The media's obsession with celebrities has had a few unexpected twists after Ryan Lochte's sister has now turned to a celebrity for all the wrong reasons. The result has left the lingering question of how irresponsible the media has been in reporting on athlete's private lives in favor of their actual athletic accomplishments.
What did Megan J. Torrini aka Ryan Lochte's sister do to garner the media spotlight? Absolutely nothing. In fact all she did was go out to party with her brother and his stylist after his Olympic duties came to an end. As the three snuck out of a club and piled into a van, a plethora of paparazzi snapped away at what they immediately reported to be Lochte's latest lovers.
What followed was a bonanza of news stories in which people questioned the "mysterious woman" in the back of the car with Lochte. And of course, what followed was the speculation as to what they were doing there.
And then came the revelation that it was Lochte's sister all along. And while she should be the one embarrassed for the attention she garnered as her brother's lover, the ones who really wound up embarrassed were the media who were exposed as overreacting and lacking tact and professionalism.
Had the media outlets done their research on Lochte and his family, then closer investigation would have revealed that it was his sister to begin with and all of this unnecessary exposure for his family would have been avoided. The story was likely precipitated Lochte's own mother making an off the cuff comment in which she stated that her son was a "one-night stand kind of guy." But why is it even relevant to the Olympic games whether Lochte is a stable boyfriend or not? He has made some major news with his Olympic gold medals, but at this point that seems to be in the rearview mirror as the press tries to drag out the Lochte story with rumors about his private life.
The real Lochte story is that he won several gold medals and silver medals and did the United States proud for his service and representation of them in the Olympics. The other Lochte story should serve the media how not to proceed with other news stories. The media had its day with the "mysterious woman," but at the cost of their credibility.