Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

8/17/2010 at 8:44am

Maybe by now, you've heard about Renee Gork, a reporter for Hog Sports Radio who showed up Saturday at a Bobby Petrino press conference wearing a Florida Gators hat. Petrino gave a detailed answer to Gork's question before telling the reporter that he wouldn't answer another one from her as long as she wore a hat advertising one of Petrino's opponents.

By Monday, Gork had been fired from her job, according to her Twitter.

Gork broke the first rule of professional journalism: don't show a bias. Don't have an opinion. Don't be a fan. Don't say "we" when referring to the team you're covering and conversely, don't show off your support of a competitor. If an Arkansas Business reporter were to cover a John Boozman event while wearing a "Blanche Lincoln 2010" hat, that reporter would face termination soon afterward.

Even wearing a John Boozman hat to a John Boozman event would get a reporter in trouble. Journalists have a responsibility to all readers (and viewers or listeners) to be an unblinking eye, abosorbing just the facts and reporting the news unfiltered.

All reporters have their own opinions, but they are not allowed to share it professionally. By wearing that Florida Gators hat, Gork transformed herself from a paid journalist to an unrepentant fan of a different program. Not only was she showing a bias, but she was also providing a distraction.

Honestly, we don't know if we would've had the heart to fire her for this transgression alone. Maybe a warning or a suspension, since we sincerely believe that Gork will likely choose her headgear with more thought in the future. That said, rules are rules and when a reporter tips their hand, their whole organization suffers. We wouldn't want to be in his shoes, but we don't fault Gork's boss one bit.

Tagged: Bobby Petrino, Arkansas Razorbacks, Florida Gators, Hog Sports Radio, Renee Gork, media, press, hat