5Countem5;2626703 said:
I actually think one reporter seriously embellishes something they hear, and then the rest pile on and use the original report as a source. Then other reporters don't want to look bad to their editors and their madeup "sources" start talking and then they get another story a little better than the original made up story and so it goes...
First, I agree with you that a story can be "embellished." It just depends on what you mean by embellish.
For the record, I believe Ed Werder's account that got everyone here and on the Cowboys' staff in a tizzy. However, I believe the term "jealous" might have been either a player's description or Werder's description. That may be "embellishment," but that embellishment doesn't detract from the overall story.
Second, I'm sorry, but journalists don't and can't "borrow" others material without attribution. That's not how the business works, unless the information comes from the AP - which most news operations subscribe to.
An outfit like the Dallas Morning News
WILL NOT steal Werder's story
UNLESS:
a. It verifies the story itself or
b. It credits Werder and ESPN.
What happens and why other media pick up on the story is that other media have inroads to the team. Don't think that only Ed Werder has the numbers of Cowboys front office types and players. Jay Glazer, Adam Shefter (spelling) and others do too. If they're scooped, they merely pick up the phone, call a player and say, "Hey, is it true there's dissention in the locker room?" And if the player says, "Yes," they go from there with more questions or asking enough questions that allow them to verify the initial story is true.
FOX is not paying Glazer, DMN is not making JJT, Calvin Watkins et. al., ESPN is not paying Werder all this money to rip and read other reporters' stories. That's ridiculous.
People who say the media fabricates these stories really don't know what they're talking about. Media operations pride themselves on getting inside stories and, more than anything, cultivating sources. You're not going to last long in this business "fabricating" stories or "stealing" scoops from other news outlets. You're just not.
But those who have little or no understanding of media or who haven't worked in the business concoct these scenarios where reporters are sitting at their desks, crafting lies to sell newspapers or to drive ratings. And then they want to use Jason Blair situations to give their concoctions a bit of credence and credibility.
And then to ignore the words of the players themselves who, although trying to put a positive spin on the situation, verify every story published about the Cowboys and their locker room turmoil.
As the saying goes, where there's smoke ...
