Coverage Controversy – It's Not Just For News Anymore
Just in case those who work in the "news" segments of journalism think complaints about story coverage are somehow reserved just for them, here's a reminder that consumers of our products have gripes on just about everything (tip of the hat to Romenesko). The fact that the ESPN sports network has its own ombudsman says enough by itself. And this week, he addressed concerns from viewers over the network's coverage of the Terrell Owens story. Here's what ESPN ombudsman George Solomon had to say about complaints he's received:
"I thought ESPN did a solid job of reporting the story, but went over the edge in volume, with the number of stories on 'SportsCenter' and ESPNEWS, as well as allowing too much commentary on the subject. I know Owens is a lightning rod and everyone has an opinion, but between Sean Salisbury's calling the man 'garbage,' Tom Jackson's saying the Eagles should have done this last August and Mike Ditka's throwing him to the wolves, the suddenly shy [Michael] Irvin's silence on the matter was welcomed."What's most instructional about this is how similar it sounds to many of the coverage questions we hear on the news side of the business about attention paid to sensational stories. And the response from Vince Doria, ESPN's senior vice president and director of news sounds familiar too:
"The ratings are a indication of what interests our viewers, and they are an accurate barometer, as opposed to some e-mailers who may or may not have an agenda. The ratings strongly affirm that our viewers have a great interest in the story."Whether you're talking about newspapers, network or cable news, sports or entertainment, the goal is the same – attracting, holding and pleasing an audience.