Media coverage for Tiger is overblown

I was originally going to post this as a comment on another blog but decided to just post it here. It is in response to this post about the coverage of the Tiger story.

I agree with the SI editor in his criticism of TMZ and their tabloid journalism.

One of the most interesting things to recall about the story is that when TMZ published their report about the most outlandish and dramatic version of events, that's the story that everyone chose to believe. Some bigger publications even gave credit to TMZ in reporting on what actually happened.

However, if you'll go back and look, when Gloria Allred canceled her scheduled news conference, TMZ reported the reason was nothing more than Rachel Uchitel deciding not to spread her story b/c she knew it would possibly have negative consequences for those involved. Then, a report came from somewhere else that Allred's daughter said that based on her experience working with her mother in the past, she believed that her client got paid and that's why they dropped the news conference. Yet, the story that was repeated by other websites was the one stating Uchitel was paid by Tiger to not tell her story. That is an example of how this story has been skewed toward the most sensationalized version of events that could have possibly have happened, without regard to whether the reports are true or not. I recall specifically seeing the story on golf.com leading one to believe that it was fact that Uchitel was paid. Meanwhile, TMZ, who previously had everyone believing their incredible version of events,was still reporting she wasn't paid and dropped it merely b/c she wanted to avoid the publicity.

This is Exhibit #A as to why the reporting on this story is nothing more than tabloid exploitation at its worst. Thankfully Tiger, so far as we know, wasn't photographed on a yacht with four nude women, while his wife was at home in the hospital. No, that was just a highly revered former president. I bet Tiger wishes he was just a superstar in basketball like Shaq, who can be at the top of his sport, a highly paid endorser, get caught with other women and have his story ignored.