As everyone gets in a tizzy about which athletes and entertainers are on twitter, facebooking and breaking news on their own websites it is important to remember that the interraction between the media and those they are covering and reporting about…whether that reporting is on CNN or CNBC or the New York Times or blogtalk radio…is still pretty important. No matter how much people can crow about the use of social media, it remains just a part, and still a small part, of effective brand management and communication for fans and the companies associated with teams, entertainment properties and organizations. People pay to go and watch games, and brands pay to be associated with the events that those people play, they still don’t pay to do much online in comparison. two cases in point about the ongoing yin and yang between media and athletes arose this past week, both involving the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The first was a report by very well respected writer Jeff Pearlman about a pretty disappointing and disrespectful encounter between a reporter and the Phils Jayson Werth. The second was the escalating incident regarding the Phils Raul Ibanez, which was explained in great detail by Joe Posnanski on si.com. So here we have an athlete being disrespectful in the workplace (Werth, who wouldn’t talk to a writer for unknown reasons) and we have an athlete having to chase the shadows of an unsubstantiated blog report about steroids, both in the same clubhouse in the same week. What comes to play in both these situations is a lack of understanding on both sides about exactly what the others job is. The athletes have to constantly be reminded by staff that the media are there to do a job, whether they like it or not, and being civil and respectful in the workplace, is part of the deal, just as it would be for any other person in the limelight. No it is not the same for people who have “regular jobs”…teachers, lawyers, businessmen. Part of their job is not being under scrutiny 24/7 by the media, but that is the unfortunate price of being an elite athlete. The second side is the responsibility of the media in this 24/7 world. “The internet” and “bloggers” are used with such disdain by mainstream media that those phrases almost become their own villianous entity, yet the media have a responsibility to chase or not chase unsubstantiated rumors as much as the athlete has a responsibility to answer questions during an access period. The media also have a responsibility to act civil and give athletes, or anyone respect as well, and sometimes that lack of distance or respect is not afforded because of the crazed deadlines put forth. So who is right in this responsibility battl. Well, no one is really right or wrong. What is right is that both sides still need each other, no matter how much one thinks they can isolate themselves. Athletes get paid because the media give them exposure to fans and brands, and the media need the athletes because without them, there would be even less jobs and events and dollars being spent on those things then there are now. Responsibility goes both ways.
Some other good reads…the Washington Post had a good piece on the LPGA's challenges…AP had a good piece on the growing fan support for Bobby Valentine in Japan…Yahoo had a good piece looking at Kenny Huang, the new guy spending money to bring baseball and hoops to China…and the New York Times’ Jere Longman has a great profile of soccer coach Bora Milutinovic and hos work rebuilding the Iraqi soccer program.
