According to some, we may have reached a cataclysmic moment in journalism this month after the LeBron James Marketing Machine hijacked ESPN for an hour-long special devoted to the King’s career and future NBA plans called “The Decision.”

On the other hand, the moment also signified a great win for the marketing community. With “The Decision,” James’ team utilized/manipulated a respected sports news network by actually writing and shaping the athlete’s history with grandeur.

Traditional journalists are disturbed by the network’s lack of integrity, handing LeBron’s marketing team that much programming power and control; conversely, ESPN received a gigantic 9.6 rating from Nielsen during the 15-minute stretch of the program when LeBron announced his decision, so it’s hard to question the network’s choice. Moreover, the network is actually called the “Entertainment Sports Programming Network,” and this program was more than entertaining.

As a person with a background in sports journalism who now practices public relations, I am cognizant of both perspectives, and I cannot place judgment on either side of the argument. As a former sports writer, I view “The Decision” as an embarrassment for producers at ESPN, who essentially allowed the subject to write his own story under the network’s byline. As a PR professional, I view “The Decision” as a new goal in my own career positioning and the branding of clientele.

What I think we can all agree on is “The Decision” marks a turning point for our society. The ease and accessibility of the Internet, the growing use of social media and the fickle economic state of traditional media have entirely shifted the reporter/subject dynamic.

If ESPN had turned down LeBron and his team, the compromise would likely have been a press conference for all media to attend. If James and his team wanted the media exclusivity, the event may have been hosted on his personal website, receiving similarly impressive figures. LeBron could have even tweeted his “Decision” to his 440,000+ Twitter followers, building suspense 140 characters at a time and garnering worldwide attention to his @KingJames account.  

In other words, LeBron – not ESPN – controlled the power, and the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” was forced to take whatever offer James extended for the exclusive broadcasting rights to “The Decision.”

It’s not as though this concept is revolutionary or even new; one could argue that the President of the United States hijacks the airwaves once a year for the State of the Union address. What makes “The Decision” a fascinating example for marketing professionals is that LeBron was able to pitch and secure an hour-long special devoted to his greatness, donate the advertising revenue to charity in the name of The King and create a year’s worth of publicity in a just 15-minute timeframe… all on ESPN’s dime.

So, kudos to LeBron, his marketing team, the NBA and the Miami Heat. Whether you agree with the approach or not, this was publicity at its finest.