Earlier this month, Fox Sports flashed what it said were "actual headlines from the local papers in Chicago" about Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, including one that said he "lacks courage." (You can see the three here.) A skeptical Chicago Tribune sports staff did some investigating and found that Fox's "actual" headlines were in fact fabricated. Fox Sports' Curt Menefee admitted that yesterday in an apology during yesterday's pregame show. Click here to see the video.
The fake headlines and the apology are the talk of the journalism world. Click here to read what Copydesk.org said. Holdoutsports.blogspot.com said, "It's one thing to display an incorrect graphic. It's another thing to blatantly lie to your viewers to try to make a point. Let's hope that FOX sports can be more responsible going forward."
I would have fired the folks who did this. Too harsh? Maybe. What do you think? Was the on-air apology enough? Should Cutler sue or demand another apology?
I think the people who fabricated the actual headlines of Fox should be fired. It may seem harsh, but these people lost their credibility to the public. A on-air apology may help a little, but these people should have known that their job is to tell the truth to their viewers.
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