ESPN Bans NY Post Reporters Over Andrews Nude Pix

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ESPN, which last night finally gave permission to its on-air reporters to acknowledge a lawsuit against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger brought by a female former executive casino host at Harrah's Lake Tahoe that includes accusations of sexual assault and battery, false imprisonment, and defamation among the 12-count, 36-page complaint arising from an alleged incident in July 2008, has banned reporters from The New York Post from appearing on its programming because of the tabloid's coverage of the Peeping Tom who illegally videotaped ESPN reporter Erin Andrews while she stood nude in front of her hotel room mirror.

The Post, which usually doesn't turn up on the paragons of print journalism lists alongside Le Monde and The New York Times, ran, along with its news account of the invasion of Andrews' privacy, nude photo stills from the voyeuristic video.

Okay, now that you've looked at the Post Website, ESPN officials said New York Post employees will not be appearing on its programs because reproducing the nude images of Andrews "went well beyond the boundaries of common decency in the interest of sensationalism."

Meanwhile, ESPN has been criticized in the news media and accused of attempting to shield the reputation of the Super-Bowl winning quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and trying to curry favor with the National Football League, whose games are regularly broadcast on ESPN, by not reporting on the lawsuit (Docket No. cv09-02222, 2d Judicial District Court of Washoe County, Nevada) when it was filed, other than allowing its Pittsburgh affiliate to mention it.