Enough is Enough: Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino is Just the Latest Victim of Unjust Media Exposure

It is not our culture or our society that is the issue. Ironically enough, it is the ruthless and reckless regard of journalists today. It is an unfortunate reality that “got ya” journalists, the men and women across the nation who devote their time and efforts to bringing down public individuals, are widely recognized for their work. It’s a shame that honest journalists can seemingly not exist in a world that enjoins ever greater dirt digging and mud slinging.But that is what journalism has become.The role the media plays throughout this nation is incredible. Take, for instance, the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman controversy in Florida and think about the impact of the pictures that have surfaced – an outdated picture of an innocent-appearing Martin sitting side-by-side with a prison mug shot of Zimmerman.At what point did it become okay to crucify someone in  public, abusing the power of the media to destroy the reputation of someone who does not have the platform to print a newspaper, air a radio or television show or communicate his or her words on a widely renowned platform?But it is not the power that is troubling. It is the lack of responsibility displayed by members of the media that, in turn, has transformed the world of sports into one dominated by the opinion of media outlets. We have turned into a society that puts so much heat on professional and collegiate sports owners and directors to rid their programs of people who partake in shockingly popular extracurricular activities.Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino was dismissed from the Razorbacks’ program for intentionally misleading athletic director Jeff Long about the secret relationship Petrino had with 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell, his mistress who was present during a motorcycle accident Petrino was involved in on April 1.Almost immediately, the news surrounding Petrino’s accident and his affair surfaced and the public was left to form an adverse opinion based on incomplete information. A disgraced coach left to pick up the pieces of his marriage and physically heal from the effects of the accident, all the while releasing statements to the public through pushy members of the media.Under such circumstances, it is the public that has been conditioned to demand answers. It is the public that has been conditioned to follow the sticky stories of the week. But despite his status and despite his brainless behavior, Bobby Petrino does not owe you, me or anyone else in the public a damn thing.He doesn’t owe you answers about his personal life or about why he cheated on his wife any more than I owe you an answer for why I organize my pencil drawer to reflect their value. It is not any of your business.While I respect the mandate of the media to be watchdogs and to hold people accountable for actions that affect our society, I refuse to accept the media world as a platform that abuses its power to leak personal information and personal issues that affect the livelihood of a human being.Bobby Petrino is just the latest victim to the brutal world. Tomorrow it could be you or me.At what point do we decide enough is enough?