ESPN's double standard shows when hosts speak out

[Dashinka 24,799]

And they wonder why they are losing viewers?

 

 

ESPN‘s handling of its latest controversy offers fresh evidence that the network will punish employees for expressing conservative views while liberal staffers are given a pass – regardless of how it impacts the company’s bottom line.

The company offered a mild reprimand of anchor Jemele Hill after she called President Trump a "white supremacist" in a tweet. But conservatives at the network have been punished or even fired for speaking their minds, and another personality recently got put on time out for simply musing that ESPN's obvious political bent is turning off viewers.

“Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists,” Hill, the face of ESPN’s “SC6,” a relatively new version of SportsCenter with an urban feel, tweeted. Hill is an outspoken liberal who currently has a pair of photographs with Barack and Michelle Obama pinned atop her twitter feed.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/09/13/espns-double-standard-shows-when-hosts-speak-out.html

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

30 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

And they wonder why they are losing viewers?

 

 

ESPN‘s handling of its latest controversy offers fresh evidence that the network will punish employees for expressing conservative views while liberal staffers are given a pass – regardless of how it impacts the company’s bottom line.

The company offered a mild reprimand of anchor Jemele Hill after she called President Trump a "white supremacist" in a tweet. But conservatives at the network have been punished or even fired for speaking their minds, and another personality recently got put on time out for simply musing that ESPN's obvious political bent is turning off viewers.

“Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists,” Hill, the face of ESPN’s “SC6,” a relatively new version of SportsCenter with an urban feel, tweeted. Hill is an outspoken liberal who currently has a pair of photographs with Barack and Michelle Obama pinned atop her twitter feed.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/09/13/espns-double-standard-shows-when-hosts-speak-out.html

I would pin Michele and the President atop my twitter feed any day over Trump.  So I am not sure what that shows.

Edited September 13, 2017 by Il Mango Dulce

[Dashinka 24,799]

5 minutes ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

I would pin Michele and the President atop my twitter feed any day over Trump.  So I am not sure what that shows.

I think the article was an example of how ESPN is becoming much more left leaning from a political standpoint.  Personally, I wouldn't put either the Obama's or Trump on a twitter feed.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

11 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

I think the article was an example of how ESPN is becoming much more left leaning from a political standpoint.  Personally, I wouldn't put either the Obama's or Trump on a twitter feed.

Wonderful. ESPN is becoming "fair and balanced"

[Dashinka 24,799]

3 minutes ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

Wonderful. ESPN is becoming "fair and balanced"

Whatever.  Most people that tune in for sports generally are not looking for a political commentary one way or the other.  Seems to be they are having problems determining their key demographic.  Personally, I cannot remember the last time I tuned into ESPN, maybe last year to watch a college football game.  SC...never anymore.

Edited September 13, 2017 by Bill & Katya

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

16 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Whatever.  Most people that tune in for sports generally are not looking for a political commentary one way or the other.  Seems to be they are having problems determining their key demographic.  Personally, I cannot remember the last time I tuned into ESPN, maybe last year to watch a college football game.  SC...never anymore.

I am just mocking the absurdity of Fox's use of the phrase.

[Dashinka 24,799]

1 minute ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

I am just mocking the absurdity of Fox's use of the phrase.

I realize that, but you have to admit it was effective at gaining viewers.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

Just now, Bill & Katya said:

I realize that, but you have to admit it was effective at gaining viewers.

I agree, I hated what he stood for by Ailes was a genius.

[bcking 3,157]

If ESPN wants to support liberal viewpoints and not conservative ones, what is the problem with that? Do they get public funding or something that would suggest they should be "fair"?

 

Comparing this woman's tweet to the tweet that Curt Schilling posted that got him fired I fully support ESPN's choice of actions in both cases. 

 

Is there a lot of politics on the air during sports games? I don't really watch ESPN (or sports for that matter) but if I did want to watch a football game I don't really think I would care who ESPN hires/fires as long as it isn't discussed in the middle of the game. I would just want to watch the game.

 

At the end of the day if they are losing subscribers due to their "left-leaning" views it is on them to decide whether it is serious enough that they change their behavior or if they are willing to accept lower viewer numbers. For the time being they may think there are other ways to bring back viewers without changing their viewpoints.

[Dashinka 24,799]

10 hours ago, bcking said:

If ESPN wants to support liberal viewpoints and not conservative ones, what is the problem with that? Do they get public funding or something that would suggest they should be "fair"?

