USA As we speak columnist Christine Brennan is well-respected within the journalism enterprise. She has been a champion of girls’s sports activities and a pioneer amongst ladies in sports activities journalism. However greater than that, she has a strong popularity for being a good reporter and columnist.
An issue, nevertheless, has cropped up with the WNBA Gamers Affiliation placing out a scathing — and, I’ll add, unfair — assertion about Brennan.
It began final week when WNBA star Caitlin Clark was poked within the eye by Connecticut Solar guard DiJonai Carrington throughout a playoff sport. Clark ended up with a black eye. I believed it was an unintended poke as Carrington was going for the ball. However the incident gathered some steam on social media, and Brennan requested Carrington about it. The query was not out of line.
Brennan even posted the exchange on X.
Brennan requested Carrington, “While you went and sort of swatted at Caitlin, did you propose to hit her within the eye? And if that’s the case, might you simply, or if not, both approach, might you speak about what occurred on that play?”
Carrington stated, “I don’t even know why I’d intend to hit anyone within the eye. That doesn’t even make sense to me. However no I didn’t. I didn’t even know I hit her. I used to be making an attempt to make a play on the ball and I assume I adopted via and hit her. Clearly, it’s by no means intentional, that’s not even the kind of participant I’m.”
Brennan adopted up by asking if Carrington and one in every of her teammates later laughed about Clark getting hit. Carrington stated no and, “I simply instructed you that I didn’t even know I hit her.”
A good query requested, and an affordable response given. That would have and may have been it. However the controversy was simply heating up.
Sports Illustrated’s Grant Young wrote, “Brennan was criticized as a result of she was accused of pushing the narrative that had been spreading on-line about Carrington deliberately poking Clark’s eye, which was seen as disrespectful to many members of the WNBA group.”
Carrington then got here beneath assault on social media by those that believed she hit Clark on objective. She was disgustingly accosted with racial slurs and threats.
The WNBA Players’ Association then put out its statement, criticizing Brennan by writing, “To unprofessional members of the media like Christine Brennan: You aren’t fooling anybody. That so-called interview within the title of journalism was a blatant try and bait an expert athlete into taking part right into a narrative that’s false and designed to gasoline racist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on social media. You can’t conceal behind your tenure. As an alternative of demonstrating the cornerstones of journalism ethics like integrity, objectivity, and a basic dedication to reality, you have got chosen to be indecent and downright insincere.”
The assertion went on to say, “You may have abused your privileges and don’t deserve the credentials issued to you. And also you definitely usually are not entitled to any interviews with the members of this union or another athlete in sport … We name on USA As we speak Community to evaluation its Ideas of Moral Conduct for Newsrooms and handle what we imagine is a violation of a number of core ideas, together with in search of and reporting the reality.”
It additionally stated, “USA As we speak Sports activities ought to clarify why a reporter with clear bias and ulterior motives was assigned to cowl the league. We additionally urge the league to evaluation its insurance policies and take measures to stop such points, defending the integrity of the sport and its gamers.”
The bias accusation could be as a result of Brennan is writing a guide about Clark.
USA As we speak and govt sports activities editor Roxanna Scott responded by backing Brennan with this statement: “Journalists ask questions and search reality. We reject the notion that the interview perpetuated any narrative aside from to get the participant’s perspective instantly. Christine Brennan is properly considered an advocate for girls and athletes, however firstly, she’s a journalist.”
Look, there’s no query that Clark is a lightning rod within the WNBA. Something that occurs in her orbit — good or dangerous, on or off the court docket — is debated and, sure, a lot of it has racial undertones. Clark, who’s white, has merely gone out and performed the sport, as have her teammates and opponents, each Black and white. But others, many coming from a foul place, carry race (and racist ideas) into the dialog. I’m speaking largely concerning the vitriol seen on social media. So you possibly can perceive why the WNBA gamers are particularly delicate relating to all this.
However its assertion concerning Brennan was out of line. I don’t all the time agree with Brennan’s tackle issues. She’s a columnist. I’m unsure anybody ought to agree together with her 100% of the time. However Brennan was doing her job, a job she has finished properly and pretty for many years. On this case, she went on to Carrington, as is the journalistically accountable factor to do.
I additionally don’t assume there’s something to this entire Carrington-eye poke factor. However that doesn’t imply Brennan was irresponsible for asking about it.
The WNBA Gamers Affiliation is making an attempt to guard its gamers. I get that. However on this case, they selected the flawed goal and the flawed message.
This piece initially appeared in The Poynter Report, our day by day e-newsletter for everybody who cares concerning the media. Subscribe to The Poynter Report here.
