...with John Giacomo.

How close is too close???

One of the most important things for a Sports Anchor, Reporter or Producer to do is establish sources and relationships with the teams in your market.

If a Reporter or Anchor is too friendly with a player, will that impair their judgment ???

So how close is too close ???

"I don't have a problem with developing a relationship away from the locker room" says Bill Kistner, who before becoming Executive Sports Producer at WTTG/FOX 5 in Washington, DC worked in a number of other markets including Dallas and at WNBC-TV in New York.

Steve Sands, who worked in local sports markets in Nebraska, Utica, NY, Richmond, VA and Orlando before joining The Golf Channel two years ago agrees. "When you've built a relationship and you know them, you have the sense of when it's appropriate to approach them for something and when it's not..."

Steve adds that the media/player relationship is a little different when you're covering just one sport. "Golf, more than any other sport is different because you're traveling with the tour every week...there's more of a chance to strike up a friendship on the road...you're sometimes staying in the same hotels, going to the same restaurants..."

But does that make it harder to criticize a player because of the relationship ?

"I think it's easier to be critical when you know the player...you have a chance to explain yourself if the player questions the criticism because of the friendship you've built."

Dave Feldman, former ESPN anchor and current Sports Director/Anchor at WTTG/FOX 5 in Washington, DC agrees. "If I'm friendly with someone, and I know we are going to report something bad about them, I will call them ahead of time and say 'hey, it's part of my job to report this' and then do it as respectfully as possible."

So where do some reporters and anchors cross the line or go wrong in the course of the media/player relationship? I've worked in Television and Radio news and sports for the past 19 years, the last three in Washington DC, and I've seen my share of reporters and anchors hugging players after tough loses or high-fiving them after great games or winning championships. That's when it gets a little dicey.

"What I think is wrong is PDA'S, public displays of affection..." Kistner added. "It reeks of cheerleading, it takes away from your ability to be objective." Kistner continued, "You're not part of the team that just won or lost the championship... You're there to do your job and part of that job is to get close, but not in a way where it will hinder you."

That's where walking that fine line comes into play. What's more important ? The story or the relationship ?

Back in the days of players like Babe Ruth and later with Mickey Mantle, most of their off-field exploits were never written about in the newspapers. Writers, who were friends of the players didn't feel the need to report on every detail of what a player did on his own time.

But times have changed, and so has the sports landscape. It seems EVERYTHING gets reported these days and I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Being friendly and cordial with players and coaches is fine, but play it safe and keep it professional and respectful. Having a beer with a player doesn't break any of the rules, but don't put yourself in a position where you're journalistic integrity will be questioned.

Feldman added, "Being friendly with players and coaches is fine, just as long as they're not your best friends."

John Giacomo is a sports producer at WTTG/FOX 5 in Washington, DC. During his 19 year career he has anchored and reported both sports and news in a number of markets, including Washington.

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