Controversy with Orlando Sentinel coverage of Dwight Howard

[insidehoops]

To be sure, our coverage of Dwight Howard is complicated by his celebrity. Dozens of readers and Web users have told us — in sometimes colorful terms — to ease off Howard because our coverage will antagonize the superstar and surely drive him away from Orlando. Those readers say the Sentinel's coverage helped drive Shaquille O'Neal's free-agent exit to the Los Angeles Lakers 15 years ago. And Howard fanned those passions when he mentioned Shaq's exit in his Twitter post. Our coverage — and our decision-making — is driven by our effort to put Howard's future in context and report any developments that arise. We also will continue to initiate online conversations about what kinds of moves the Magic should make to keep Howard or how to get value if they elect to trade him. That's what a newsroom should do. Orlando Sentinel