Learning From My Mistakes: Frat-Gate. An Official Apology.
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by Keith Becker in Oregon Ducks
No matter what the outcome is in the Frat-Gate case, the way I handled breaking the story was incorrect. I did say it was a rumor, but like many have said, not early enough and it didn’t matter because the rest of my negativity in the speculation outweighed the bold type.
I have definitely learned a lot from this whole situation. Sadly, it had to be at the expense of putting people’s reputations on the lines. I realize what I did, without official evidence or firsthand knowledge, was irresponsible and uncalled for.
As an aspiring journalist, I understand that my reputation is the biggest thing I own, and trusting unreliable sources is not a smart thing to do, especially when putting the most famous person in your town’s neck on the line.
I really do apologize for what I did. I will accept the consequences (mostly of people deservedly berating me and losing credibility in me) and move on from this experience a better writer and a better person.
Sincerely,
Keith Becker
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kk
28. Jan, 2010
Way to step up and acknowledge this. You’re off to a good start with your journalism career or otherwise. Just remember that you can never be too big, smart, and rich to admit a mistake. Everyone makes them, not everyone accepts making them.
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anon
28. Jan, 2010
When Masoli is CLEARED, just make sure you are the first person to blast it all over the net…….
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goduck
28. Jan, 2010
Way to step up!
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Hoag
28. Jan, 2010
Thank you and Fuck you.
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Joe R.
28. Jan, 2010
The apology doesn’t quite sound as bold as the story you put out. I hope you understand that you hurt this guys reputation and that there are going to be people out there that will hold this incident against these guys no matter how hard you apologize for what you wrote. If you are going to make some kind of impact on someones reputation with your story, you better make 110% sure that story is accurate, because there is no take-backs after you hit send.
And the little comedy clip didn’t help with the sincerity of the apology either.
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Tala Suafai
28. Jan, 2010
You need to apologize directly to Jeremiah masoli and not beat around the bushes………
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James
28. Jan, 2010
Who are you again?
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Kyle
28. Jan, 2010
I am guessing you got a strongly worded letter from an attorney representing the best player in the Pac-10 recently.
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Keith Becker
28. Jan, 2010
Nope, no letter. Just the right thing to do.
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duckfanmike
28. Jan, 2010
As the one of the guys who bashed you the most, I have to say I am surprised and impressed by your apology. Thank you.
I have complete confidence that Masoli and Embry will be cleared. When that is done, hopefully they will forgive you and you will be invited to cover the team again.
When and if you do, remember this lesson each time you write an article. You can make it up by starting to write positive and upbeat articles about the team and the players.
Afterall, they’re the only PAC-10 champions you’ll ever cover.
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pdxerick
28. Jan, 2010
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Keith Becker
28. Jan, 2010
I know I’m not really one to judge inappropriate comments, especially this week, but come on dude, that was uncalled for.
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Fasioti
28. Jan, 2010
right, once a ghetto thug always a ghetto thug? Wow, first of all if you were bright enough to read, the idiot Keith Becker made a mistake and his statement centered around the error of his ways. Consequently, no ghetto thugs here. Perhaps, the ghetto thug mr. pdxerick you may be referring to is the man you see in the mirror. This is ghetto…you all talk up here on the internet, bring it out in the open and see how you talk pdxerick…and let’s ‘discuss’ what is ghetto.
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anon
28. Jan, 2010
pdxerick…hmmm, I agree with Mr. Fasioti. Your courage astounds me as you spout out your racist cliches. In a crowd, amongst the family of these two young men who were wronged would you be brave enough to exercise your freedom of speech? I highly doubt it. Please refrain from making any comments that are unsubstantiated–and perhaps when the library opens tomorrow you can post an apology and then return to your trailer that you call ‘home.’
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Pac10Rivalry.com
30. Jan, 2010
Once a gay sheep lover always a gay sheep lover, I suppose.
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IH8OSU
28. Jan, 2010
Too little, too late….
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Woodie
28. Jan, 2010
Are you kidding me? As you damage someone’s reputation all you can think about is your credibility as a journalist? You’re an idiot!
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Woodie
28. Jan, 2010
So, let me get this straight…Mr. Becker. This ‘apology’ is suppose to right the wrong that you had done to two innocent men. What other steps, if any, do you plan on taking in making yesterdays news as popular as this one? Please, enlighten us.
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StoneCOLD
28. Jan, 2010
Way to own it.
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Angry
29. Jan, 2010
own what? ruining people’s lives?
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duckinthecouve
28. Jan, 2010
First of all..anyone that has any inkling of common sense knows you get facts & write about the truth.
You disparaged two peoples character because you wanted to get your story out! Not “the” story out.
Your apology rings hollow…and you & your writing seems pretty shallow.
Did you enjoy your brief journalism career?
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jimboc
28. Jan, 2010
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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anon
29. Jan, 2010
And so we continue with the kumbayah no damage done…way to step up? Let it be your reputation and your family and let me know how ‘happy’ you are he is ‘stepping up’.
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Pulitzer Prize Recipient
29. Jan, 2010
What did we learn, please…we learned that if we made a ‘mistake’ by printing a story with no reliable sources we can say ‘I’m sorry’ and it’s suppose to make it all better? Please, there are some things you cannot take back, and if you were truly sorry you would put yourself out there for the overanxious glory seeking journalist who has no credibility or truth in any of his work. I see Pulitzer in your future…NOT!
