"I could have done a better job" - Adam Schefter addresses criticism of his reporting of Dalvin Cook case
ESPN's Adam Schefter and his reporting principles have been questioned over the past week.
The veteran reporter is being called out for his reporting of Vikings running back Dalvin Cook's domestic violence accusations. He released a statement on TV concerning his early reporting on the running back's domestic abuse and extortion assertions, saying that "it's a reminder to slow down."
Minnesota Vikings’ RB Dalvin Cook is the victim of domestic abuse and extortion – there’s pending litigation, according to his agent Zac Hiller.
The NFL insider reported that the two-time Pro Bowl running back is the victim of domestic abuse and extortion. He also tweeted out further information about the presumed occurrence from Zac Hiller, Cook's representative.
Schefter's reporting quickly made social media side with Cook until the Star Tribune, the largest newspaper in Minnesota, shared their breaking news story. The story was that the running back was facing a lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend. Gracelyn Trimble alleged assault, battery, and false imprisonment and incorporated details from the complaint.
The Star Tribune's report had a great deal of information that was not in Schefter's initial report. That led some people to wonder why Schefter, who works for a national media company with far more means than The Star Tribune, could not acquire this information. Trimble's attorney, Daniel Cragg, found fault with Schefter for his reporting, saying it was "journalistic malpractice."
Cragg said in the following statement to USA Today:
"ESPN's journalistic malpractice yesterday sends a painfully clear message to billions of girls and women around the world that they should be afraid to come forward because media companies like ESPN are more interested in protecting the powerful celebrities that make them money, rather than engaging in honest reporting and competent journalism"
Schefter on Cook Case: "I could have done a better job"
As the story broke over the next hour, Schefter released statements from the Vikings and the NFL about the situation and a relatively long statement from Cook's attorney. Schefter appeared on SportsCenter to give the most recent update and talked about the disapproval of how he went about beginning to go about the story.
Adam Schefter just acknowledged on SportsCenter that he didn't do his job properly when reporting only Dalvin Cook's side of the story in the domestic violence accusation.
He said:
"In a case like this, it's important to reach out to all sides for information and comment." When I got the information the other night, I didn’t do that, and I could have done a better job reaching out to the other people, especially on a story as sensitive and as significant as this. Didn’t do that properly, and it’s a reminder to slow down in this world.”
Cook was accused of assaulting Trimble, his ex-girlfriend, last November. Cook contends that Trimble went to his house without his consent, maced him and his buddies, and held them at gunpoint.