Media types use all kinds of phrases to report their own opinion as fact. This guy used one which is “I’m hearing”. It’s akin to asking to the “people are saying…” when asking a question. It might be true and of course people are saying and people are hearing, but who are those people? Dudes at the bar, at the urinal, some guy who just laid a bet? It’s sloppy and lazy and I always treat it as that persons opinion.