Need to Know: Beware of irresponsible 'reports'

Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, January 8, 63 days before the start of NFL free agency.

Beware of rumors

Winston Churchill once said that a lie will get halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put its pants on. When you combine an injury to a high-profile athlete and instant media, you have the potential for some wild, unsubstantiated stories spreading like wildfire while the truth gets buried.

The worst of this phenomenon came yesterday to fill the vacuum of news we had about the extent of the injury to Robert Griffin III’s right knee. Rumors and speculation were rampant before Mike Shanahan announced that Griffin would undergo further testing. Things got worse after Shanahan’s inconclusive diagnosis.

The worst came from what should be a reputable source, WRIC-8, the ABC affiliate in Richmond. They tacked the following on to an AP account of what Shanahan had said:

BREAKING: Sources close to the Redskins camps say Robert Griffin III has torn his ACL and PCL, and will not be able to play for a minimum of 14-18 months. Stay with 8News for updates.

This quickly spread around the Twitterverse and had many in utter panic. The people at WRIC eventually removed the added paragraph and tweeted out the following in response to inquiries:

No, we aren't exclusively reporting this, we're passing on what several sources said earlier.

I thought that reporting was writing about what “sources” told you but I guess 8News has a different definition than everyone else. Or, at least one that changes when they commit a massive screw up.

The RG3 injury makes for trying times for Redskins fans. Don't make it worse by reacting to every scrap of "information" that might pop up. 

Field conditions

Seattle coach Pete Carroll was happy to get out of FedEx Field with a win but he was not happy with the condition of the playing surface.

"It was horrible, it's a horrible field," Carroll told a Seattle radio station. "It was as bad as a field could get for being dry. And it's too bad. It's really too bad, and we deserve better. ... It was worn out. There was a lot of slipping and all that kind of stuff.”

I asked Shanahan about what Carroll said and if there is any chance that they could convert FedEx Field to field turf.

In case you missed it

• RG3 to see Dr. Andrews
• Shanahan responds to criticism
• Hall may be willing to restructure his deal
• Doughty sees bright days ahead

Days until: Super Bowl XLVII 26; NFL combine 44; start of free agency 63; 2013 NFL draft 107; 2013 NFL Kickoff 243

Comments

[RedskinsRuckus]

Keep up the good work, Rich! Great reporting (as usual).

[John Shisler]

I'm ashamed of 8"News" here in Richmond. They should know better and when they mess up, they should face the music. Fact is, until RG3, Shanny, or a doctor tells us otherwise, we know absolutely nothing right now.

As for the field conditions, I think they do look worse on TV than when you are at a game, but the Redskins might want to consider the switch to Field Turf if they are going to continue to host college games, soccer matches, and other events at FedEx Field. But, as Shanny said, you have to look at what kinds of injuries can get caused by that stuff and see if the cost is worth the danger or if you need to see if there is a better way to maintain the grass they have.

[R Bailey]

Well said. If the Mike Wise Twitter hoax teaches us anything... Not a Wise fan in general, but I did enjoy that media manipulation.