The quest for truth in European basketball media: Who can people trust? / News - Basketnews.com

As the media landscape is changing rapidly and information is available everywhere, BasketNews explores the ways in which fans, journalists and athletes interact within the European basketball ecosystem.

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports; Euroleague Basketball Credit Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports; Euroleague Basketball

In Greece, an old anecdote goes like this: A journalist calls Lionel Messi (or any sports superstar, for that matter) on the phone, asking for a quote, and the following dialog takes place.

- Journalist: Hello, is this Mr. Messi?

- Messi: Yes, who is this?

- Journalist: Thank you.

The journalist hangs up the phone. The next day, his newspaper boasts a huge headline reading, "Messi said yes!"

Of course, that's a rather oversimplified version of how things can turn out when sensationalism and reaching for effect take precedence over real reporting. But defining how the media should operate in the current landscape is a task in itself.

Social media have given reporters direct access to the public. So, whenever something big happens, they can immediately spread the knowledge of the event for all of the world to read.

For sports reporting, that big news usually involves trades, injuries, or scandals. While this may make it easier most of the time for people to get this information, it's sometimes inaccurate and changes the narrative of the story.

In today's world, it's all about getting the news we want when we want it. Sports fans want news about their teams and their players as fast as possible, and social media has made that possible, but it can also take away from the accuracy of the information.

Truth is a major foundation of all responsible media. Readers, listeners, and viewers must be able to rely on what they read and hear from the media. News outlets must also demonstrate that they are responsible enough to get the story right.

Accuracy involves making that extra phone call, checking that final time with a source, and spending that extra time -in the library or on the internet - to understand the industry, team, league, or company the reporter is covering.

But again, there are a couple of questions that keep being raised here: Who should the audience trust and why? Who should the media label as reliable, especially when their sources present them with contradicting information? There's no manual, but a few examples could provide some guidelines.

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