Texas, five other Big XII schools will join  Pac-10. DeWayne Wade set to sign with Chicago Bulls.  Lebron James to stay with Cavs. Missouri set to accept invitiation to join the Big Ten. Breaking sports stories, reported by breathless sportscasters on major news outlets in the past month.

  The only trouble with thiese exclusives is they were all wrong, dead wrong.

  The expected seismic conference shakeup that was to be the demise of the Big XII never happened. Just a minor quake that saw a trio of schools pick up and leave for greener pastures. The NBA free agent circus led to many red faces and unexplained backtracking by everyone from ESPN on down thr line.

  These examples in the past month on a national scale mirror what is happening in local markets as well. In an era of blogs, internet posts, chat rooms, Facebook and Twitter revelations, journalism as taken a left turn off the path of accountability into making rumors into facts.

   Reporters who make these incorrect pronouncements keep posting, announcing and blogging. No corrections, no apologies. Better to be first with something than last and accurate.

   We used to have a saying when I hosted a sports radio talk show on WGN that those who call in to the radio station with these tips were on the fringe. It was good for some laughs, even some debate, but we didn't offer much credibility to weak sources. That was before all sports radio and way before the Internet.

  Now, anyone with an opinion whether it is based on reliable sources or not can be an expert. That would be okay if the mainstream media -- outlets like ESPN, Fox, major daily newspapers and websites like SI.Com and Fanhouse weren't picking up this junk and commenting on it. Suddenly it gains credibility and the average fan doesn't know -- and some say doesn't care -- where it came from.

  Our media training of NFL, MLB and particularly college football and basketball programs has shown a frustration on the part of the administrators, coaches and players who are on the other end of the microphone and notepad. They ask what difference does it make what I say if the new media is going to report what they want anyway.

   We offer these suggestions:

--Don't react to every rumor. Offering a strict denial or even worse a "no comment" makes it appear as if you believe the comment and feel the need to deny it.

--If you have something to say, say it your own way. Resist the temptation to criticize false reports and mistakes by the media. Your fans and sponsors don't want to see you get into a spat with reporters. Stay with your message without addressing false rumors and reports.

--Understand the new media. Instead of lumping all reporters into one big tent, look into the credibility of the reporter or blogger; some have great credentials and want to get it correct all the time. They can be very useful to you and your program.

--Conduct communications training. Use a professional from outside of your school or organization. Your staff and athletes will pay more attention to experts from outside of your sphere of influence who re-enforce your own recommendations and instructions on dealing with new media.

--Remember your audience. Even when reporters or bloggers make mistakes and try to justify their stories, your audience isn't the reporter. It is the public. Develop stories and responses that speak directly to your fan base rather than one reporter who may or may not have the correct information.