Erin Andrews, an ESPN sideline reporter, wrote an article in which she mentioned TCU players were slipping around the field in their Nike shoes. It has been revealed that Andrews has a deal with Reebok, a Nike competitor, to endorse a new sneaker line that has been developed. This is a good case to discuss journalism ethics.
The industry standard is that news organizations prefer their reporters do not sign endorsement deals, as it creates a possible conflict of interest and may compromise journalistic integrity. This situation is not without precedent, but what is without precedent is that Andrews wrote negatively about a competitor's product before anyone knew she had a Reebok deal. Does that compromise her journalist integrity?
Andrews has social a status that few other sportscasters have attained. Andrews has called herself an "entertainer," and I have to agree that she is more of a television personality than a traditional journalist. The issue with that is that many people recognize her as a journalist, not an entertainer, and therefore her statements and articles are assumed to be written to honor journalistic integrity.
ESPN stated that they will disclose Andrews' endorsement with Reebok in her future articles. Maybe they should disclose that Andrews is not a journalist, but a television personality. That would help avoid any future confusion.
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