The Case of the Malevolent Rumor-Monger

[Clonamery]

If it is Stearns, then there is a unfortunate precedence with this guy who also couldn't understand the Borges plagiarism story:

http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/archives/2007/06/almost_exactly_a_month_ago.php

Stearns' NASCAR Source Proves Unreliable
The gamble of when to go public with information from a source and when to just hold back and wait for more confirmation was illustrated nicely in an experience that FOX25's Butch Stearns recently underwent.

Almost exactly a month ago, Butch Stearns posted the following on his blog:

"NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. will soon be racing under the same legendary #3 Chevy that his dad used to race in......A source with direct knowledge of negotiations tells FOX25 that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finalized a deal with Richard Childress Racing Thursday night, and an official announcement will be coming soon."
This is what we reported on Thursday night and here are some more thoughts I would like to add at this time.

I am no Nascar expert. However, the information I gleaned is very, very reliable and I am confident that it will be announced and come true sooner rather than later. If you're a Boston Sports fan, you probably say so what. Fine, we will always have our own soap operas and dramas to worry about with the Red Sox , Patriots and the rest of the Boston sports scene. By the way, can't we just get those NBA ping pong balls to drop already?

Oftentimes in my broadcasting career, I have gleaned information like this and then done my due diligence as a reporter and decided to report the story and oftentimes I've had to wait to be proven right. (It took two weeks after we announced that Theo Epstein would be the new GM of the Red Sox for that one to come true). That waiting period is an interesting time on many levels. It's fun to listen to the comments from people involved in a story like this as we wait for an announcement to be made.


Butch may have done his "due diligence" as a reporter, but his "very very reliable" information proved today to be incorrect, as Earnhardt announced that he will be racing with Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2008.

The purpose of pointing this out, is not so much to get on Stearns for being incorrect, but because I think it gives a nice bit of insight into the process that a lot the media tangles with when reporting information. The competition is very tough out there and the pressure is on to constantly be breaking stories and being the first with information.

In this case, Stearns took a gamble with a source's information, and it proved to be the wrong move.

A story is a story? Competition for the breaking story....at what length?

I have no issue with what has occurred except for the content of the rumor, it's a person's life. It's not sports/entertainment. It's a human being fer crissake. Whomever it was should be fired. Or if he or she has any stones at all, resign....news at 11. But don't hold your breath.

 

[shmessy]

I think we need to hold on before throwing anyone under the bus... In this case (the Bruschi rumor), nothing was reported and nobody went to press or to the airwaves with any untrue information. It seems what happened was a Boston media figure (maybe Butch Sterns, maybe not) got a tip that Bruschi was dead. So he called up other members of the media to see if any of them heard anything. Perhaps that wasn't the wisest thing to do, but this sort of thing happens all the time amongst the media so nothing unethical has occured.

Note, I wrote "if" it is Stearns. Curran reported that the orig. e-mail went to Fox Sports 25 and that their reporter there started contacting others questioning the story. At this point, there is no definite id to the Fox Sports 25 person.

 

[QuiGon]

I think the process of how this happened is MOST imteresting..that in this day of fast communication how/why it wasn't killed early on is totally amazing. No one checking sources and spreading rumors?? Just totally ridiculous...and shows a LOT of poor journalism on many people's parts.

I think this sort of thing happens way more often than people realize, not just in the sports media but also in the regular news media. It happens all the time: Some reporter hears a rumor and he calls his buddies (other reporters) to see if they've heard anything. Now a half dozen reporters are making calls seeing if the rumor is true... This only serves to propagate the rumor even more. Nobody's acting maliciously (other than the original person that originally e-mailed a knowingly false rumor to the original reporter who may or may not be Butch Sterns)... but, to clarify my point, no media members are acting maliciously.

In the Bruschi case, I think some people could have exercised a little better judgement, but I don't see any major ethical lapses on anyone's part. No one went to air or to print with an untrue story.

 

[QuiGon]

A story is a story? Competition for the breaking story....at what length?

I have no issue with what has occurred except for the content of the rumor, it's a person's life. It's not sports/entertainment. It's a human being fer crissake. Whomever it was should be fired. Or if he or she has any stones at all, resign....news at 11. But don't hold your breath.