 

Comparing this woman's tweet to the tweet that Curt Schilling posted that got him fired I fully support ESPN's choice of actions in both cases. 

 

Is there a lot of politics on the air during sports games? I don't really watch ESPN (or sports for that matter) but if I did want to watch a football game I don't really think I would care who ESPN hires/fires as long as it isn't discussed in the middle of the game. I would just want to watch the game.

 

At the end of the day if they are losing subscribers due to their "left-leaning" views it is on them to decide whether it is serious enough that they change their behavior or if they are willing to accept lower viewer numbers. For the time being they may think there are other ways to bring back viewers without changing their viewpoints.

I guess I disagree.  Both Hill and Schilling made political comments/tweets on a primarily sports entertainment network, one was fired, and the other received no public discipline.  We could also compare Hill's comment to that of Linda Cohn's (which was mild by comparison), and she (Cohn) received a public time-out.

 

I do agree as I said earlier that if I do tune in to ESPN, I want to see sports, and not be subject to political commentary, and this is one of the reasons I generally tune in elsewhere now.

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, Bill & Katya said:

I guess I disagree.  Both Hill and Schilling made political comments/tweets on a primarily sports entertainment network, one was fired, and the other received no public discipline.  We could also compare Hill's comment to that of Linda Cohn's (which was mild by comparison), and she (Cohn) received a public time-out.

 

I do agree as I said earlier that if I do tune in to ESPN, I want to see sports, and not be subject to political commentary, and this is one of the reasons I generally tune in elsewhere now.

As far as I was aware all of them made comments on their own twitters, not in ESPN.  To me it just comes down to what you find appropriate or not, which I realise is going to be impacted by personal political opinions. The comment Schilling made I found to be ignorant and offensive. I happen to agree with Hill so for me personally I'm okay with one and not the other. ESPN can make the same decision, they just have to deal with the potential loss of revenue but that can be their call. 

 

Is there political commentary while watching football games? I don't watch so I have no idea.

[Boiler 46,119]

More importantly did anybody else watch the game on Monday Night, awful coverage.

[Dashinka 24,799]

12 hours ago, bcking said:

As far as I was aware all of them made comments on their own twitters, not in ESPN.  To me it just comes down to what you find appropriate or not, which I realise is going to be impacted by personal political opinions. The comment Schilling made I found to be ignorant and offensive. I happen to agree with Hill so for me personally I'm okay with one and not the other. ESPN can make the same decision, they just have to deal with the potential loss of revenue but that can be their call. 

 

Is there political commentary while watching football games? I don't watch so I have no idea.

You are right, these comments were not made on the air, so I apologize for making that mistake.  I guess I don't get into moral comparisons of the tweets, all were political in nature and ESPN treated them all differently.  To me this is just another example of the bias of what is considered mainstream media, but what else is new.

[Dashinka 24,799]

12 hours ago, Boiler said:

More importantly did anybody else watch the game on Monday Night, awful coverage.

I did not watch it, but from what I heard, the one shining item was Beth Mullins doing play-by-play.  I have heard her do many college games as she worked her way up the ranks and I always thought she was very good.

[bcking 3,157]

1 hour ago, Bill & Katya said:

You are right, these comments were not made on the air, so I apologize for making that mistake.  I guess I don't get into moral comparisons of the tweets, all were political in nature and ESPN treated them all differently.  To me this is just another example of the bias of what is considered mainstream media, but what else is new.

Bias in mainstream NEWS is an issue, because most mainstream news usually tries to pretend that they aren't biased.

 

There is nothing wrong with corporations that own television channels showing bias, as long as what they are broadcasting isn't trying to pretend that they don't have a bias. ESPN is owned by Disney (I think?), and I think all of these events have just shown the opinions that Disney has as a company. They are allowed to have an opinion.

 

I don't doubt that the reason this woman is not getting into much trouble is because her upper level executives agree with her views, as opposed to people in the past who spoke out and the upper levels disagreed. ESPN seems to care more that they don't have the image of being anti-inclusive (against transgender), racist etc... They seem to be slightly more okay with associating themselves with people who are anti-Trump.

 

That is their call to make. It isn't a double standard, it is just supporting particular opinions on particular topics. It is bias, but it bias just like everyone here has bias since we all have different political opinions. They aren't PBS/BBC and are publicly funded through taxes (and therefore have an obligation to be more fair and balanced) and they aren't a mainstream news channel.