Ethical Issues in Sports Broadcasting

Sports broadcasters are an integral part of the sports experience and keep viewers up to date on every move and aspect of a game. Yet a sports broadcaster’s job is not as simple as it seems. It involves more than merely voicing one’s views, reactions and ideas on the radio or television. There are certain ethical issues that affect what sports broadcasters can and cannot say on the air.

  1. Personal Views

    • Sports broadcasters are journalists, and they have to strive to maintain objectivity. If a star football player fumbles a ball and costs his team the game, the broadcaster shouldn't call the player names or say it was the most boneheaded move he could have made. He also shouldn’t clearly be rooting for one team. His job is to present a fair account of what’s going on in the game. It is a common practice, however, for sports broadcasters to offer an informed opinion. An example would be questioning the moves made by a manager or coach or the correctness of an official's call.

    Freebies

    • A sports broadcaster shouldn’t accept freebies from any professional teams, such as tickets, trips, money or merchandise. According to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) book "Independence and Integrity II," written and edited by Dr. Alan G. Stavitsky, gift givers may give journalists—including sports broadcasters—gifts and perks in hopes that their kindness will be repaid with positive coverage. It may appear to others the broadcaster has been “bought.” The best advice is to avoid the freebies, because they may come with strings attached.

    Truthfulness and Accuracy

    • If they make a mistake or misspeak about something that happened during a game, a sports broadcaster is obligated to correct his errors. According to the Radio-Television News Director’s Code of Ethics (as listed in the CPB publication "Independence and Integrity: A Guidebook for Public Radio Journalism"), broadcasters are obligated to report truthfully, accurately and impartially. They must respect the dignity and privacy of the people they are reporting on, so a sports broadcaster should not delve into juicy rumors about a player’s personal life on the air.