This is SportsCenter

I’ve spoken before about the “This is SportsCenter” series of commercials that ESPN airs. But yesterday I saw one that really struck me as particularly interesting.

In the ad, track phenom Usain Bolt comes into the ESPN “clock-in” room, punches a time card, and returns a few seconds later to clock out; his work day completed in record time.

It’s a clever ad, but is even more egregious than others in the series for depicting athletes as being on the ESPN payroll.

I am not a stodgy person. I completely understand that there is a distinction between what is in advertising, and what reality is. I know (or at least I hope) that ESPN does not employ athletes in this manner.

But ethics in journalism is not always so black and white. Perception can mean everything. If there are people out there who legitimately buy into those commercials, the credibility of ESPN could be compromised.

I’m not suggesting that ESPN stop the production of these commercials, but only that they try to be mindful of potential perceived conflicts of interest.

The Tiger Scandal

If you’ve been watching the news lately, chances are very good that you’ve seen something about Tiger Woods.

Not for winning a golf tournament. But for matters involving his personal life and perhaps personal failings.

There was once a time in this country when athletes had two separate lives. Sports journalists would steadfastly (and often deliberately) ignore the private side, and throw all of their energy into covering the public, athletic side.

In just the last few years, really, this has changed dramatically.

You’ve seen stories of all manner of high-profile athletes involved in affairs, rape allegations, steroids scandals, and speeding tickets.

And the higher-profile the athlete, the more scrutiny they seem to be under, and the more delight news outlets seem to take in exposing what often are elaborate webs of lies.

This is how it is. Entertainment news, sports news, and even regular “news” news all cover these topics as they come up. Blogger and internet denizens routinely try to uncover photos and information on star athletes.

The question becomes, is this a positive thing, or a negative thing for sports journalism ethics?

This is a very tough question to answer. On one hand, most people would agree that an affair is morally wrong. Having these transgressions out in the open seems like the just thing to do. On the other hand, in the rush to get the exclusive, these stories are often inaccurate and thus damage the name and credibility of the athletes.

It’s a copout, but I believe there is no definitive answer at this point. It is, what it is. As I speak to more professional journalists for my documentary, I will ask for their opinions on this matter.