In the latest entry for ESPN as part of the Poynter Review Project, Poynter Institute Ethics Group Leader Kelly McBride noted ESPN "has already attracted its share of disapproving columnists and critics" for LLWS coverage, most of whom "question why we need to see the boys cry." Some even accuse ESPN of "exploiting children." But McBride wrote, "Here's the thing: Kids cry when they lose a big game. We shouldn't turn away from that." ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Bill Graff said that because of the criticism, ESPN producers "work hard to cut away from sobbing boys." A camera shot "might catch a few tears, but it won't linger." Graff: "I will tell you that we are very sensitive to kids that get overly emotional. We don't stay on it very long. We won't stay on a shot of a kid crying. People see that and they say, 'How in the world can (ESPN) make money showing that kid crying?' But there may be three instances of that in a whole weekend." McBride argued that by "turning away from the tears, ESPN misses an opportunity to take its coverage of the Little League World Series to the next level." ESPN takes the "middle road with the Little League World Series, for admirable reasons," but the network could "go further." McBride: "Bring more context to this compelling story, not less. It would capitalize on already good TV" (ESPN.com, 8/26). In Illinois, Mike Imrem writes under the header, "Kids playing kids' games inevitable for TV." Imrem: "If teenage football players weren't running across my TV screen this weekend, preteen baseball players were. My complicity was that I watched too much of it and don't feel guilty at all. I finally gave up fighting this losing battle" (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 8/29).
RATINGS UNAVAILABLE: The overnight rating for yesterday's coverage of the Little League World Series Championship on both ABC and ESPN is not available due to Hurricane Irene. Baltimore, DC, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and Richmond are among major markets not reporting weekend numbers, while many other east coast markets, including N.Y., had a large portion of weekend coverage preempted by local news on the hurricane.
