I love a good press conference. And by ‘good,’ I mean one in which an athlete, coach or owner goes off script and provides an unforgettable sound bite. Over the years, we sports fans have witnessed some doozies.
There was former Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora, whose infamous “Playoffs?!” rant quickly became a staple on sports talk shows, and even inspired a Coors Light commercial.
There was Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, whose “I’m a man! I’m 40!” tirade became so popular that he tried — to no avail — to trademark the phrase.
And then there’s Rex Ryan, who makes headlines every time he opens his mouth.
But of all the press conferences I’ve watched, few have been more memorable than one featuring Herm Edwards. Then coach of the New York Jets, he was already visibly annoyed at having to defend his team’s lackluster performance, but when the subject of a newspaper article came up, Edwards lost it. Not just because the piece suggested there was discord in the locker room, but because it cited anonymous sources.
“Put your name on it,” he famously said. “If you’re man enough to write it or woman enough to write it, put your name on it, or come ask me… None of you know how those football players feel because you’re not in there when I address the team. I’ve got a problem with that. I’ve always had a problem with it. So write that. If you want to write something, write that.”
I remember watching it and nodding my head in agreement. It angered me then (and still does now) that someone who writes for a major newspaper thinks it’s acceptable to quote unnamed sources. I couldn’t get away with that in my high school journalism classes, never mind the papers I worked for through the years. And even if my editors would’ve been okay with it, I wouldn’t have, because to me, refusing to name names shows a total lack of integrity (unless, of course, we’re talking about a situation in which lives are in danger).
I started to wonder when it was that the tide turned; when it became acceptable to voice an opinion without revealing a name or face, and the answer I kept coming back to was the Internet Era. As the World Wide Web became more pervasive in our lives, and the need for constantly updated content increased, it became accepted that anyone — not just those trained in journalism — could author or comment on a blog. And when that happened, things like pageviews and clicks became the gold standard, while proper grammar, sentence structure, and basic journalistic integrity took a backseat.
I thought about this a while back when a friend of our publication expressed interest in writing a blog, but was extremely hesitant for fear of harassment from “Internet trolls.” If you’re unaware of this term (and in that case, I’m jealous), a troll is someone who “sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”
And all of this discord is attributable not to an actual name, but to a pseudonym or screen name, which further empowers the troll to be as harsh as he or she wants without any consequence. All the trashing without any of the ramifications! Sounds great, right? Sadly, it’s a practice that’s become quite common.
As you can tell, this topic hits a nerve with me. But I believe we can still win the fight — and by ‘we’, I’m not just referring to writers. I’m talking about those who write, read, comment on, and participate in blogs and articles. We all have obligations. Writers must always reveal sources, and readers must refuse to post comments anonymously.
But none of this happens without the people who are willing to put themselves out there by giving interviews. Every time I speak with a CIO, I’m amazed at the willingness so many of you have to be candid and transparent — especially when talking about missteps. By sharing your experiences, both positive and negative, you aren’t just helping fellow CIOs (although that is the main goal); you’re showing that character and integrity matter. You’re choosing to take the high road, instead of hiding under a bridge.
And for that, I sincerely thank you.
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