Accuracy is paramount to the practice of quality journalism, as is transparency. These standards, together with other guidelines like fairness and independence, distinguish legitimate journalism from other information we encounter online. This doctored photo of Burrow is certainly compelling — supposedly capturing the overall mood of his team’s AFC Championship loss — but it’s not accurate. Even worse, it’s intentionally incorrect. Purveyors of misinformation often use out-of-context and manipulated visuals that “feel true” to capitalize on emotional moments, but these tactics are flagrant violations of journalistic standards and ethics. This post, which hasn’t been deleted or corrected as of the time of this writing, raises questions about why ESPN posted it and whether the network took any steps to check whether it was authentic. RumorGuard has reached out to ESPN for comment. We have not yet received a response.