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.