Deadspin Expose on Real Sports Shows Hypocrisy in Journalism

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Watching HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel expose of Deadspin on Monday was a prime example of the contrasts that exist in journalism today.

As Andrea Kramer needled Deadspin editor A.J. Daulerio about what subjects were off the table for him to publish, I couldn’t help but notice the condescending tone she took when asking him the question.

It was a textbook case of “do as I say, not as I do” that professional journalists of the mainstream media like to take when dealing with those of us in the new media.

In other words, despite the many advances bloggers have made over the past several years, the professional journalists still like to come off as sitting on higher moral ground.

More specifically, the professional media maintains an almost delusional view of themselves as having a higher standard of integrity than the average blogger.

At the end of the segment when Bryant Gumbel discussed the piece with Kramer, he asked if Daulerio might have a different take on some of the stories he’s published if it affected him personally.

Kramer said she thought Daulerio might give pause if, for example, it was his daughter being videotaped having sex in a port-a-potty.

But that wasn’t the real meaning of Gumbel’s question.

What he really wanted to know was how Daulerio could continue to justify some of the stories published on Deadspin that have created a lot of controversy.

It was in that moment where the hypocrisy of the professional media was on full display.

For decades, professional journalists have engaged in personal attacks without compunction or pause for concern, yet when Deadspin or some other new media web site publishes a similar story it’s painted in a completely different light.

It wouldn’t be difficult to find glaring examples of this practice considering it takes place virtually every day. Turn on the television or peruse the Internet and the professional media’s hypocrisy can be seen in all its glory.

Attorney’s sometimes jump up during trials to object testimony because it “assumes facts not in evidence,” and facts are often misrepresented by the professional media to support an argument.

At least Deadpsin uses facts that we can see in the form of a photo, video, e-mail or text message that supports their story.

The professional media likes to hide behind their sources so that the information they’ve obtained can be used to fabricate whatever happens to be their cause de jour.

If you don’t believe that, just type in the name “Dan Rather” in the search bar on Google and take a look at the results.

And Rather is not an isolated case either.

The professional media won’t point out the hypocrisy that exists in journalism being committed by their esteemed colleagues, but they’ll sure as hell scream at the top of their lungs when Deadspin or another blogger publishes a story they deem inappropriate.

Nearly three years have passed since Buzz Bissinger went after former Deadspin editor Will Leitch on Costas Now for what he called, “poor writing skills, lack of journalistic ethics and absence of credentials.”

Kramer interviewed Bissinger for the Deadpsin expose and his view of the web site – and of bloggers in general – was much different.

“If you can’t beat them, join them” Bissinger said when taking note of the new media’s growing presence and the decline of traditional print publications.

Bissinger, who works for The Daily Beast, said he considered working for Deadspin when he was looking for an outlet to publish his work.

Apparently Bissinger is one among the professional media who is willing to overlook his “journalistic ethics” to work for a site like Deadpsin.

In the not too distant future, many more will be joining Bissinger looking for work at new media web sites that are untainted by hypocrisy and where journalistic integrity actually exists.