When I decided that I wanted to be a sports journalist, ESPN was the place I went for my news. I turned it on every morning to see “Mike and Mike,” and I fell asleep every night watching Scott Van Pelt. I was under the impression that these journalists were the the best of the best, and everyone was fighting to work at ESPN.

My ESPN allegiance began to fade when I interned as a sports production intern at a local TV station. It was maybe the first time I heard someone talking negatively about ESPN and the way they produce content. I was shocked. How is it possible to diminish the ultimate sports broadcast?

I began to question the quality of the program when I got home that evening. It was the first time I realized that there are plenty of better broadcasts and journalists to be following. I took to Twitter and followed every sports journalist I could find, regardless of their affiliation. Broadcasters, writers, fantasy experts and blog sites began to fill my feed.

When I first saw a tweet that said Linda Cohn was suspended from ESPN, I thought it must be a joke. Regardless of what ESPN has become, Cohn has always been an idol for me as a female sports journalist. She has incredible camera presence, she’s funny and she really knows what she’s talking about.

When I read the articles attached to the tweets that swarmed my feed, I was confused. She was suspended for comments she made? I tried to think back to something she had said recently, and I couldn’t think of anything.

When I read Cohn’s comments, I was disappointed. Not with her comments, but with the decision to suspend her. If a remarkable journalist like Cohn is reprimanded for honesty backed with facts, then how I am supposed to make it in this industry?

The ESPN that my parents talk about is not the ESPN that is on today. It’s not a sports journalism program, it’s a PR company.

Journalism was attractive to me because it’s a way to tell stories. It’s about honesty and truth-telling. But when we can’t be honest, is it journalism?

Jemele Hill’s comments about President Donald Trump aren’t of interest to me, and I don’t think it’s important to bring up in this discussion about Cohn. Hill spoke negatively about Trump, but that’s not a reason to be suspended like many are arguing. Neither woman deserves suspension for their comments.

Linda Cohn will forever be one of my sports journalist icons. ESPN, however, has fallen to the backburner as my source of news when nothing else is on TV. It’s a shame that a once great network has fallen, but they may realize their wrongdoings when their content suffers because Cohn isn’t on the air.