Le Anne Schreiber

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Ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber is the public's representative to ESPN, offering independent examination and analysis of ESPN's media outlets. The former New York Times sports editor and author will critique decision-making, coverage and presentation of news, issues and events on ESPN television and other media. Schreiber will have a two-year tenure and succeeds George Solomon.

Schreiber: No margin on mistakes
Thanks to its wafer-thin margin of error, winning the perception game with users, writes the ombudsman, can be difficult for ESPN -- even when it endeavors to do the right thing.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | November 13, 2008

Schreiber: The see-all, tell-all media
Even those who believe we are living in a post-privacy age, writes the Ombudsman, were stunned by ESPN's recent coverage of Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young and the idea of a man's most closely held thoughts becoming news.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | October 13, 2008

Schreiber: Stop suffocation of synergy
ESPN has been so successful at building a better fantrap, writes the Ombudsman, that some viewers looking for a sports escape need to escape ESPN to enjoy sports.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | September 10, 2008

Schreiber: Breaking down the bias
In investigating allegations of East Coast bias at ESPN, the ombudsman concludes that, if there is collusion across platforms and programs, it is in the creation and promotion of superstars with the potential for crossover appeal among all fans.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | August 14, 2008

Schreiber: Establishing boundaries of comment
Without a formal handbook of guidance and policy, writes the ombudsman, there is not much chance ESPN's producers, editors, columnists and commentators will ever be on the same page.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | July 13, 2008

Schreiber: Too much hot air on hot topics
The prospect of saying goodbye to "SportsCenter Specials," writes the ombudsman, means ESPN can stop asking its on-air talent to fill five gallons of airtime with a half-pint of breaking news.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | June 12, 2008

Schreiber: Ups and downs in journalism
Even as it offers more signature journalism on shows such as "Outside the Lines," ESPN, writes the ombudsman, risks the still-fragile reputation of news programs such as "E:60" by making serious missteps.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | May 15, 2008

Schreiber: ESPN must engage on race
ESPN, writes the Ombudsman, should not have its motives impugned when it takes on racial matters, whether in TV documentaries or online columns. The bar is set too high. The only alternatives, she writes, are to clear it or take the lumps trying.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | April 14, 2008

Schreiber: "SportsCenter" improves
After recently watching 10 straight days of "SportsCenters," the ombudsman was pleased to see crisp, clean shows dominated by highlights and news, with remarkably few gimmicks, sponsored segments or cross-promotions.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | March 17, 2008

Schreiber: MNF faces fan dilemma
At its best, "Monday Night Football" invites fans to be the fourth person in the booth. At its worst, writes ESPN's ombudsman, it excludes fans from a loud private party, not letting them get a word in edgewise and blocking the view of the game.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | February 10, 2008

Schreiber: ESPN (mostly) rises to occasion
Though thankful ESPN generally rose journalistically to the occasion in coverage of the Mitchell report, the Ombudsman believes the network didn't do enough to distinguish between objective analysis and subjective commentary.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | January 13, 2008

Schreiber: Lacking perspective proportion
Holding ESPN to a lofty journalistic standard, the ombudsman writes that, in several recent high-profile news stories, the sports network lacked proportion, perspective and decency.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | December 10, 2007

Schreiber: 'E:60' has style and substance
The news magazine show E:60, writes the Ombudsman, infused welcome fresh air into ESPN lungs that have been chronically taxed by over-exhalation of stale opinion.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | November 12, 2007

Schreiber: Audience starves for reported fact
The main function of sports news, it seems, is to serve as the molehill on which mountains of opinion are built. We don't have news cycles anymore, writes the Ombudsman, we have opinion cycles.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | October 11, 2007

Schreiber: Vick coverage shows best, worst
ESPN's avalanche of reporting, analysis and commentary about Michael Vick's legal issues showed the network operating at its best, at its less than best, and as usual.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | September 7, 2007

Schreiber: For ESPN, what's next?
No single topic has ever drawn the volume and intensity of unsolicited complaints to the Ombudsman's maibox than SportsCenter's recent "Who's Now" tournament.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | August 7, 2007

Schreiber: Keep your eye on the ball
The Ombudsman says that many ESPN broadcasts of live games seem more scripted than spontaneous and that announcers should be allowed to keep their eyes on the ball.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | July 9, 2007

Schreiber: Fighting 'tyranny of the storyline'
The Ombudsman says ESPN is guilty of the tyranny of the storyline, when saturation coverage of the few results in a drought of coverage for everybody else.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | June 7, 2007

Schreiber: Conflict of interest is business as usual
ESPN pays rights fees to leagues. It also covers those games as a news organization. The two intersect in ways that have the ombudsman asking questions.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | May 10, 2007

Schreiber: Can we keep the yelling down?
What did the ombudsman gather from an intensive initial dose of ESPN watching? Lots and lots of high-volume opinions.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | April 12, 2007

Schreiber: Radio host's blog attack was 'off limits'
Radio host Colin Cowherd's boast that he shut down thebiglead.com in 90 seconds flooded the ombudsman's mailbag. And prompted a new policy.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | April 8, 2007

Schreiber: Radio host's blog attack was 'off limits'
Radio host Colin Cowherd's boast that he shut down thebiglead.com in 90 seconds flooded the ombudsman's mailbag. And prompted a new policy.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | April 8, 2007

Schreiber: Meet the new Ombudsman
Ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber says the pressures to blur boundaries between news, gossip, rumor, entertainment, advertising and promotion operate at a fever pitch at ESPN.
Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN Ombudsman | April 5, 2007