ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter said he decided to post images on Twitter of Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul's medical charts related to his reportedly amputated finger because Pierre-Paul is "a public figure and franchise player involved in a widely speculated accident with potential criminal behavior," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Schefter said there was "a cone of secrecy that surrounded" Pierre-Paul for five days "that not even his own team could crack." Schefter has drawn some criticism for the move, but he said, "In a day and age in which pictures and videos tell stories and confirm facts, in which sources and their motives are routinely questioned, and in which reporters strive to be as accurate as possible, this was the ultimate supporting proof." Schefter when asked if he wished to make public how he obtained those images responded, "I never once requested a single image from anyone at any time; the images came to me." He said of communicating with ESPN editors and lawyers prior to posting the HIPAA-sensitive image, "News organizations are not governed by HIPAA laws, but in hindsight I could and should have done even more here due to the sensitivity of the situation. We’ve got a great group of editors and production staff, and I could have leaned on them even more." Schefter said of his reaction to some people disapproving of his move
from an ethical perspective, "This is the
part that I’ve struggled with because I’ve heard that questions raised
and I’ve heard the criticisms. There’s no way not to consider the other
point of view. But what I will say is this: My ethics, integrity and
reputation are something I’ve worked as hard as possible to build and
guard" (SI.com, 7/12).
MANN OF THE HOUR: In Akron, George Thomas wrote Keith Olbermann, "probably to no one’s surprise, is out at ESPN -- again." ESPN execs "are putting the high-priced talent on the endangered species list." Olbermann "produced high-brow fare and took his viewers beyond the numbers, outside the lines and to where those topics meshed in important ways." He "was to ESPN television what Bill Simmons was to ESPN.com in terms of heft." Thomas: "Intellectual. Certainly brilliant. And somehow he blended those things to create a unique experience ... for sports fans who appreciated some layers to their sports." Jettisoning Simmons and Olbermann "rids the network of two huge thorns" in NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s side (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 7/12). In L.A., Tom Hoffarth suggests a lack of viewership "didn’t add up to what they were paying him." He asks, "So ESPN’s official reason for not renewing Keith Olbermann’s contract when it expires after two years at the end of this month centers on financial hurdles?" Hoffarth: "Sounds like someone’s getting the business here. His bellowing commentaries were what set him apart from everything else -- which may play into the ESPN supposed philosophy that no host is bigger than any show. ... Too bad he never got to do 'SportsCenter' as they threatened upon his rehiring. Apparently until Olbermann explains, all we’re doing is more uneducated guess work" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 7/12). In Tampa, Tom Jones writes of Olbermann, "I'm disappointed he is leaving ESPN. His show was smart, funny and not at all like anything else you could get on ESPN. His lone-voice show was a nice departure from many of the multivoiced opinion shows on ESPN's various platforms. And there were few things on television each day more interesting than Olbermann's 'Worst Person in the World' segment. It and he, for now, will be missed" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/13).
SAYING SORRY: In L.A., Melissa Rohlin noted ESPN's Chris Broussard apologized Friday to Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban for a report regarding Cuban's attempt to convince DeAndre Jordan to sign with the team. Broussard wrote on Twitter, "I should have attempted to contact Mark Cuban before reporting what my sources were telling me. I always try to carry myself with honesty and integrity both personally and professionally. I recognize that I tweeted hastily, I’m sorry for it, and I will learn from my mistake." Broussard on Wednesday reported that Cuban had been driving around Houston "begging (thru texts) Jordan's family" for his address (LATIMES.com, 7/10). In DC, Clinton Yates wondered why Broussard "would go to the wall for such a random story is hard to understand, considering that even at its peak, the anecdote was a one-chuckle situation." He instead "poked the bear and lost the fight in a very public manner" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/10).
