Adam Schefter defended himself from criticism early on Wednesday. By the evening, he had issued a statement through ESPN saying that, while the interaction with former Washington Football Team team president Bruce Allen which was part of leaked emails in the FBI’s investigation of the team is not entirely out of the ordinary, it is fair to criticize him.
Verifying facts with sources is something Schefter says he does regularly. He did admit that it was rare that a reporter would ever send a source a full story in advance. He explained that he did so in the particular instance that is being discussed because it related to a potential labor stoppage, which is not a common occurrence.
“It was a step to far and, looking back, I shouldn’t have done it. The criticism being levied is fair,” Adam Schefter writes.
Calling Bruce Allen “Mr. Editor” in the email is a really bad look. Schefter says that it should not be taken as an admission of letting him decide what did and didn’t make it into his story.
“I want to make this perfectly clear,” Adam Schefter wrote. “In no way did I, or would I, cede editorial control or hand over final say about a story to anyone ever.”
