In their defense, part of their job is to make stories.
No it isn't. It is their job to report the stories, not to stir shit up. Case in point, look at them trying to make a story out of Bobby Knight a couple of weeks ago.
Yes, it is. The reporters are told to increase ratings, and this is how they do it.
That may be the case, but Reporters are not suppose to do this. The athletes are the ones that are suppose to make the stories not the reporters.