When the recent ESPN report on Auburn came out, it was quickly accompanied by the usual wailing and gnashing and harbinging of doom.
The article did catch my attention, I’ll admit. But before I reacted, I decided to read through it. Then I read through it again.
My response?
At least for now, that restraint was justified, as no new developments emerged to increase the need for panic.
But rather than go deep on one article, I’ll explain the info standards I follow before inducing panic using several examples. Yes, some stories have sent me into a funk. Others pass without justifying much beyond a shrug and a shake of the head.
So here is a guide on when to panic and when to shrug.
I. Single anonymous source: Attention only
This applies both to this week’s story and to Kevin Scarbinsky’s story about a conference call to fire Jay Jacobs. Anonymous sourcing is allowed within ethical journalism, but the accepted standard is two anonymous sources.
Scarbinsky’s article relied on one anonymous source. Regardless of how credible that source might be, it’s safer to get two, even if one merely confirms the information without adding to it.
So while I found the Scarbinsky article interesting, if objectionable on other grounds, I adopted the wait and see attitude. What we saw was a denial from Auburn President Dr. Steven Leath and nothing further.
Similarly, the ESPN report included one anonymous source. I did note that Auburn itself served as the other source, confirming the situation, but that’s an unusual case.
That Auburn would confirm it, rather than offer the “personnel issues” perceived stonewall, was also a source of assurance on the story for Auburn fans, but that’s another interesting side to it.
It seems that the Auburn athletics department has followed a strategy of “aggressive transparency” on certain stories, similar to their response when Shawn Assael of ESPN focused on Dakota Mosley, in his article on the 2011 arrest of four Auburn players.
When they have nothing to hide, they don’t act like they do. They seem to realize that in such cases, openness solves more problems than a stonewalling approach avoids.
II. Named source/AU beat involvement: Moderate concern
Now, when a source is willing to openly attach his/her name to information, that takes it to a different level (and a single credible named source is acceptable in such cases).
The individual might have an unfair ax to grind, but when they grind the ax publicly, it takes the concern to a higher level.
I think about the 2006 NY Times report about the misuse of sociology independent studies. Jim Gundlach, a sociology professor, was credited as the source of the information. And ultimately it was worth worrying about.
This was an important story, and for all the grief he received, I give Dr. Gundlach a lot of credit for bringing it to light. It was a UNC-level academic problem that needed to be addressed, and it was appropriately problematic for Auburn’s academic reputation. (Yes, I will die on this hill.)
So when that story came out, yes, it deserved our attention. It was bad. As I recall, I first heard about it on the WSFA evening news (this was 2006, after all), and I realized I was eventually standing in front of the TV and yelling at it.
Another consideration: take note of how the Auburn beat writers follow up on the story. Auburn is blessed with some top-notch journalism pros covering the athletics programs.
I know fans wish they would be as passive as the beat writers covering other CFB programs. But given their aggressiveness (which ultimately is a positive), their response to such stories will let you know if something is there.
When such stories come out, regardless, all of the Auburn outlets will link to it and summarize it. They’re expected to, even if the process seems like a waste of time.
They might add an official reply from Athletics or Auburn University, but beyond that, they don’t consider the juice worth the squeeze. That is an indication of how far the story could go and could allay your fears.
Now, if their reporting starts to uncover their own layers to the story, you might want to pay attention. The concern level is likely to rise from moderate and approach panic.
III. Indictments/arrests: Panic
When the U.S. Attorney’s office in NYC announced that Chuck Person was indicted on a variety of charges, yeah, it was bad. I won’t go much beyond that in discussing this case, since much is yet to be revealed.
No one knows where that case is going to end up, but yeah–when it reaches that stage, it’s bad. It’s for real.
So how to respond?
I did see a lot of anger and frustration once the ESPN report published. As time went on, and the first wave was the only wave, it was replaced by indignation and anger directed at the writers, particularly Mark Schlabach (some of it justified, but not all of it fair).
My main concern is when we assign face value to such journalistic transactions, and it overvalues the information given.
If it doesn’t involve federal or state charges or a named source, it might be worth waiting on. That way, if it goes no further, you’ll ride a straight line from mellow to mellow, with no frantic, unnecessary up-then-down detour in between.
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