ESPN and the Power of "The Media"

The New York Times has published a series of stories recently about the powerful influence of ESPN on college athletics and college life. Essentially, their premise is that the money offered (and earned) by ESPN to universities leads college officials to do things according to a business model focused on marketing sports television rather than by an educational model focused on student-athletes. I can't see how the argument can be refuted.

from http://sportsmediajournal.com/2007/10/02/the-goods-on-espn-part-1-the-criticisms/

But there is also the way ESPN treats individual subjects, like Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. First, ESPN led the way in hyping "Johnny Football" is his freshman season, boosting him to the Heisman Trophy. Then, it reported that in the off-season, Manziel had, among other things, taken money for signing autographs in violation of NCAA rules. Then, when the NCAA found that there was no evidence that Manziel had taken money, ESPN analysts debated endlessly over whether justice had been done. They also complained about how much of the spotlight he was hogging -- a spotlight shined almost exclusively by ESPN.

In other words, ESPN made the story and then complained about the story. No journalist individually may have violated any ethical principals, but the monolith of the "worldwide leader" acted irresponsibly.