Throughout the Patrick Kane investigation, which ended Thursday with the announcement that no rape charges will be filed against the Buffalo native and pro hockey star, media coverage itself was often the story.
Some questioned how and from where information was leaked in the investigation. Some reporters were criticized for a perceived bias against Kane. Some were even openly threatened, as was the case of one Chicago reporter who was kept home from work one day in the interest of her personal safety.
Then there was the moment when District Attorney Frank Sedita was accused by a reporter of escalating the media frenzy at his late September news conference, which was called to dismiss an alleged discovery of an emptied rape kit evidence bag outside the accuser's mother's home as a hoax.
"Are you kidding me? Seriously, are you kidding me? This office is not responsible for this circus," Sedita snapped back at the reporter.
So, are there lessons or takeaways for the media as they wrap up their Kane coverage? WBFO discussed the topic with Mike Igoe, a former longtime Buffalo television reporter who is now an Assistant Professor of Communication at SUNY Fredonia.
"There's a couple of ways to look at this. First of all, the media is supposed to do their job and do it aggressively. That's a basic part of the job," Igoe said. "But on the other hand, from the public's point of view, I think some people see this as the wolfpack mentality. They feel like they're pursuing a story that wasn't really there.
"They have to go after the story because the information came from somewhere about Patrick Kane's alleged conduct. But then when there's no story, then it looks like they're manufacturing things."
Social media and the internet's rising community of "citizen journalists" also factored in how the Kane story unfolded. It was through social media that many reporters were harshly criticized or threatened as the result of their work. the social media universe is also where potential problems arise, as some cut ethical corners in the quest for clicks. Even mainstream media, Igoe notes, have perhaps lost some responsibility by seeking easy answers online.
"Think of how much of a resource Facebook has become," Igoe said. "Sometimes when people don't know how to get a hold of people, they will look to a page and get tidbits but that's also the danger. It's basic journalism: attribution and accuracy. These are the things you have to check. I think unfortunately in this rush-to-be-first culture, some of those basic journalism tenets have gotten forgotten."
Igoe noted that many communications courses tend to cover ethics toward the end of a semester. He recommends ethics be covered at the start.
