Earlier this year Michele Roberts was named the executive director of the NBPA, and now she is speaking out on the rights of players regarding the media.
According to Kate Fagan of ESPN:
“Most of the time I go to the locker room, the players are there and there are like eight or nine reporters just standing there, just staring at them,” Roberts said. “And I think to myself, ‘OK, so this is media availability?’ If you don’t have a f—ing question, leave, because it’s an incredible invasion of privacy. It’s a tremendous commitment that we’ve made to the media — are there ways we can tone it down? Of course. It’s very dangerous to suggest any limitation on media’s access to players, but let’s be real about some of this stuff.
“I’ve asked about a couple of these guys, ‘Does he ask you a question?’ ‘Nah, he just stands there.’ And when I go in there to talk to the guys, I see them trying to listen to my conversation, and I don’t think that’s the point of media availability. If nothing else, I would like to have a rule imposed, ‘If you have a question, ask it; if you don’t, leave.’ Sometimes, they’re waiting for the marquee players. I get that, but there is so much standing around.”
What she is saying is 100% accurate. In all these interviews and post game interviews you see, most people are just sticking a mic in the players face and letting someone else ask questions. Kevin Durant has spoken out against it, Russell Westbrook has, and many other players have voiced their frustration with the media as well (Marshawn Lynch in the NFL). There is a huge rise in media coverage of major league sports, but no guidelines as to how we are going to protect the players from the media, because at this point the media is merely abusing it’s privileges, at times.
