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Kirk Wessler column from March 30, 2010- ethical hypocrisy

Da Coach

Da Coach

Moderator
Staff member
Apparently the philosphies and journalistic ethics of Kirk Wessler and the Peoria Journal Star have changed.
Here is the column he wrote back on March 30, 2010. He was responding to false rumors about Jim Les, and his purpose was to check them out, then quash those rumors and point out how unethical it is to deal in unproven rumors.
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/wessler/x1838117210/Wessler-Is-March-going-out-like-a-lyin

The rumor mill
The phone calls started last Thursday night, in the middle of watching the Kansas State-Xavier game. They kept on coming, non-stop, all through Friday. ...
Did you hear? Jim Les was fired as Bradley basketball coach. ... Or he was going to be fired at any moment. ... Or he had been bought out of his contract. ... Or he was about to be bought out of his contract. ... And why doesn’t the Journal Star know about this? ...
Um, because it wasn’t true? ...
Thirty-five years in this business, I’ve heard a few rumors. But I can’t recall ever so much ado about nothing. Usually, rumors this wrong come from crackpots. What elevated this one and created a busy night and day of reporting — only to come up empty — was that the voices coming over the phones belonged to rational, sensible people. And they were so insistent. Some are pro-Les, some anti-Les, and some don’t have a dog in this particular hunt but had heard all about it. ...
From whom? Who knows? But every call came with the same REO Speedwagon refrain. ... “Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another ...” I think somebody was messin’ around and laughed his, or her, lungs out all weekend. ...
Usually, we don’t acknowledge rumors when they’re found to lack substance. When they’ve gone viral, though, it’s not a bad thing to attach a warning label: Don’t believe everything you hear. ...
 
Braves4Life said:
You guys just don't get it do you? smh :?
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Didn't KW repeat his unsubstantiated rumor again today? Why is it OK for a newspaper columnist/editor to repeat a harmful unsubstantiated rumor but we should just shut up?

I think it is important to show that even KW didn't believe this kind of rumor-mongering was right, but apparently now he does when it serves his agenda.

And anything I write here is just my opinion, for those who keep using that lame excuse to defend KW.
 
KW has an agenda.

He's a flamer.

He likes to write stuff that makes people mad.

He enjoys their pain.

He's a schadenfreude.
 
You guys seem pretty upset about this?

Why?

At least Bradley is getting press. I think its good.
 
Look, I don't begrudge any one on here their opinion. In fact, I value them. However, what KW did was strictly an editorial (and one was a blog where all bets are off anyway). He never said he had information to substantiate that Les would be fired. He basically just said he had a hunch; it was his opinion that Les might not be around next year. He was editorializing.

These editorials are meant to accomplish one of two things -- either you agree and say "right on man, I love what you're saying", or you disagree and say "you're full of crap KW, show us the beef". That's why people write letters to the editor or post on forums like this.

I'll say it again -- this was not an investigative report where facts are gathered and the reader is allowed to draw their own conclusion. This was an editorial where the writer simply states his opinion.... no matter how full of crap that opinion might be.
 
Braves4Life said:
Look, I don't begrudge any one on here their opinion. In fact, I value them. However, what KW did was strictly an editorial (and one was a blog where all bets are off anyway). He never said he had information to substantiate that Les would be fired. He basically just said he had a hunch; it was his opinion that Les might not be around next year. He was editorializing.

These editorials are meant to accomplish one of two things -- either you agree and say "right on man, I love what you're saying", or you disagree and say "you're full of crap KW, show us the beef". That's why people write letters to the editor or post on forums like this.

I'll say it again -- this was not an investigative report where facts are gathered and the reader is allowed to draw their own conclusion. This was an editorial where the writer simply states his opinion.... no matter how full of crap that opinion might be.
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I'd still like to understand how Kirk's philosophy about unsubstantiated rumors has changed so drastically.

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17802
 
Da Coach said:
Just seeking truths. Somebody has to do it.
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Nobody has to seek out 'truths' when we are talking about someone's 'opinion'. I'll save you the time and effort, you're not gonna find a 'truth' here when someone's opinion is the issue. So, carry on.
 
ER3 said:
Nobody has to seek out 'truths' when we are talking about someone's 'opinion'. I'll save you the time and effort, you're not gonna find a 'truth' here when someone's opinion is the issue. So, carry on.
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That may be true, but it's just an opinion.:D
 
Braves4Life said:
.. what KW did was strictly an editorial ....
Click to expand...

but I agree completely with Da Coach's point....this is pure hypocrisy...

when it serves him to appear ethical and proper about spewing rumors..then he says he won't do it and it is WRONG..
but when it serves him to go right ahead and do it, then he does...
As I have said before -- I read the columns in every one of the other Valley cities' papers and many times for Illniois and other schools....I have never seen even one place where the local coverage is so hostile and negative.


AGAIN -- we've seen incidents where the reporting and comments from the PJStar have unfairly and erroneously said that certain players were kicked off the team for drug use, we've seen lies and erroneous statements about the Daniel Ruffin arrest, we've seen misreporting and lies about Wilkins to Iowa State, things Bruce Weber was supposed to have said about the CPL coaches but never did say, terribly incorrect facts regarding the Jamar Smith case - namely saying it was a victim-less crime and claiming Carlwell's blood alcohol level was zero and that there really wasn't any laws broken when the entire team was breaking laws with an underage booze party that was swept under the rug, the Taylor Brown case, and many many other situations -- and most all of them that were in regard to anything that was a Bradley topic painted BU or BU players in an unfairly negative light.
 
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