Reporter defends Wie's DQ
Tom Spousta, USA TODAY, reports on reporter Michael Bamberger’s role in Wie's DQ at the Samsung World Championship.
Bamberger Background. Michael Bamberger is “a senior writer with Sports Illustrated.” According to Spousta, “Bamberger's background suggests he understood the particulars of Wie's improper drop, including that her infraction was a correctable mistake. He was a caddie on the PGA Tour for a few seasons in the mid-1980s and briefly on the European Tour in the early '90s. This year he caddied for British Amateur champion Stuart Wilson in The Masters and wrote about the experience.”
This background makes this story even more troubling. If SI had sent a tennis reporter to this tournament I could understand events happening as they did. SI did not send a tennis reporter but a person who has caddied on the PGA Tour and in this year’s The Masters. Additionally, Bamberger is a “senior writer” for SI. These are lofty credentials.
For the record, I played golf at for many years. I grew up in the Southern California Junior Golf program. I played at Citrus C.C. and finished 5th in the California JC Championship (1971). I was on the Board of Directors of the Heidelberg American Golf Club. I do have an understanding of competitive pressures, although not at the level of Michelle Wie.
The Situation. On Saturday, Michelle took a penalty drop for an unplayable lie on the par-5 seventh. Bamberger reports that he observed the drop. He then paced off the drop and “determined Wie had dropped her ball closer to the hole”. It was later determined that Bamberger was correct.
The Problem. Bamberger’s background and actions clearly indicate that he knows the rules. Bamberger clearly knew in his own mind that an infraction took place. He said on Monday "I feel strongly I did the right thing." But wait, what is the right thing? Bamberger knew that he should inform Wie immediately or at least before she signed her score card. That would have been the right thing. Instead, he went back to being a reporter. "I can totally understand why people who aren't reporters would make that point. It didn't work for me," Bamberger said. "I could never, as a reporter, see going to the police first rather than asking the subject about it."
According to the USA Today report, “Bamberger's actions took him beyond a journalist's role of observing and reporting, according to Bob Steele, senior ethics faculty member at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.”
Bamberger talked to Wie AFTER the round. “He was not convinced, and after discussing the matter with SI golf editor Jim Heree, spoke with LPGA rules official Robert O. Smith.”
The Proper Solution. Wie’s error was correctable if Bamberger had told her his concerns immediately. The scorecard could have been corrected if Bamberger had told Wie before she signed it. Wie would have incurred a two stroke penalty and would not have been disqualified.
Nobody disputes that the actions taken by Wie were unintentional. Remember, the rules officials used a string to make their determination.
Bamberger, not Wie, is the story. I posted my interpretation of the original story, “Michelle Wie’s MSM Gotcha” on October 17. In that post I said, “What Michelle did was wrong. What Bamberger did was unconscionable and brings shame to the MSM.” I stand by that post.
“Jane Singer, associate professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said Bamberger saw something ethically wrong and put his role as a person above his job as a reporter."
This was a big time MSM gotcha. Bamberger will go down in history as the reporter who got involved and failed to follow what he knew was the right course of action in an effort to get a story. Miss Singer couldn’t be more wrong. If Bamberger had “put his role as a person above his job as a reporter” he would have immediately reported his observation instead of waiting a day. Bamberger mixed the roles and created a story where one never existed.
I am waiting for SI to report “Bamberger DQ”!
Bamberger Background. Michael Bamberger is “a senior writer with Sports Illustrated.” According to Spousta, “Bamberger's background suggests he understood the particulars of Wie's improper drop, including that her infraction was a correctable mistake. He was a caddie on the PGA Tour for a few seasons in the mid-1980s and briefly on the European Tour in the early '90s. This year he caddied for British Amateur champion Stuart Wilson in The Masters and wrote about the experience.”
This background makes this story even more troubling. If SI had sent a tennis reporter to this tournament I could understand events happening as they did. SI did not send a tennis reporter but a person who has caddied on the PGA Tour and in this year’s The Masters. Additionally, Bamberger is a “senior writer” for SI. These are lofty credentials.
For the record, I played golf at for many years. I grew up in the Southern California Junior Golf program. I played at Citrus C.C. and finished 5th in the California JC Championship (1971). I was on the Board of Directors of the Heidelberg American Golf Club. I do have an understanding of competitive pressures, although not at the level of Michelle Wie.
The Situation. On Saturday, Michelle took a penalty drop for an unplayable lie on the par-5 seventh. Bamberger reports that he observed the drop. He then paced off the drop and “determined Wie had dropped her ball closer to the hole”. It was later determined that Bamberger was correct.
The Problem. Bamberger’s background and actions clearly indicate that he knows the rules. Bamberger clearly knew in his own mind that an infraction took place. He said on Monday "I feel strongly I did the right thing." But wait, what is the right thing? Bamberger knew that he should inform Wie immediately or at least before she signed her score card. That would have been the right thing. Instead, he went back to being a reporter. "I can totally understand why people who aren't reporters would make that point. It didn't work for me," Bamberger said. "I could never, as a reporter, see going to the police first rather than asking the subject about it."
According to the USA Today report, “Bamberger's actions took him beyond a journalist's role of observing and reporting, according to Bob Steele, senior ethics faculty member at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.”
Bamberger talked to Wie AFTER the round. “He was not convinced, and after discussing the matter with SI golf editor Jim Heree, spoke with LPGA rules official Robert O. Smith.”
The Proper Solution. Wie’s error was correctable if Bamberger had told her his concerns immediately. The scorecard could have been corrected if Bamberger had told Wie before she signed it. Wie would have incurred a two stroke penalty and would not have been disqualified.
Nobody disputes that the actions taken by Wie were unintentional. Remember, the rules officials used a string to make their determination.
Bamberger, not Wie, is the story. I posted my interpretation of the original story, “Michelle Wie’s MSM Gotcha” on October 17. In that post I said, “What Michelle did was wrong. What Bamberger did was unconscionable and brings shame to the MSM.” I stand by that post.
“Jane Singer, associate professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said Bamberger saw something ethically wrong and put his role as a person above his job as a reporter."
This was a big time MSM gotcha. Bamberger will go down in history as the reporter who got involved and failed to follow what he knew was the right course of action in an effort to get a story. Miss Singer couldn’t be more wrong. If Bamberger had “put his role as a person above his job as a reporter” he would have immediately reported his observation instead of waiting a day. Bamberger mixed the roles and created a story where one never existed.
I am waiting for SI to report “Bamberger DQ”!
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