As journalists, we want to be able to report the news fast for our readers, but where is the line between speed and accuracy? In the realm of sports journalism, particularly in Major League Baseball, or MLB, that line has been blurred. MLB journalists have over-prioritized speed, unfortunately leading them to spread false information, one of the biggest sins in the field of journalism.
Just look at some of these infamously wrong tweets. They sent entire fan bases into frenzies of false joy and excitement, only to be killed when the truth came to light. Poor Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giant fans. Here they were, innocently reading some of the best news you could tell a sports fan – that two of the generation’s best and most talented players were most likely going to sign with their favorite team — just to find out that the truth was actually the complete opposite.
The reality was that Aaron Judge opted to stay with the Yankees, and Shohei Ohtani was not on that plane bound to Toronto to sign a contract. That, as a fan, is disappointing and gut-wrenching, and if this were to ever happen to my beloved Mets or Red Sox, best believe I would be mortified by the inaccuracy of it.
Tweets like those lead baseball fans like myself to immediately question the legitimacy of breaking MLB news once it happens, out of suspicion that the news with massive league-wide implications – just like the Judge and Ohtani spectacle — is false.
The phenomenon of reporting fake sports news seems to be exclusive to the MLB. When examining other sports leagues, specifically the NBA, there is no such thing as distrust between the fans and the media. NBA fans have never dealt with a fake news spectacle that baseball fans have suffered, all credit due to those NBA journalists who serve fans with credibility and accuracy. We never question some of the top NBA journalists that we fans all know and love, like Adrian Wojnarowski or Shams Charania, because they always give us the right and accurate breaking news stories on time. Instead, basketball culture loves it when they drop breaking news, dubbing it a “Wojbomb” or a “Shamsbomb.”
This begs the question, why are MLB journalists occasionally reporting fake news? That question is beyond me, and the general public, but regardless of the reason, the goal and solution for MLB journalists is to sharpen their connections and sources with players, executives organizations, and agents, and prioritize the truth over speed. They should strive to be public figures like NBA journalists and become household names that we all love and trust.