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benzduck
29. Jan, 2010
What do you want to do? Kick him in the head?
I think he’s sincere. He’s a bloody teenager. Teenagers do some stupid things sometimes.
He could have just deleted the original and pretend he didn’t have anything to do with this shitstorm.
I agree with others that the SNL clip is a stupid and distracting add-on to the message, on the order of the Pope apologizing to the Jews for the Holocaust and following it up with a Mel Brooks movie. You don’t have to be entertaining 24/7. If you’re getting serious, get serious.
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Fasioti
29. Jan, 2010
Kick him in the head? Really? What about those lives he damaged? The innocent victims here of 2 individuals. Let’s talk about those ‘teenagers’. There are more than just 2 people’s lives that he has effected and of course, the white America of Oregon want to forgive and forget. There are other cultures other than White, Black, Latino, and Asian and this race card is being played. He has insulted Jermiah’s family, community, and people. There are many behind him in what he does and who he represents. So this is a message to White America that your view of minimizing of your comments on what he has done has offended the Samoan people. So, take your white views, filter, and perspective (even if you are not ‘white’ per se, your views are) and learn that Blacks & Latinos are NOT the only minorities in this country. Whatever comes out of your mouth that supports the idiot Keith Becker without acknowledging what damage he has done makes you no different than calling us niggers.
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ellis
28. Jan, 2010
Way to be opportunistic and draw yet more attention to yourself at the expense of others. No, not “way to go.” This is not journalism. You come off as an immature kid who thinks their being cleaver trying to make name for themselves. Your apology wrings hollow – writing about yourself doesn’t come off as sincerity. I suggest you keep a low profile. Putting more “Frat-Gate” liners out on the net is not helpful.
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nautyicars
28. Jan, 2010
Whats funny is, your no better then the Fratboys. Maybe you went to highschool with them?
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NoWorries
28. Jan, 2010
Everyone makes mistakes. This story has wayyyy more comments than ANY publication produced by FOX news…and America eats them up. Let’s not forget the writer is in college. He is a budding journalist. He will never EVER make this mistake again. Chin up and go forward learning from this. No worries.
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anon
29. Jan, 2010
Everyone makes mistakes…really? Where is the accountability. You can’t just ‘take’ back and move on when you ruin someone’s character. If one boy at the school made a mistake by singling out your daughter, sister, wife, girlfriend as someone who slept with the whole football team and then the boy takes back what he says as something he did not mean…can you just move on? It’s always no worries until it happens to you…
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QuackSince82
28. Jan, 2010
NoWorries=Keith Becker
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The truth
28. Jan, 2010
Hmm. Thanks, but too late.
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Joe Buck
29. Jan, 2010
You apologize, but leave up the article? Your brutal.
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benzduck
29. Jan, 2010
Disagree. If he pulls the original article he’s hounded for revisionism.
Better to leave it up so everyone who reads the apology can read what he’s apologizing for, and draw their own conclusions.
The Internet interprets deletion as censorship and routes around it.
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PI
29. Jan, 2010
So Mr. Becker, what do you seek from these postings? Support? Perhaps you should look to right the wrong by doing all you can to put out that your sources were unreliable and that you sought fortune and glory for your prize winning article. Unfortunately, the price was the reputation of 2 men who have done nothing. Good job.
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LameDuck
29. Jan, 2010
Funny how this journalist sought respect and glory in his profession by destroying someone else who is working hard to make something of himself. And “I apologize” is going to make it all better…I don’t think so.
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polyduck
29. Jan, 2010
….”Hmmm, where sports and humor collide? Where’s the HUMOR in destroying a young man’s reputation? You need to stick to covering comedy clubs because you REALLY suck at covering HONEST SPORTS DUDE! A BETTER writer?…..you weren’t any good to begin with…..a BETTER person…wouldn’t of written the NEGATIVE article in the first place!
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Eric
29. Jan, 2010
Thing is, no one has been proven guilty or innocent yet.
While its looking like the players will be proven innocent (which I am REALLY hoping for) nothing is set in stone.
Still ALL rumors.
While the initial article was over the top, the apology is sincere.
Just sayin.
Keith – fact check as much as possible and keep writing and reporting. There will always be bumps in the road. Its how you deal with them that matters.
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Nack
29. Jan, 2010
Mr. Becker, I believe that you have learned your lesson and in a week or two no one will remember your name but people will always remember that someone accused these two INNOCENT young men of theft and their character will always be in question. As for Mr. pdxerick, using “ghetto thug” was inappropriate – how sad that you have such a small mind and hate in your heart. I pray that you both find peace.
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SeattleDuck
29. Jan, 2010
Keith Made a mistake. He is a student and learning the world of journalism by jumping into the bloggosphere, which not many students in college do. His actions may not have been professional but it was a HUGE learning experience and that is what he has done. Masoli and Embry will live through this. All we can do is acknowledge that he made a mistake and he’s owning up to the consequences of being a part posting information on the internet.
It can be a hard lesson to learn, but this will make him a better Journalist for it.
Thank you for the apology Keith, we all make mistakes and we can all move forward.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Jeff
31. Jan, 2010
As they say talk is cheap. If you are really going apologize you need to be one of the first and and loudest defenders. The name Keith Becker may or not be successful as a journalist. The damage you have done may never full heal.
The internet never forgets…
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кpacaвицaвocтoкa
04. Jun, 2010
Да уж, это действительно нелегко.
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