June 27, 2017
As the layoffs at ESPN cut deeper and deeper into a talent pool viewers have grown accustomed to watching over the years, one thread of criticism that has dogged the "Worldwide Leader" is a perceived liberal bias in its coverage of the sports world.
The accusation is hardly a new way to paint the forces driving mainstream media. For what it's worth, Fox News also got bashed for apparently tolerating a sexist work environment, at least up until the departure of Roger Ailes, Bill O' Reilly and all of those advertisers. Another way to look at that: coverage of the Fox scandals was slanted by liberal bias. Why else would so many viewers, presumably not all misogynists, embrace O'Reilly?
It's always much easier to make these arguments than to win them convincingly. From the inside, ESPN figures such as Linda Cohn and Dan Lebatard each have attempted to explain the backlash against the network, focusing on ratings, changes in media consumption and diversity in general.
Some wonder why the suspicion of liberal bias would ever even have found its way to sportscasters, who were once considered feel-good unifiers in American culture.
But in recent years, from Donald Sterling to Ray Rice, Caitlyn Jenner and Colin Kaepernick, an accelerating shift toward the intersection of sports and society has inevitably chopped away time for highlights from, say, one of the 2017 Philadelphia Phillies' rapidly accumulating losses. Nobody needs to see that.
One argument we haven't really seen — until now — is that ESPN's layoffs were themselves politically motivated.
New Jersey native Britt McHenry, a former ESPN correspondent whose last assignment was the NFL draft in Philadelphia, implied in a tweet Monday that her departure was driven by politics.
Replying to an article posted on Twitter — an ESPN exec said the network isn't liberal because Hank Williams, Jr. sings the "Monday Night Football" theme, read the headline — McHenry wrote the following: "I mean I've been openly Conservative ... look how that ended up..."
The tweet, since deleted, was preserved in a screenshot by The Big Lead.
McHenry received a mix of criticism and support for her comment. Some argued that her past mistakes, specifically the infamous meltdown video in which she berated a female towing company employee, might have had something do with her eventual departure from ESPN. She served a one-week suspension for that infraction. Others fundamentally agreed with what she said.
No one cares about your politics. How you treat working class people is another story. See ya 👋
— Dominic Pace (@PacedominicPace) June 27, 2017
I like @BrittMcHenry, ESPN has a very liberal agenda. That's fine, I'm sure having a known conservative bothered some folks there.
— Andrea Katherine (@STL_Blonde) June 27, 2017
In response to the criticism, McHenry denied she was inserting herself into a debate for the sake of conveniently explaining her situation.
Need to take my opinions & truth to a place & blog that actually gets money for the clicks. I replied to a friend. Take it easy, Twitter
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) June 27, 2017
Stay true to what you believe in--positive or negative, it's still a reaction. Want the truth from me, come to my social media. ♥️you
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) June 27, 2017
In a feature for Marie Claire, McHenry once wrote openly about the experience of coming under fire for her outburst at the tow lot. She notably did not delve into politics, despite the focus on socioeconomics in the condemnation she received for her behavior. She simply admitted she messed up.
I constantly think, why not just pay the bill and walk away? But when you speak in times of anger and emotion, you're not thinking clearly. The video of the incident that later circulated online was edited, making it look like I was the one doing all the talking, but I never should have said what I did. It will forever be something I'm embarrassed about and will regret.
Earlier this month, McHenry came out in defense of Colleen Campbell, the former local news producer and bartender who lashed out at a Philadelphia police officer during her arrest outside Center City's Helium Comedy Club.
ESPN, hoping to bury the political angle on its rating struggles, recently conducted its own research poll on perceptions of bias in its coverage, offering at least some evidence that the perception is overblown.
"Do some Americans disagree with how certain societal issues are discussed on ESPN platforms when they intersect with the world of sports?" the network asked. "No doubt."
