Wall-to-Wall Coverage Produces Some Standouts

After two weeks at the wrong end of cameras and microphones from across the world, many Penn Staters might be more than ready for the attention to cease.

That’s not going to be the case for a while, though. All those segments on “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show” and even "Saturday Night Live," along with entire programs dedicated to the topic by “Anderson” and “Rock Center,” among many others, might continue for a while.

Sure, it hurts to hear the charges, to realize the impact on Penn State and to share the pain of alumni all over the world, but if the truth eventually comes out and anyone who harmed children is punished it will be worth the temporary pain.

Certainly there have been media missteps -- maybe more than missteps -- during coverage of the story, but there have been standouts as well. Because most of my exposure to the situation has come from ESPN, a partial listing includes:

“Mike and Mike in the Morning” on ESPN Radio: Hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic have a good show, and their perspective and questions have helped shape some reaction nationally. They’ve been inquisitive, honest and mostly measured.

Tom Rinaldi: One of ESPN’s best, he was on campus from the start and found the correct sources. He was tough, but revealed an understanding of the community, especially after the candlelight vigil, and showed compassion when appropriate.

Roger Cossack: It’s always good to hear him share insights on legal matters on ESPN. When he’s talking about you, your program or your team, though, that’s not a good thing. He’s informative and almost always has interesting insights.

John Ritchie: A former Cumberland Valley standout recruited by Penn State, specifically Jerry Sandusky, Ritchie revealed his conflict between who he knew and the allegations. He said his mom had considered retiring and working for The Second Mile. He was conflicted, as are many close to the situation. It was honest, good TV.

Bob Costas: A strong interview from him was not a surprise. Best of all, though, in his segment-ending banter Monday night with “Rock Center” host Brian Williams, Costas did not throw all of Nittany Nation under the bus, giving good insight to the conflicting emotions the situation has prompted.

One thumbs-down (amid many possibilities) to Armen Keteyian and CBS News.

The oversell on their supposed interview with Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary earlier this week was inexcusable, and Keteyian's defense to a Washington, D.C., radio station that any other network would've done the same does not make it any better. The interview -- a brief exchange in a doorway -- did nothing to further the story, but it probably did drive some viewers to the "CBS Evening News" for a few moments.