Yesterday we brought you the breaking news that the Associated Press Sports Editors had released a statement about...something. No longer would they sit quietly by; as the gatekeepers of journalism, they had to draw a line in the sand and say "no more." It wasn't clear what they were against, but whatever it was, we wholeheartedly agreed.
Today the statement has been updated:
APSE has been asked by several organizations for a statement related to the coverage of Knicks basketball player Jeremy Lin. It has released the following statement from Michael A. Anastasi, President of the Associated Press Sports Editors: "As professional journalists, we are mindful of the power of the press. Any misuse of that privilege, intentional or not, is simply unacceptable. APSE strives for fairness, sensitivity and the highest standards of sports journalism. We expect our members to adhere to these standards in every form of our business, whether it be print, digital or broadcast."
Still not clear, but we find the APSE's brave stand to be unimpeachable. Any misuse of journalistic privilege should not be tolerated. Fairness and sensitivity should be required. All journalists should try to maintain high standards. It's impossible to disagree with these tenets. Now...what happened with Jeremy Lin? Maybe the next APSE statement will move us ever closer to figuring it out.