Sunday’s 24-10 loss in Super Bowl 50 was an ugly one for the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton and the Carolina offense didn’t look like the dynamic bunch that won 17 games this season. Granted, they were up against Denver’s league-best defense.

Newton was upset following the game and for good reason. The group of Super Bowl starting quarterbacks is an exclusive one and only 20 have done it on more than one occasion. Coming up short on the grandest of stages is a feeling that almost none of us can understand, but it must be difficult.

That’s why it was understandable for him to get up and abruptly leave during the post-game press conference. It only gets more reasonable after footage revealed that Newton likely could hear Denver cornerback Chris Harris’ answers to reporters.

Was it professional? Not quite. Newton’s celebrations during winning affairs garnered criticism. Those critics asked why he could dance in victory, but couldn’t answer some questions following a defeat.

The media deserves a portion of the blame here, too. Yes, Newton’s personal success thrives on his media attention and he does have an obligation to reporters. At the same time, though, those journalists did a subpar job in asking open-ended questions. They seemed surprised to get one-word answers when they themselves failed to probe.

Moreover, the media is at fault for blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Peyton Manning, when he was the signal caller for the Indianapolis Colts, pulled a similar stunt six years ago. The New Orleans Saints came out on the winning end of Super Bowl XLIV. Manning, like Newton, was upset and darted to the locker room before shaking hands with his opponents.

Unlike Newton, though, he wasn’t the center of controversy because of it. The environment has evolved in the years since then. Tons and tons of blogs latch on to anything that will generate traffic, but ESPN and similar national outlets did, too.

Yes, Newton should have maintained his composure in the press conference. The boys on Washington’s soccer team are much younger than Newton and brought themselves to shake hands after losing the state championship in November.

However, the media also has a duty to discern what is and isn’t newsworthy. Newton leaving a press conference simply isn’t newsworthy.