Overwhelmed by Mis-Information

A few years back I was invited by the University of Maryland to attend a discussion about the future of sports journalism.  The panel was comprised of a collection of well respected media personalities, broadcasters and reporters, including ESPN's Scott Van Pelt -- a fellow Terrapin graduate.

It came time for Q&A and I asked Van Pelt if the pressure of producing and publishing content in Internet time had led to a decline in the accuracy of news reporting.  Specifically, I referenced ESPN's faulty report on football star Terrell Owens' attempted suicide. 

Understandably, Van Pelt defended his employer citing a police report as the source material for ESPN's reporting of this breaking news.

It wasn't the time or place to dive deeper into this issue, yet I would have made the point that perhaps someone from ESPN should have contacted Owens or the Dallas Cowboys (the team he played for at the time) for confirmation.  That's reporting, right?

A couple of recent developments brought this interaction with Van Pelt to mind:

1.  Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise's month long suspension for knowingly sharing misinformation via Twitter to prove how inaccurate news spreads like a plague on the Internet.

2.  A good friend and former client self-publishing on Pitch Engine to combat a damaging profile in the Washington Business Journal.

3.  My colleague and partner Chris Parente tackling a client-related public relations issue created by near negligent reporting by the USA Today.

I am an ardent believer that there has been a shift in influence from traditional sources of information and credibility (i.e. news media, industry analyst firms and conferences) to the content and discussions in social networks and online communities. 

It's why Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) has reinvented its business during the past three years, transitioning from a public relations consultancy to a provider of social media marketing services.

Yet, I recognize the importance the business, sports, news and trade press have in shaping discussion and debate.  Personally, I'd be lost without the insight and analysis from BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Computerworld, Informationweek and the Washington Post.

This is why the precipitous decline in the quality and accuracy of news reporting is so disconcerting.  It will accelerate the importance of social networks which is beneficial for Strategic. 

However, I worry that the lack of credible, editor-reviewed content will leave us all overwhelmed by misinformation.

Hoop Lessons

I am a basketball junkie! Professional…collegiate…Olympic…international…even high school. I watch and enjoy it all.

That’s because the game recognizes individual performance within the context of team accomplishment. (An environment we try to emulate at Strategic Communications Group (Strategic)).

Plus, the athleticism of the sport’s top players is truly remarkable. Take a whirl over to YouTube and search for “greatest NBA dunks.”

Professional hoops in the US -- primarily the National Basketball Association (NBA) -- are subject to the same pressures that influence most businesses. Issues such as globalization, employee relations, bureaucracy, promotion and publicity, stakeholder communications, etc. impact the product on the court.

This week’s announcement that Atlanta Hawks free agent Josh Childress has elected to sign a contract with Greek professional team Olympiacos has caused quite a stir in the NBA establishment. Childress is the first American player in line to make big money in the US who has decided to ditch the NBA for an international opportunity.

Is this a good or bad for the NBA, its players and its fans?

Henry Abbott who writes a blog called TrueHoop for ESPN is spot on in his assessment. He makes two points I believe are relevant to this situation, as well as to businesses in general.

1. Market leading organizations need viable competition to remain innovative in their delivery of products and services. Abbott writes:

In most businesses, if you do things in an inefficient manner, eventually your competition will come along and do it better, cheaper, faster, etc., and they will hurt your bottom line or put you out of business entirely. That's how the free market forces efficiency on us all. It's painful at times, but it sure teaches some strong lessons about figuring out what's most important and constantly evolving.

2. Too much regulation and bureaucracy ultimately limits creativity and innovation. In the case of the NBA, Abbott points out:

The NBA's collective bargaining agreement includes a ton of complicated clauses. Each serves a purpose, and you can make a case that, all told, it's a good and fairly fair system. But regulation is always burdensome, and this league, famously run by lawyers, is knee-deep in legalese.


I plan to take Abbot’s points to heart as I think about Strategic as a business, as well as the counsel we provide to clients.

Say Goodbye to Josh Childress, Say Hello to Some NBA Soul-Searching
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-33-84/Say-Goodbye-to-Josh-Childress--Say-Hello-to-Some-NBA-Soul-Searching.html