ESPN is an easy target (and often, a lazy one). It is, after all, the network that epitomizes the unholy trinity of flash, self-promotion and loud, bombastic opinions.
Of course, such attributes are not limited to ESPN. One can find just as much flash on Fox Sports, self-promotion is the nature of the beast for just about any television network, and some of ESPN’s critics are just as loud and bombastic — just look at the reaction to The Decision, which prompted sportswriters across the country to break out their thesauruses and a sense of righteous indignation.
So why do the failings of the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” attract so much attention? Simply put, because it is the ‘leader’ — self proclaimed or otherwise. ESPN is a cultural icon, to the point where people have named their children after the network. As such, everything the network does becomes magnified.
One can use the last year alone as evidence. Within the last 12 months, ESPN has dealt with much publicized controversies such as the Erin Andrews video, the suspension of Tony Kornheiser, the firing of Steve Phillips, rumors of relationships between employees, the decision to air The Decision and the ‘do not report’ memo issued for the first Ben Roethlisberger rape allegation.
Often, ESPN has not just been the news, it has been in the middle of a firestorm.
ESPN has been thoroughly roasted for airing The Decision, and many sites (including this one) were critical of the slow reporting of the first Roethlisberger case. Certainly, those two events were not a particularly sterling reflection on ESPN’s journalistic capabilities. ESPN made the sensible move in deciding to air The Decision, but it was not exactly good television. And considering the fervent, breathless criticism the show has generated, there is little doubt airing the The Decision will haunt ESPN for years.
The Roethlisberger situation opened ESPN to criticism that it protects certain athletes — whether due to conflicts of interest (the news broke the week Roethlisberger was to tape a show for ABC) or other factors. When Roethlisberger was accused a second time in March, ESPN redeemed itself somewhat by covering the story from day one and devoting a decent amount of coverage.
Meanwhile, a series of controversies involving ESPN employees have given the impression of an unsavory atmosphere in Bristol, with even the often wildly inappropriate New York Post labeling the network the “Worldwide Leader in Jerks.” Of course, that same New York Post printed still images of the Erin Andrews video on its front page and is a corporate sibling of FOX Sports, which included nude women in its debut episode of Cubed, so any moralizing from that particular organization should be taken with a grain of salt.
Steve Phillips’ affair with a production assistant (which got both of them fired) was national news, and not just in sports media columns. The story prompted another examination of relationships within ESPN, which has dealt with the perception of rampant sexual harassment since the release of ESPN: The Uncensored History nearly ten years ago. In the wake of the Phillips scandal, one Fanhouse blogger wrote that “if ESPN canned every employee who acted like Phillips, SportsCenter would be hosted by a janitor and Beano Cook.” A New York Post headline blared that ESPN “encourages sexual insensitivity on air to snag ratings.”
The Phillips controversy was followed soon after by a series of Deadspin articles about romantic entanglements within ESPN, resulting in the eventual firing of two executives. Months later, Tony Kornheiser‘s suspension for criticizing Hannah Storm‘s wardrobe became another national story — prompting CNN’s Joy Behar Show to have a panel discussion on whether there is “sexism in the media.”
Certainly, ESPN has its faults. However, considering the size of ESPN, the sheer number of reporters the network employs, and the number of investigations, documentaries, features and specials the network has done over the years, it seems somewhat inaccurate to judge ESPN as a whole based on these various black eyes — from The Decision to the actions of Kornheiser, Phillips and the like.
If credibility is in the eye of the beholder, it does not appear that ESPN has much among sports fans or critics — fairly or unfairly. Well respected organizations are not typically the ones getting roasted on a regular basis.
See Also: “ESPN sidelines ‘sexist’ male colleague (New York Post)”, “Is there sexism in the media? (CNN)”, “Now Showing on ESPN: Fatal Attraction II (Fanhouse)”, “ESPN encourages sexual insensitivity on air to snag ratings (New York Post)”
