Deadspin Analysis of Te'o Coverage

As gaps emerged within the story of Manti Te’o and apparent “late girlfriend,” Deadspin wasn’t buying it. Reporters Timothy Burke and Jack Dickey attempted to fill in some of the missing pieces, but as more information, or lack thereof, was presented, the men grew more skeptical of the entire ordeal.

Skeptical – not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations. Something every good journalist should be. But choosing which information to be skeptical of, is where Burke and Dickey’s otherwise stellar reporting fell short.

Deadspin is known for a sarcastic tone and continuous jabs at reporting within mainstream sports media. While some disagree with their approach, at the very least Deadspin eliminates lazy journalism after shaming those guilty of error. However, it was Burke and Dickey that potentially made one of the biggest reporting errors surrounding this elaborate hoax.

The story began with Te’o excelling for Notre Dame Football even after the lost of his grandmother and year-long girlfriend. As discrepancies in the story emerged from sources like ESPN and Sports Illustrated, Deadspin completed some of the best investigative journalism this generation as seen. In correspondence with typical reporting, Burke and Dickey utilized social media to prove that Te’o’s girlfriend was actually non-existent. Every story created by long-established news sources about this heart wrenching story was now fictitious material.

Checking sources and asking questions is, and always will be, a necessity within journalism. This is where mainstream media fell short. Despite talking to Te’o and his family, reporters should have attempted to make contact with the loved ones of Te’o’s girlfriend to at least make sure she existed. It would be silly to assume that she wasn’t real, but you know what they say about those who ‘ASS (out of) U (&) ME.’ No doubt it is difficult to approach families through times of grief, but without the testimony of what Te’o meant to this woman leaves the story one sided and incomplete.

Burke and Dickey’s excellent reporting skills were questioned as the story came to a close. A friend of the man behind the whole girlfriend hoax is quoted that he was “80 percent sure” that Manti Te’o was “in on it.” Throughout this entire time of contacting credible sources and fact-checking, Burke and Dickey ran this quote despite the present uncertainty. The witnesses assumptions were never proven factual, and this type of statement could have permanently ruined Te’o’s reputation. If, in fact, the Notre Dame star actually fell victim to a friend’s deceitful lie of what he thought was a real relationship, Te’o probably didn’t appreciate accusations of involvement.

As technology emerges and news is easier to access, the concept of ‘firstness’ becomes a highly important factor in journalism. Nevertheless, it is skepticism and accuracy that will always reign supreme.

Check out the incredible reporting skills of Dickey and Burke here.