In the wake of the Jovan Belcher suicide, there have been a plethora of opinions and misinformation bandied about in the media, as well as missteps taken and inappropriate analysis of who Belcher was.

Belcher was a Kansas City Chiefs football player, a 2009 University of Maine graduate who played college football under coach Jack Cosgrove. On Saturday, Belcher shot his girlfriend to death and later killed himself.

It is tragic on both counts, but what has happened in the media since has been nearly as sad.

Online reports immediately following Belcher’s suicide were filled with detail mistakes, incorrect reports and speculation. They ranged from unsubstantiated details of an apparent fight he might have had with his girlfriend, to him possibly having a head injury that led to the tragedy.

Such is the danger of the Internet and cable television in this day of 24-hour news cycles. Journalists are in such a hurry to be the first to get a story, that many of them no longer verify that the facts are correct before printing them or speaking of them. This is a dangerous practice, as it is our responsibility as journalists to try, to the best of our abilities, to be accurate and clear.

The report containing the head injury information came from an anonymous source that spoke to the website Deadspin. Maybe it’s true, but it’s still unproven speculation. There is nothing wrong with writing a story based on the facts at the time. It might be straightforward and less exciting than a story that speculates on the details of a domestic fight or about head injuries, but it’s the bare truth.

Another danger with the Internet is the appearance of callousness. Hours after Belcher’s death, CBSSports.com updated how his death would affect fantasy football leagues. The website took it down soon after, but had to deal with the backlash and criticism from thousands of users.

Again, in an effort to be fresh and first, CBS forgot that people had just died, which should always trump entertainment such as a fantasy football league. 

It’s not just the Internet that can cross the line when it comes to journalism.

Belcher had an amazing life story, as he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and worked to earn himself a spot in the league. That, however, was overshadowed thanks to Bob Costas, who used the apparent murder/suicide to his own ends during NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” halftime segment ”“ to advocate for gun control. The tragedy has nothing to do with gun control. It has to do with a man who mentally snapped for reasons we will probably never know, killed his girlfriend and then himself. That’s it, but Costas found a way to make it about an issue that did not need to be discussed in that forum.

Instead, why didn’t Costas talk about the affect Belcher’s death will have on the Kansas City Chiefs? Why didn’t he speak about how the Chiefs coaching staff and players chose to play Sunday’s game after ownership gave them the option of not playing? That’s not as “entertaining” as bringing up an issue as decisive as gun control in the United States.

We need to become more aware of how we in the media can be portrayed as insincere, cold and careless. It is our responsibility to disseminate correct information and not use tragedies such as this to push a political agenda. There is never a time for carelessly printing unchecked information, and while there is a time for voicing one’s opinion, the shock of terrible news must be allowed to settle before doing so.

If the media is careless enough to let rumor and hearsay reign, thereby upsetting audiences and losing their trust, it risks becoming irrelevant.