Fired for what..? For hearing a rumor and checking with other people to see if the rumor is true..? What exactly should this unnamed person be fired for..?

You people are making it sound like Fox Channel 25 broke into their regular programming with the sudden bulletin "Bruschi Dead!!". Nothing of the sort happened.

 

[shmessy]

Fired for what..? For hearing a rumor and checking with other people to see if the rumor is true..? What exactly should this unnamed person be fired for..?

You people are making it sound like Fox Channel 25 broke into their regular programming with the sudden bulletin "Bruschi Dead!!". Nothing of the sort happened.

I agree, there doesn't seem to be any malice involved.

Just incompetence.

As Curran PUBLICLY admonished last night in his article, even a remedial class in high school journalism would have taught that you first would contact Stacey James before calling several competing journalists.

No malice. Just malpractice.

 

[Clonamery]

Fired for what..? For hearing a rumor and checking with other people to see if the rumor is true..? What exactly should this unnamed person be fired for..?

For not knowing how to do their job....

 

[bunzoburns]

I heard rumors from two seperate sources yesterday, each rumor started from someone who had a source from MGH.

 

[Pats726]

I agree, there doesn't seem to be any malice involved.

Just incompetence.

As Curran PUBLICLY admonished last night in his article, even a remedial class in high school journalism would have taught that you first would contact Stacey James before calling several competing journalists.

No malice. Just malpractice.

Agreed...POOR journalism..I stil find it hard to believe that this rumor went on and on and NOT eradicated as false early on. Good point though..wouldn't it make 100% sense to call James and find out?? I think that is journalism 101...and it's a LOT different with a trade rumor or something of that sort..but a death of a player?? That strikes me as POOR..VERY poor!! From Tom Curran---"How did it get this far? Well, the answer won't really drape the journalism industry in glory."....Now it just shows how POOR it really is. Leave it to TC in Atlanta to get a handle on it all.

 

[QuiGon]

I agree, there doesn't seem to be any malice involved.

Just incompetence.

As Curran PUBLICLY admonished last night in his article, even a remedial class in high school journalism would have taught that you first would contact Stacey James before calling several competing journalists.

Sorry to disappoint you but, as I said before, that sort of thing happens all the time. Trust me on that one.

 

[QuiGon]

For not knowing how to do their job....

Oh really..? What's the job of a good journalist..? I'd say to report facts and news stories to the public. How has any journalist not done their job in this instance..?

 

[shmessy]

Oh really..? What's the job of a good journalist..? I'd say to report facts and news stories to the public. How has any journalist not done their job in this instance..?

Incredible.

 

[QuiGon]

Incredible.

Answer the question. Not a single journalist went to air or to print with this story. Seems to me that a rumor got started and a bunch of journalists spent more time checking with each other instead of checking with legitimate sources such as the team, Bruschi's agent, etc... Poor judgement, certainly... but (like I said before) you people are acting like Channel 25 broke into regular programming with the headline "Bruschi Dead!!" Fact is this rumor never made it to air or to print.

You are foolishly and ridiculously naive if you don't think this sort of thing happens all the time in the media. That's just a fact of life.

 

[psychoPat]

I can't report this yet.
Still digging for facts.
But have you heard anything to either support or refute the rumor
that a high-profile Boston media person
has collapsed and died at Mass General?

 

[shmessy]

Answer the question. Not a single journalist went to air or to print with this story. Seems to me that a rumor got started and a bunch of journalists spent more time checking with each other instead of checking with legitimate sources such as the team, Bruschi's agent, etc... Poor judgement, certainly... but (like I said before) you people are acting like Channel 25 broke into regular programming with the headline "Bruschi Dead!!" Fact is this rumor never made it to air or to print.

You are foolishly and ridiculously naive if you don't think this sort of thing happens all the time in the media. That's just a fact of life.

So, in your world, when a journalist first hears word of a famous player's death, he/she should first call a bunch of competing journalists and ignore calling the Patriots Media Liaison (because OF COURSE(?) Stacey James would not tell the truth about a human being's death).

