This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Jason Hennington. This is NOT the opinion of the Taylor Press.
It’s no secret I’m an NBA fan. But when I see players take shots at the media instead of the goal, I get irritated.
“When I see my name or my brothers’/sisters’ names getting spun through the media, I refer to all my research about who they are,” NBA all-star Kyrie Irving tweeted Thursday. “Their job is to CONTROL PUBLIC PERCEPTION, all while profiting off discussing, discrediting and disrespecting people’s lives for entertainment.”
I understand Irving’s frustration with the mainstream media, but he is in the public eye as a professional athlete. I don’t want to call him an overpaid crybaby, but he is acting like an overpaid crybaby.
The job of news reporters is to tell the story and provide the information. It’s a bit different for sports analysts. They are supposed to critique and give opinions on players’ performances.
What’s interesting is the part about profiting off discussing, disrespecting and discrediting individuals is something all journalists deal with. . . yes, even in small towns such as Taylor.
On “Around the Watercooler,” which is produced by Taylor Press and available on our Facebook page, we talk about the games, give a breakdown of a player’s performance and offer our opinions. However, it is highly unlikely we will ever come out and say something like, “This kid is a pathetic excuse for a ballplayer.” That’s not what we do. But we might say, “This kid didn’t seem to give his best effort, and we expect more from (him or her) the next game. Their team needs that from them.”
As far as it goes for news articles in the paper not on the op-ed page (this page), we try our best to stay objective and impartial. We don’t take sides. We don’t disrespect or discredit people. If readers have a reaction to someone we’re covering in the news, it’s due to the newsmaker’s own actions or words. I could point to several situations during the past year.
We are the media. We are the main line of communicating information to people. We are your connection to the community.
Some people like to say print is dead, but I can tell you that as a newspaper, we are not dying. We are actually expanding our content across multiple platforms beyond merely print. Not only do you get a print product from us, but you also receive online and social-media offerings.
If you want to make sure that our information is accurate, just talk to us.
Irving doesn’t like dealing with the media, especially press conferences. Maybe he should find a space where he is comfortable and feels at ease, and then sit down and just chat with the reporters. That way he can see it’s not everyone in the media who has an agenda, and not everyone in the media is against him. He might even realize journalists have a job to do, just like him.
I’m going to get off my soapbox now and go watch more of the NBA playoffs. Irving isn’t playing because his team got swept 4-0. Afterwards, it’s time to start promoting the Taylor Press 3-on-3 basketball tournament set for July 9-10 at Taylor Middle School.
Oh, and happy 11th birthday to my oldest princess, Jasmine!
“I couldn’t stand the media, but I realized they have a job. They gotta do what they have to do.”
• Allen Iverson
