Iowa in the news re:rhabdo

[tm3308]

I work in journalism myself, which is why I immediately noticed that the first three paragraphs clearly say that the hospitalization was NOT the reason they left the team. Inverted freaking pyramid FTW.

However, journalism major, I would like to hear the headline you would write to convey that the players left the team, and the hospitalization was not the reason.

It's not even a noteworthy story. If you ignore the rhabdo/hospitalization, you're left with 3 players (none of whom are key players) who left the team to focus on academics/homesickness/whatever. That's not an ESPN-worthy story in the first place.

 

[MultipleDundieAwardWinner]

It's not even a noteworthy story. If you ignore the rhabdo/hospitalization, you're left with 3 players (none of whom are key players) who left the team to focus on academics/homesickness/whatever. That's not an ESPN-worthy story in the first place.

It is an AP story on the University releasing a report. You guys are acting like ESPN is digging up old dirt to toss on you before the season starts. They are, in truth, reporting on what the University administration gave them.

I do agree, however, that it is not an ESPN story in any case. 99% of people don't care except for thin-skinned Iowa fans with cognitive dissonance.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

It is an AP story on the University releasing a report. You guys are acting like ESPN is digging up old dirt to toss on you before the season starts. They are, in truth, reporting on what the University administration gave them.

I do agree, however, that it is not an ESPN story in any case. 99% of people don't care except for thin-skinned Iowa fans with cognitive dissonance.

Or trolls who spend hours a day on Iowa message boards.

 

[tm3308]

It is an AP story on the University releasing a report. You guys are acting like ESPN is digging up old dirt to toss on you before the season starts. They are, in truth, reporting on what the University administration gave them.

I do agree, however, that it is not an ESPN story in any case. 99% of people don't care except for thin-skinned Iowa fans with cognitive dissonance.

I didn't say that they're out to get Iowa (in fact, I've said just the opposite several times now). They just saw it as another follow-up, and if the players had left because of the incident, then it would definitely be a story. As it stands, it's just three players leaving for the usual reasons.

 

[hoffahawk]

Yet the headlines are bound to have people assume that. As a journalism major, I am taught to put the most important part of the story first, because the odds are that people will not read the entire story. People (in general) see headlines and assume, especially when the incident was covered pretty extensively.

I work in journalism myself, which is why I immediately noticed that the first three paragraphs clearly say that the hospitalization was NOT the reason they left the team. Inverted freaking pyramid FTW.However, journalism major, I would like to hear the headline you would write to convey that the players left the team, and the hospitalization was not the reason.

3 Hawkeye football players are no longer with the team. Was it really that tough?

Of course as others have pointed out, that wouldn't get as many clicks so they had to "sex up" the title of the article.

 

[hoffahawk]

Yet the headlines are bound to have people assume that. As a journalism major, I am taught to put the most important part of the story first, because the odds are that people will not read the entire story. People (in general) see headlines and assume, especially when the incident was covered pretty extensively.

I work in journalism myself, which is why I immediately noticed that the first three paragraphs clearly say that the hospitalization was NOT the reason they left the team. Inverted freaking pyramid FTW.However, journalism major, I would like to hear the headline you would write to convey that the players left the team, and the hospitalization was not the reason.

3 Hawkeye football players are no longer with the team. Was it really that tough?

Of course as others have pointed out, that wouldn't get as many clicks so they had to "sex up" the title of the article.

 

[CP87]

Unrelated to incident, 3 Iowa "rhabdo" Players no longer with team

I'm no journalism major though and that's definitely not a sexy headline.

I've got a great headline.

"Iowa Regents release report on rhabdo incident."

To the point, factual, not trying to draw any specific attention to any positive or negative elements of the report. As people have pointed out, it is the release of the report, not the decision of 3 players to leave the team, that is the actual story.

That headline would contain much less bias then the actual headline, or then something that tries to minimize the incident, such as:

"X number of Hawkeyes in starting lineup after rhabdo incident."

or

"X number of Hawkeyes picked for pre-season awards following rhabdo incident."

Of course, my first headline is not sexy.

As many people have stated, I don't think there is bias against Iowa or Big Ten or anything else, but I do think there is a bias towards sensationalism. The article itself contains none, but it is pretty clear the headline contains some.

 

[DwayneTwill]

I've got a great headline.

"Iowa Regents release report on rhabdo incident."

That's the best one I've seen.

 

[hoffahawk]

3 iowa players who have never been in my kitchen are no longer with the team

 

[DwayneTwill]

3 iowa players who have never been in my kitchen are no longer with the team

LOLOL.