ESPN’s favorite insider accidentally explained why most Americans don’t trust the media

Dan Zaksheske believes that Ryan Calrk became too much of a headache for ESPN to retain during layoffs.

"Write what you know, not what you think."

Andrew Marchand offered that lesson to other reporters while discussing ESPN’s decision to part ways with NFL analyst Ryan Clark. The sports-media columnist for The Athletic, a New York Times-owned outlet, was responding to what he described as inaccurate opinions circulating online about Clark’s dismissal.

He thought he was explaining the difference between responsible journalism and uninformed speculation. Instead, Marchand accidentally explained why so many Americans distrust the press.

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To be clear, his advice was perfectly sound. The problem came when Marchand revealed what he knew, how long he had known it and why he had not told his readers.

Andrew Marchand's defense of withholding the Ryan Clark story accidentally exposed how access journalism lets powerful people control the news cycle. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

On his own podcast, Marchand claimed he had anticipated Clark’s departure since February. He went so far as to assert that he had "a story prepared in February" and received a "very strong indication" roughly one week before ESPN let Clark go.

So why didn’t he publish the report?

"Like others, you want to allow ESPN to tell him first," Marchand explained. He said he eventually reported that Clark was expected to be dismissed because the scoop became "competitive."

In other words, Marchand says he knew ESPN was preparing to part ways with Clark but he withheld the information while ESPN followed its preferred timetable. Then another outlet