Class Essay: Sports Ethics

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Class Essay: Sports Ethics

Question 3

Introduction

Gradually, sports coverage has evolved from the use of print media to television exposure like NBC and ESPN, and eventually, to international sharing of information over social media and web pages. The continued incorporation of journalists in covering sports activities has led to the rise of ethical standards and guidelines, which advocate for the dissemination of unbiased, detailed, and truthful information. As a result, this evolution calls for an examination of the role, moral challenges, and solutions to ethical difficulties affecting sports journalism.

Ethical Role and Responsibility of the Media

The high moral purpose the media is to provide factual sports coverage either through print or digital platforms. While reporting sports activities, media personalities are required to exercise their freedom of expression and opinion by giving correct information. Weedon, Wilson, Yoon, and Lawson (2018) posited that press is an essential pillar that keeps sports enthusiasts updated on current sporting events. The constant scrutiny of journalists monitors the conduct and fosters the responsibility of the media correspondents in protecting the interests of the public.

It is the responsibility of the media to assume control of sharing accurate information by promoting ethics. Sports media experts act as informers by playing the role of leaders and motivators. Weedon et al. (2018) conceded that with this amount of influence, the media management should provide rules and guidelines that oversee the duties, onuses, and civil liberties of correspondents. The media are mandated to abide by specific rules and regulations to enhance the credibility of the press.

Ethical Challenges Facing Media Today

Sports commentators face the challenge of reporting hate speech as a result of lacking a universal definition of hurtful expressions. Media outlets lose focus when covering instances of prejudice, amplifying the voice of hate propagandists. For example, in 2018, Lebron James used his social media platforms and questioned the commitment of the media in the fight against racism as he felt that it propagated the myth that black athletes have 'natural talent' (Weedon et al., 2018). Journalists experience difficulties in censoring speech leading to them serving as ideological spokespersons for insensitive sentiments.

Mass media pressurize the sports industry as a result of the commercialization of tournaments and other sports-related activities. According to Weedon et al. (2018), advertisements are the source of the pressure felt by sportsmen and other officials, questioning the accuracy of coverage. For instance, while attending a baseball game of Detroit Tigers against Boston Red Sox, the officials interrupted the game for a commercial advertisement. Such actions affected players as it interrupted the flow of the game; for this reason, the press potentially destroyed the reputation of a beautiful sport.

Solutions to the Media Ethical Challenges

Mass media can mitigate the challenge of inaccurate reporting and hate speech by appreciating the fact that they must be fair and impartial. Weedon et al. (2018) acknowledged that the majority...