves.

No question Roy the media in this country have sold us out. Nobody reports news they just want you to watch their programs so they can sell ad revenue. It's disgusting and 99% of the people in this so-called media should be ashamed to show themselves in public. I could go on but I guess this isn't the proper venue.

BTW ESPN has become more sensationalized than any other "news" agency in the country and this is a perfect example. The only reporting program worth watching on that channel anymore is Sports Reporters.

[RShack]

If ESPN had told Tejada what they wouldve wanted to talk about..he wouldnt have done it. So they ambush him.It makes for more sexy television. Its done all the time. It would have been more honest to tell him what they were going to ask and if he didnt want to respond...go with it anyway in a report!

But TV isnt as interested in the cause as they are the effect.

Never changes.

Without getting political here..we are more interested in photos of people wearing "contreversial" headwear in a ritual..without asking why. We are interested in talking about "Lapel pins" than substantial issues that are deep and more complicated.

Same story al the time. True research about life and life stories are tedious and hard to convey in 3 minutes. So they hit you with hot buttons. And instead of reflection in sports television...we get buzzers and"hot seats"..and "takes that dont 'suck'.

If journalism is about finding the truth, then they should turn the camera on themselves.

I'm pretty sure the reason that we have a freedom of the press amendment in the Bill of Rights is not so they can get top ratings and maximize corporate revenue, it's so they can keep the public informed about things of substance. While ESPN might not matter much in the big scheme of things, the media in general has an actual Constitutional responsibility. IMO, they've been pissing on that for 20+ years and claiming it's not their responsibility, that their main job is to be a big success in their own careers, and that the public somehow makes them cover Paris Hilton and dumb little politician soundbites instead of all the things that matter. Which is a crock. Of course, nobody can get on TV who points out how TV-news is actively helping the process of screwing things up by covering nothing but soundbites, spin, and silly trivial things. The one thing they won't permit is any discussion of actual issues.

[waroriole]

I'm pretty sure the reason that we have a freedom of the press amendment in the Bill of Rights is not so they can get top ratings and maximize corporate revenue, it's so they can keep the public informed about things of substance. While ESPN might not matter much in the big scheme of things, the media in general has an actual Constitutional responsibility. IMO, they've been pissing on that for 20+ years and claiming it's not their responsibility, that their main job is to be a big success in their own careers, and that the public somehow makes them cover Paris Hilton and dumb little politician soundbites instead of all the things that matter. Which is a crock. Of course, nobody can get on TV who points out how TV-news is actively helping the process of screwing things up by covering nothing but soundbites and silly trivial things

The media has a Constitutional RIGHT not responsibility big difference, but still good point they aren't doing their jobs.

[byrdz]

This was nothing more than a trash TV Geraldoesqe style move on ESPN's part and they should be ashamed, apologize even.

[RShack]

The media has a Constitutional RIGHT not responsibility big difference, but still good point they aren't doing their jobs.

If you want society to work, rights imply responsibilities. Two sides of the same coin.

BTW, the TV media used to be expected to fulfill responsibilities to the public. It was a condition of them being able to operate until all that got canceled in the 1980's.

[waroriole]

If you want society to work, rights imply responsibilities. Two sides of the same coin.

BTW, the TV media used to be expected to fulfill responsibilities to the public. It was a condition of them being able to operate until all that got canceled in the 1980's.

Right, from society's standpoint it is crucial that they work together, just not from a Constitutional standpoint

Also, corporations used to have to "serve the public good" in order to be licensed by the gov't (state law in many states). That was until Ohio lifted that ban for Rockefeller and I believe Standard Oil, but this is getting way off the subject.

[Mad Mark]

As long as that night's comedian isn't running off the rails, you can often hear genuine political discussion on Real Time with Bill Maher...but of course that's on HBO.

[oriole_way]

I pretty much agree with Steele's article.

I also agree with those that said that ESPN has become more sensationalistic over the years. I used to watch ESPN almost daily back in the day. Now, not so much. Granted, I guess they have to fill the programming time on multiple channels compared to when they were only 1 channel. But I am curious as to how many sports fans actually enjoy the Budweiser hot seat segment, or watching Sean Salisbury bully and taunt John Clayton of 4 downs. (I realize that Salisbury has been fired, but that schtick really used to irritate me.)

But part of me also feels that our society is just getting dumber over the years. If tv talk shows like Springer et al didn't get ratings, they wouldn't put them on tv. But obviously this is what sells. Same applies to mags like the Enquirer.

[orayole]

But I am curious as to how many sports fans actually enjoy the Budweiser hot seat segment, or watching Sean Salisbury bully and taunt John Clayton of 4 downs. (I realize that Salisbury has been fired, but that schtick really used to irritate me.)

I did!

I'm pretty sure he quit, not got fired. Unless it was a mutual thing but I don't know why it would be. I enjoy Bayless to. I'm not saying I agree with what they say, I like their say it like they mean it attitude. I hate how people nowadays are afraid to speak their mind. If you feel some way then say it. That's what they do, even if everyone disagrees or they're just plain wrong. Say it if you feel it!