Jul 5th, 2011 by T.C.
We’ve seen a few stories emerge over the last few weeks in the NASCAR world that have made some wonder, including myself, how far is too far? It seems that some have set aside ethics and the principles of responsible reporting in exchange for page views. If you follow the sport closely, and are active on social media, you know which stories I’m referring to. I realize that many writers do so professionally and that page views pay the bills, but at some point a line needs to be drawn. There is a very clear difference between reporting actual news and pandering to voyeurs.
I know some of you may find this shocking, but as much as you love your favorite drivers, it’s important to remember they are not perfect humans. Everyone has made mistakes, and everybody has problems. But just because they are race drivers and somewhat public figures, it shouldn’t automatically mean that what goes on in their personal lives is news. They have their right to privacy just like you and I do. Some have shown they’ve forgotten this.
Being a part of the NASCAR press corp means spending a great deal of time at the race track and getting access to a lot of players. Along the way, these folks will be privy to information and stories that should never see the light of day. All the talk, gossip, and rumors they hear can be compelling, but they have absolutely no place in print anywhere. It’s been made clear that some cannot handle the responsibility of their access.
Coming from a communications and journalism background, my partner Journo knows these issues well. As part of our conversation about me writing this post, Journo shared with me the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. If you do any writing, it’s a document you should become familiar with. Under the section entitled “Minimize Harm,” one particular statement stands out to me: “Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.” In a few of these recent cases, this absolutely did not happen. The curiosity that some have was used to shamelessly drive traffic to websites and gain the writers notoriety. And that’s wrong.
In the position we are in, we’ve often been asked to provide information or comment on situations regarding drivers personal lives and things that happen away from the race track. In all cases, we’ve politely declined. Yes, we are connected and yes, we are anonymous. But what we do is more about giving you an inside look at the sport and providing news and commentary about the competition, than it is about becoming NASCAR’s version of TMZ. We just flat out won’t do it.
In the end, I’m really disappointed by what we’ve witnessed. This is one of those cases where the platform that technology affords some people turns ugly. I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely lost a great deal of respect for those who chose to report on these items.
TheNASCARInsiders.com
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