I love unconventional thinking. It’s why I was enamored with my colleague Pete Mundo’s column last week on why news/talk radio hosts should emulate ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
Because, for so many reasons, Pete’s right when he says that the news/talk radio genre could be helped by those branching out into new content avenues, like Smith has with his newfound eye on politics and culture. Furthermore, Pete’s right in that the objective of news/talk radio content should almost universally be entertaining, which is something some hosts don’t always get right.
I also thought Pete’s comparison of Smith to Donald Trump circa 2010-2015 was an insanely unique thought, but was right on the money.
Like him or love him, Stephen A. Smith is almost always entertaining, which isn’t an easy feat to pull off.
So, unlike Jason Whitlock — who was not at all pleased with the stance Mundo took last week — I believe that there are definitely aspects that news/talk radio hosts should take from Stephen A. Smith and incorporate into their shows and styles.
But they shouldn’t take everything that the ESPN and soon-to-be SiriusXM host does. Because it isn’t all good.
These are the three things I’d advise news/talk radio hosts to not copy from Smith, or anyone else for that matter.
Never Admitting When You’re Wrong
Stephen A. Smith is on TV a lot. Like, a lot. That’s in addition to his podcast, which is about to be in addition to his radio show. So the likelihood that he’s going to say something factually incorrect at some point is insanely high. That’s just a byproduct of being on the air all the time.
But sometimes you’re going to be wrong. That doesn’t mean you weren’t entertaining. That doesn’t mean that you’re an idiot.
It just means that you’re wrong.
And Stephen A. Smith doesn’t admit when he’s wrong.
Just this past week, a photo of Smith at the NBA Finals — which should, in theory, be his biggest assignment of the year — went viral after it showed him playing solitaire while watching the game.
That should be an insanely innocuous moment. “Yep, you caught me. Haha. But if the damn game were more interesting, I would have been watching that!”
But, instead, Smith initially asserted that the picture had been taken during a timeout, which made any criticism of him null and void. Except that wasn’t true. There was an accompanying video that showed him playing the card game on his phone during game action.
Why lie? Because you don’t have the ability to admit you’re wrong. And why doesn’t he have the ability to admit he was wrong? Because it might damage his credibility if he gives even an inch. There’s already a heaping helping of that in today’s news/talk radio climate. It percolates our politics and has filtered down into the media ecosystem. No one is ever willing to give an inch because “the other side” might take a mile.
He has since doubled down on being caught playing solitaire, saying on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday, “I was doing what the hell I always do. For those out there that don’t like it — kiss my ass.”
We need less of that. Not more. When you’re wrong, say you’re wrong. Don’t be like Stephen A. Smith.
You Don’t Have to Have an Opinion About Everything
It has never been easier to have and share an opinion on every single topic known to man. Gone are the days of television, radio, and newspapers being the only avenues to get your stances out.
Social media, podcasts, streaming, YouTube, and everything in between are inundated with everyone’s opinion on everything. That’s not an exaggeration. In many instances, the reason those avenues exist is to literally allow anyone to say anything about any topic at any time. It can be harnessed for good, absolutely. But that means the alternative is true, too.
Stephen A. Smith is a victim of his own success. Due to his prominence, people expect his reaction to everything. And that everything — by his own doing — now includes politics, culture, and race in addition to sports.
The problem is that Stephen A. Smith doesn’t have the capacity to be knowledgeable enough about everything to have an opinion on everything. No one does!
Saying “I don’t know” isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of maturity, if anything. And all too frequently, the ESPN pundit has put his foot in his mouth with his sports opinions to prove that he doesn’t always know what he’s talking about.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to hear the opinions of someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. If you aren’t knowledgeable on a topic, that’s ok. Find someone else who is, get their reactions, response, or what have you, then piggyback off that.
Don’t shoot off at the mouth and look like an idiot. No one wins when you do. Don’t be like Stephen A. Smith.
It Isn’t Always About You
Stephen A. Smith has a unique ability to make whatever he is talking about the top stories of the day. Despite what listeners or viewers might believe are the biggest stories, in reality, for ESPN, whatever he’s talking about becomes what everybody is talking about. Which is a gift, truly. When your opinion has the ability to shape the conversation, that’s a great ability to possess.
However, the people who have the ability often fall into the fallacy that they are the topic of conversation, rather than the subject at hand. While they have the ability to shape the conversation, that doesn’t mean that they are the conversation, and there’s a distinction worth noting there.
It’s my view that Stephen A. Smith gets as much satisfaction from being at the center of the story rather than being a member of the conversation surrounding the story.
And that’s not good.
It isn’t always about you. So don’t always make it about you. Don’t be like Stephen A. Smith.
I give Stephen A. Smith a lot of credit for his ability to shape the conversation. He’s an undeniable star in our industry. But that doesn’t mean everything he touches turns to gold. There are chinks in his armor, just like everyone else.
There’s good. And there’s bad. Take the good from Stephen A. Smith and branch out into new topics and avenues rather than local and national politics. There’s a whole big world to talk about out there. Take that content oyster and shuck it. But don’t be an egomaniac while you do it. Don’t be like Stephen A. Smith.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
