by A. Khuny
The following topic
might not be considered an ethical issue in a traditional sense, especially
when comparing it to some of the dilemmas we have discussed in class or on this
blog. However, since it relates to the article by Hardin, Zhong and Whiteside
(2009), which we discussed a few weeks ago, I consider it worth bringing up on
this blog.
During the time of
this years’ NBA All-Star Game, reigning regular season MVP Kevin Durant was
asked about his opinion on the voting procedure for the prestigious award he
won roughly a year ago. According to Durant, the MVP should not be
determined by journalists, but by (former) players (White, 2015). The six-foot-nine forward was quoted saying, “You guys [the media] get too much power to vote on stuff quite frankly I don't think you know a lot about, not as much as we know about it […]” (White, 2015, para. 2).
Durant’s statements
raise some interesting questions and can be approached from different angles.
On the one hand, when discussing his statement in the light of the article by
Hardin et al. (2009) it could bring an end to one of the issues they have
brought up. According to Hardin et. al. (2009), award voting can be seen as
being “highly controversial” (p. 322),
and they furthermore conclude, could cause “conflicts of interest” (p. 323) among
journalists.
On the other hand,
Durant’s statements seem disrespectful towards sports journalist. Even though
some of the issues Hardin et al. (2009) come up with (e.g. gambling, gift
acceptance, friendships with athletes) might be accurate in some cases, they should
not be confused with incompetence. Not only are sports journalists very
knowledgeable, but often had a history as coaches or players in the respective
sport they are reporting about.
References:
Hardin, M., Zhong, B., & Whiteside, E. (2009). Sports
coverage: "toy department" or public-service joumalism? the
relationship between reporters' ethics and attitudes
toward the profession. International Journal of Sport Communication, 2(3)
http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybasketball/update/25068527/thunde r-sf-kevin-durant-against-media-voting-on-mvp
Andreas,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some interesting points about the voting. If it is for an All-Star game (as in MLB), I can see the rationale for having the fans vote for their favorites - even though it does not mean the best players are always selected. But I can see where there is a conflict of interests when journalists vote for the MVP. There isn't even a consensus about what constitutes the "Most Valuable" player - the one with the best statistics or the one whose team won the most games?
The biggest example of this was when ESPN selected the "Greatest Athletes" of the 20th century in 1999. In my thinking, the voters should have included a combination of journalists, athletes, and scholars. The problem with having the votes done primarily by journalists is that they were the ones who created our impressions of the athletes. If journalists did not like Ty Cobb, and that came through in their writing, then it was also reflected by their voting. This meant they not only created our impressions of the greatest athletes, but they also ensured that those athletes would be remembered in perpetuity. In this case, I think a more objective measure could be used.
I'm glad you tied it in with the article by Hardin et al. (2009).
Dr. Spencer
For this specific award, I do feel like the players should have more of a role in deciding the winning recipient. In this year's race for MVP there are many who feel very split on Curry and Harden. Perhaps if the players were given a vote there would be a very clear and obvious winner.
ReplyDeleteThis is a debate on whether watching and covering NBA games on a nightly basis gives you more credit than playing against said players a few times a year. While there are many media members that are very knowledgeable about the game and carry an unbiased opinion, we must acknowledge that there are those out there in the media just looking to stir the pot and will say outlandish things to get attention. I would not want someone who is on record making ridiculous statements to be the one deciding the best player in the league.
I would have to agree with Eric when thinking about this topic. I have never paid much attention to who is doing the actual voting for these awards. Even though there are many journalists who have covered the games for many years and are highly respected by players, coaches and others of the like, there are those few who are biased and immature about their reporting and I would not want those individuals to have a say in whether or not I get votes for such a prestigious award.
ReplyDeleteIn your reference to previous articles we have read discussing the potential conflict of interest, I would have to agree. If a journalist has several good interactions with one player, he/she may become partial to that specific player and be more inclined to vote for him for Player of the Year even if he may not deserve it. I really like this post because it makes you think about the ethical issues that may not be obvious right at first.
Marissa Tashenberg
I would have to agree with Eric when thinking about this topic. I have never paid much attention to who is doing the actual voting for these awards. Even though there are many journalists who have covered the games for many years and are highly respected by players, coaches and others of the like, there are those few who are biased and immature about their reporting and I would not want those individuals to have a say in whether or not I get votes for such a prestigious award.
ReplyDeleteIn your reference to previous articles we have read discussing the potential conflict of interest, I would have to agree. If a journalist has several good interactions with one player, he/she may become partial to that specific player and be more inclined to vote for him for Player of the Year even if he may not deserve it. I really like this post because it makes you think about the ethical issues that may not be obvious right at first.
Marissa Tashenberg