- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 03/Jul 03:52

Ethics in sports broadcasting

THE EDITOR: With the TT men’s football team into the final round of qualification for the 2026 World Cup, president of the TT Football Association (TTFA), Kieron Edwards, said the national team requires around US$9 million to help the players properly prepare. In my beautiful TT we have a national senior men’s soccer team funded by FIFA, the government (my tax dollars), and private donors that pay for radio announcers’ travel and lodging to cover the team's games on a radio station that broadcasts those games and sells advertising. This scenario raises important questions about media independence, conflict of interest, and norms in sports journalism. Is this the norm? No, it's not common for media personnel to be funded by the team or federation they cover. Major broadcasters (TV/radio/newspaper) typically cover their own travel costs to maintain editorial independence. Such actions raise numerous ethical concerns: Conflict of interest: If a broadcaster's expenses are paid by the team, it creates a dependency, possibly leading to biased coverage – praising the team regardless of performance, avoiding criticism, etc. Public trust: Listeners may assume the announcers are independent. If they are being funded by the team, that relationship should be disclosed. Advertising conflict: If the station sells ads during the broadcast, it earns revenue while having no costs (since the team pays expenses). That might raise fairness or transparency questions – especially if the station does not return value to the team or public. Is it too much to ask that the radio station (which prides itself on its ethics) follow some simple, basic rules of journalism ethics? Transparency: Announcers should disclose that travel, lodging, etc were paid by the national team or federation. Editorial independence clause: Is there an agreement with the TTFA that includes a clause that, despite funding, editorial control remains with the broadcaster? Reciprocity or shared revenue model: If the station profits from ads during a publicly funded trip, it should consider reinvesting some revenue into football development or coverage. When the station in question (remain unnamed) was questioned previously about its practices, its answers were riddled with smoke and mirrors and obfuscations, even when faced with receipts, treasurer’s reports and audits. ORSON ROGERS Belmont, PoS The post Ethics in sports broadcasting appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.