I think the reason is the need to justify their existence P-man.
The sports media is a big business with the need to fill hours of programming and acres of news print every day.
Therefore "reporters " ( for want of a better description ) need to constantly justify their existence.
The norm nowadays seems to be if you get a small piece of a potential story you run with it before someone else does.
No need to clarify as if you are wrong it is forgotten tomorrow in the tidal wave of daily drivel served up.