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Bruin blog site did not practice good journalism

From the editors

Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: Opinion
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Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the USC running backs coach as Tom McNair. His name is Todd McNair. The Daily Trojan regrets the error.

The purpose of news is to inform its readership of new, relevant events. Good journalists report with progress in mind, but more often than necessary, news organizations beat stories to the ground, serving no good to the public.

Weeks ago, news broke about NFL player Michael Vick's dogfighting operation - that was news: the story was new and enticing; it put the issue of animal abuse back on people's radar.

Bloggers at BruinsNation.com, arguably with Vick in mind, decided to dig up dirt on USC running backs coach Todd McNair, who was convicted twice in the 1990s on charges concerning the mistreatment of dogs.

BruinsNation took a sports rivalry to an inappropriate level, bringing back McNair's already public convictions, forcing him to deal with issues that should remain in the past. The site practiced poor journalism as little - if any- good can be done by the resurfacing of McNair's actions.

While we do not condone McNair's previous behaviors, no new evidence of McNair mistreating animals has come to light. BruinsNation's story is not newsworthy - rehashing a 14-year-old, already settled issue does nothing for readers today. The statute of limitations has expired, McNair has paid his dues to society. Nothing more can be asked of him than to not engage in such behavior again, and there is no reason to believe he has.

BruinsNation has used the media frenzy fueled by the Vick case to take advantage of McNair and has accused the Trojans of acting inhumanely by employing a man who was convicted of a crime, as if no coaches at UCLA have ever themselves been convicted.

The Bruins brought the rivalry to an inappropriate level. The great rivalry between the Bruins and Trojans has worked so well and lasted so long because of a mutual respect between the teams.

For the most part, both teams understand that the rivalry is to remain on the field.

McNair's job is on the field, not in a lab working with animals. And just as McNair's job is kept on the field, so should the Trojan-Bruin rivalry.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 27

George

posted 8/30/07 @ 11:32 AM EST

A foolish opinion in my humble opinion. Mr. McNair walks into the homes of Hich school kids and their parents, selling them on what a great person he is as the University's official representative. (Continued…)

Matt

posted 8/30/07 @ 11:39 AM EST

You just brought McNair's convictions to even further light. Congratulations.

Will

posted 8/30/07 @ 12:13 PM EST

I disagree with your definition of what is news worthy.

"Weeks ago, news broke about NFL player Michael Vick's dogfighting operation - that was news: the story was new and enticing; it put the issue of animal abuse back on people's radar. (Continued…)

DumpDorrell

posted 8/30/07 @ 12:33 PM EST

This opinion piece conveniently disregards the fact that this story has been reported twice now by the LA Times, and by too many other respected journalists and papers online to mention . (Continued…)

David Sanchez

posted 8/30/07 @ 12:42 PM EST

Its a blog! BruinsNation is not a newspaper and these are not journalists. You may want to aim your jabs at the LA Times, ESPN, and numerous other papers/journalists who reported the story. (Continued…)

Math Whiz

posted 8/30/07 @ 1:46 PM EST

Good journalists do their own research and fact check. They don't blindly print what the subject claims.

McNair's last conviction for mistreatment of animals, he has had several, was in 1996. (Continued…)

cc machine

posted 8/30/07 @ 1:48 PM EST

This has to be one of the worst newspaper articles that I've ever read. Talk about poor journalism!

Bloggers are not journalist they are bloggers! They get to take pride in their teams and call out their rivals and don't even think twice about towing the company line. (Continued…)

Tony

posted 8/30/07 @ 2:01 PM EST

I understand completely the point that they brought up information that was not relevant to the UCLA-USC rivalry, but the story is news-worthy, and so much so that this editorial was written in addition to now two pieces by the LA Times. (Continued…)

Dog Lover

posted 8/30/07 @ 2:27 PM EST

The latest of Coach McNair's multiple cases of animal abuse was in 1996. Since you're claming that was 14 years ago, then we can assume this is 2010?

More to the point you didn't call on USC fans to keep UCLA coach Eric Scott's job "on the field" when his arrests that were several years old emerged. (Continued…)

C-Dizzle

posted 8/30/07 @ 3:00 PM EST

Boo hoo!

Its not like Toejams don't fling mud. Plus its not even a website affiliated with the school: its a BLOG!

Deal with it.

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