Stephen A. Smith isn’t disputing Michael Wilbon’s “not a journalist” claim anymore. Instead, he’s redefining what it means.
What We Know: Smith addressed the Wilbon comments made yesterday to Awful Announcing on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio. Rather than deny Wilbon’s point outright, Stephen A. Smith drew a line between daily duties and underlying identity. He cited his workload as evidence of his standing, pointing to 22 hours of live content weekly and over 900 hours a year. He also referenced his upcoming Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame induction as a defense against criticisms from those who didn’t serve as journalists.
What They Said: (All comments via The Stephen A. Smith Show – SiriusXM)
Stephen A. Smith says only journalists can say if he is or isn’t a journalist: “I wasn’t trying to imply that I’m a journalist. Meaning I’m in the locker room being accountable to the people I talk about every single story or every single angle that I take. I don’t have the time because I do 22 hours of live content per week, over 900 hours a year. I am universally recognized, if for nothing else, my hard work. But because I’m not a beat writer anymore in the locker room, folks want to say I’m not a journalist. You don’t get the right to say that. Michael Wilbon does because Michael Wilbon has done it.”
Stephen A. Smith says he’s still a journalist at heart: “Michael Wilbon’s right. I’m not a journalist anymore per se in terms of my daily responsibilities and duties. But I’m always a journalist at heart because what I was taught is what guides me through this terrain of news and beyond in the world of sports and beyond. The resume says so. The level of production says so and the achievements say so and then some.”
Stephen A. Smith says everything he does comes from a journalism background: “Responsibilities change, but the nature of who you are isn’t. I don’t just come on the air and blow out the mouth. I make phone calls and have resources. People educate me about what’s going on all the damn time. I’m just not in somebody’s face immediately upon talking about them because I don’t have the means to be able to do that. This is not I dream of genie back in the day. I can’t snap my damn fingers and be 3,000 miles away or even down a damn block. I gotta be in studio mic’d up. Different responsibilities. But the nature of what we do as pundits, as commentators, as radio host, etc. emanates in my case from years of journalism.”
Stephen A. Smith on Michael Wilbon the person: “Michael Wilbon is a dear friend. A great brother who ain’t never lie to y’all. The sway he talked is exactly what he tell me to my face. That’s why I love him so much. Same thing with Charles Barkley. These salacious headlines that serve to divide and conquer, it don’t work. Those are my brothers and I’m theirs.”
Stephen A. Smith stands by his achievements in journalism and media: “If you check the news, somebody’s about to be inducted into the broadcast hall of fame, which is the creme dela creme come September. His name is Stephen A. Smith. That didn’t happen because I talk s**t. It happened because I backed it up with my work.”
What Remains Unclear: Smith questioned the line of questioning that sparked Wilbon’s commentary. Whether or not this will evolve into more layers of conversation is unknown.
What It Means: Smith’s response reframes the debate instead of rejecting it outright. By separating duties from identity, he keeps his journalism credentials intact without contradicting Wilbon directly. Meanwhile, his Hall of Fame induction next month signals the industry has already rewarded his career, title debates aside. Ultimately, expect Smith to keep citing his resume whenever the “journalist” question resurfaces.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.