Secondly, your contention that the rumor didn't make it to air or print is classic. It's been all over the air and in print. Evidently you didn't hear Felger yesterday or see Curran absolutely RIP the idiot who propogated this apart.

Once again, I wrote (if you read correctly) that this doesn't seem malicious. Just incompetence. Someone who does not know their craft (i.e. pilots, doctors, teachers, writers) should, perhaps look for other vocations.

 

[shmessy]

I can't report this yet.
Still digging for facts.
But have you heard anything to either support or refute the rumor
that a high-profile Boston media person
has collapsed and died at Mass General?

I was e-mailed from a reporter who told me that a friend of his, whose Aunt works in the ER, said that it is all true.

But don't call the rumored deceased person's employer about it because they will just sweep it under the rug. Employers lie about these things all the time, just ask Quigon!

 

[shmessy]

You are foolishly and ridiculously naive if you don't think this sort of thing happens all the time in the media. That's just a fact of life.

Now I see. Good point.

It probably DOES happen all the time in the media you prefer to read. Which explains alot.

 

[QuiGon]

So, in your world, when a journalist first hears word of a famous player's death, he/she should first call a bunch of competing journalists and ignore calling the Patriots Media Liaison (because OF COURSE(?) Stacey James would not tell the truth about a human being's death).

What makes you so sure he didn't try reaching the Patriots..? But this first came out late Monday night so he probably couldn't get through to anyone. So now what does a responsible journalist do..? Go to bed and worry about it in the morning...? Or make more phone calls..?

I said that poor judgement was exercised, but I don't see any sort of egregious offense deserving termination.

Secondly, your contention that the rumor didn't make it to air or print is classic. It's been all over the air and in print. Evidently you didn't hear Felger yesterday or see Curran absolutely RIP the idiot who propogated this apart.

You misunderstand (no surprise, given your limited intellect). The rumor has been discussed. But not once did any reporter (radio, TV or print) report it as true, or even as something that might be true.. Not once did a TV station or radio station or newspaper announce "According to our sources, Tedy Bruschi is dead".

By the way, how did Curran "RIP the idiot who propogated this apart"...? Tom Curran wrote "Well, the answer won't really drape the journalism industry in glory." Please don't tell me you consider that mild, mild rebuke as "RIPPING" someone apart.

Once again, I wrote (if you read correctly) that this doesn't seem malicious. Just incompetence. Someone who does not know their craft (i.e. pilots, doctors, teachers, writers) should, perhaps look for other vocations.

Sounds to me like you just don't know how the journalism industry works. You are foolish and naive not to realize that this is what journalists do all the time.

 

[DGameguy]

You know, I work at a big Boston hospital and a friend of mine called me saying someone he knows who was a nurse at Mass General said Tedy had died, but we hadn't heard anything like that from MG, and we stay in close contact with them.

The weird thing is I swear I heard this awful, flase rumor last week on a radio show, I just can't remember which one.

 

[QuiGon]

Now I see. Good point.

It probably DOES happen all the time in the media you prefer to read. Which explains alot.

Now you're finally catching on. It does happen all the time in the media I prefer to read. And I prefer to read, watch and listen to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, PFT.com, ESPN.com, cbs.sportsline, WEEI, channels 4, 5, 7 and 25, ESPN, FSNE and NESN.

Please tell me if there are any media outlets you follow that just conducts their business unlike everyone else.

 

[shmessy]

Now you're finally catching on. It does happen all the time in the media I prefer to read. And I prefer to read, watch and listen to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, PFT.com, ESPN.com, cbs.sportsline, WEEI, channels 4, 5, 7 and 25, ESPN, FSNE and NESN.

Please tell me if there are any media outlets you follow that just conducts their business unlike everyone else.

Funny. Only ONE of those media outlets has (so far) been named as running to others before confirming with the Patriots about a father/husband's death.

If another media person received the rumor and first did not confirm it with the Patriots or the agent before spreading it, they too would be commitiing journalistic malpractice.

BTW, why do you think Stacey James has a job? Do the Patriots pay him to fend off the media regarding employees' deaths? Why does Bruschi's agent have a job?

Curran and Felger both immediately went to the agent. Anything other than contacting the agent or the team first is journalistically idiotic.