If it Bleeds it Leads...

College recruiter’s and college coaches routinely scan headlines, stories, and photographs that appear in local print and online editions sports sections. If these recruiter’s and coaches learn that one of the kids they have been recruiting has been injured, no matter how minor or major the injury, that may be enough to terminate the recruiting process or worse yet, rescind an offer previously made and thus deny the student-athlete a college education.

October 29, 2017 - Fort Pierce, FL > When a student-athlete is injured in a high school competition to such an extent that they are taken off the field on a stretcher is that news?

Yes.

But, is it newsworthy? Should we as journalists report on it or publish photographs of the incident?

The answer to that is not just a resounding no it is HELL NO!

While our colleagues who report and work for mainstream news media take an “if it bleeds it leads” approach to newsgathering, all in an attempt to create sensationalized headlines, hoping to get more readers or clicks on a photo just so they can increase their audit numbers and thus increase their advertising rates and profitability, little consideration is given to the injured student-athlete.

An immediate issue and concern is the privacy of the student-athlete and how the effect of publishing health information about him or her may very well be a direct violation of HIPPA laws. Frankly, it is none of the general public’s business or concern about an injury that a student-athlete may sustain, even while in public where there is no expectation of privacy.

Just as concerning as the potential for HIPPA violations is the fact that reporting on or publishing photographs of an injured student-athlete may have life-long consequences for him or her.

College recruiter’s and college coaches routinely scan headlines, stories, and photographs that appear in local print and online editions sports sections. If these recruiter’s and coaches learn that one of the kids they have been recruiting has been injured, no matter how minor or major the injury, that may be enough to terminate the recruiting process or worse yet, rescind an offer previously made and thus deny the student-athlete a college education.

Treasure Coast Sports Journal has a long-standing tradition of never reporting on, or publishing photographs, of any student-athlete that has been injured during an athletic event.

We can only hope that going forward our friends at other media outlets will see the value in protecting our student-athletes, and being a part of the solution and not the problem!