With so many competing sources of information today, what is the purpose of sports journalism? What can good sports journalists offer to fans that other sources can’t? And what are some of the challenges facing sports journalists today? Be sure to offer specific examples to support your points. Limit: 13 responses
Danielle Zerbo
ReplyDeleteSports journalism can serve many purposes to many different people. However, there is one underlying purpose that all can agree it serves, to spotlight and summarize a game to as many people that want to see it. Sports hold a special place in many people’s hearts. It serves as a distraction, a source of role models, a passion, among many other things, for millions of people. Sports journalists have the responsibility of capturing the game in a way that would do justice to all of the fans who treasure it. Sports journalism, “serves to protect the pious nature of sport and the value that this holds across the world” (Maffey). Maffey holds sports to the highest regard, comparing its devotion to that of a religion. Many would agree with his comparison. That is why it is crucial that sports are reported on in a way that protects the sincerity and rawness of the sport. That is the true purpose of sports journalism.
There is a lot of ‘good’ that sports journalists can offer to fans that other sources can’t. For so long, sports journalists focused solely on reporting the actions of games, and the interviews with players. However, as Springer explains in her article, “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism needs to keep meeting the Moment”, the pandemic has given sports journalism the opportunity to focus on sports on a more ‘macro level’. There were no games to report, so journalists dove into real issues within the game This created an awareness to what the athletes valued. Springer explained how, “the story quickly went from which team won to which players were protesting for social justice, from records set to which pro athletes were talking about mental health”, which were just two issues that journalists were now able to focus on (Springer). Thousands of people look up to athletes and what they have accomplished. Sports journalism can highlight these issues through those athletes. This gives them the unique ability to bring more attention to them than if a politician was advocating. People look up to the players, giving them a platform different from any other in society, an exclusive platform that only sports journalists can truly capture.
Although there are many positives to sports journalism, sports journalism often poses as a bother to the players who are forced to be interviewed. This can create a certain hostility and resentment towards journalists. For example, most professional leagues have media deals that require key players to be available for interviews after every game. Games often are packed with emotion, and do not always leave the players happy afterwards. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges to sports journalists is to ask questions that do not bother the players, while still invoking raw answers from them. Nicole Kraft, an associated press sportswriter, expresses that struggle by saying, “[she] feels uncomfortable in nearly every press conference [she] covers, worried [she] will ask a question others perceive as superfluous or uniformed” (Kraft). There are millions of eyes and ears on a reporter every night she asks a question. Since there are hundreds of different athletes, and hundreds of different ways a question can be perceived, there very little ‘safe’ questions to ask. That presents a struggle to sports journalists every game.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Kraft, Nicole. “Sports Writers Could Ditch the 'Clown Questions' and Do Better When It Comes to Press Conferences.” The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2021, https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228.
Maffey, Ross. “Extra Time: The Importance of Sports Journalism.” Medium, 13 Dec. 2016, https://medium.com/@rossmaffey/extra-time-the-importance-of-sports-journalism-fca41d2bb9d.
Springer, Shira. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, President and Fellows of Harvard College, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Danielle Price
ReplyDeleteProfessor Burns
MSS420
2/11/22
Week 3 Blog
Sports journalism focuses on reporting anything sports related which can be specific to a team or game or just about sports in general. This includes reporting professional sporting news and events. The writing or broadcasting could be transmitted through any media platform such as televisions, newspapers, magazines, websites, and more (Alexis W.). A sports journalist can report events or behaviors about a team or certain players. Further, they can even make a report after a draft. Within this form of communication, the writing is typically descriptive because their goal is to make the subject “come alive” like any other journalist (Alexis W.). The audience should be informed yet entertained at the same time. Sports journalism is simply the reporting of anything relating to sports or the industry through writing and/or broadcasting.
An efficient sports journalist can gain a deeper “understanding of athletes and their performances” if they ask the right questions and utilize the right techniques. There have been many times where reporters have asked athletes questions that have made them upset or irritated. Having a player become dissatisfied due to the question being posed will not benefit anyone including that reporter. A sports journalist has the opportunity to gain more insight than other sources might, but this must be executed properly to be successful. To probe an athlete’s mind the journalist must research their question, time their question properly, and think before asking that question (Kraft). Therefore, they need to be effective interviewers. For instance, they should be more specific, consider how they would feel if asked the question they are about to pose, and show compassion. If a player is upset about after a game, showing compassion and support is important. For example, “Taurean Prince was asked after an upset in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament to explain how Yale could have possibly outrebounded his Baylor team” (Kraft). This reporter should have worded this question differently. Prince was visibly upset, so he did not take this lightheartedly as it was a sensitive subject already. The reporter should have planned this ahead of time because when questions are asked like this one was, the player will either not respond, or will give an answer that is useless to the reporters. According to a video, Prince’s response was “you go up and grab the ball off the rim when it comes off. And then you grab it with two hands, and you come down with it. And that’s considered a rebound. So they got more of those than we did” (Kraft). This response is sarcastic, and clearly shows his reaction to the way the question was asked. Asking a player on the losing team how their opponent rebounded more than them is not an effective question. Moreover, his response was useless to the reporters due to the dissatisfaction he had toward the question and the way it was asked. This has also happened to Lebron James, and he did not even answer the question. He stood up, put his sunglasses on, and left. According to the article, “anticipating and benefitting from moves is how you win at chess. It is also how you win at interviewing” (Kraft). Therefore, journalists must be more specific, and more considerate of the athletes and coaches to benefit all.
Danielle Price
ReplyDeletePart 2
Sports journalists have experienced challenges, especially in recent times. A huge challenge they had to face was the pandemic. For instance, there were “fewer games to be covered” (Springer). One reporter stated that most of his reports were cancellations or postponements, rather than doing what they do best which is reporting live events (Springer). With sports being postponed or cancelled, journalists had the chance to gain a different perspective of what they really do and reflect on the industry as a whole (Springer). Although, this was a challenge they were able to bring light to a dark situation. Not only did the pandemic affect the way sports were reported, but there were many social issues on the rise. For example, gymnasts speaking out about sexual abuse, athletes speaking out about their sexuality, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more (Springer).With this, reporters had to dive into different categories than just sports themselves. Further, they became “politics, health, and culture reporters” (Springer). Sports are unique because when all else goes wrong, people can still connect through sports. Therefore, when sports were diminished during the peak of the pandemic, change was occurring. Reporters had to shift their focus which was a challenge in itself.
Works Cited
Alexis W. Last Modified Date: January 30, and Alexis W. Date: January 30. “What Does a Sports Journalist Do?” Practical Adult Insights, 30 Jan. 2022, https://www.practicaladultinsights.com/what-does-a-sports-journalist-do.htm.
Nicole Kraft Associate Professor of Clinical Communication. “Sports Writers Could Ditch the 'Clown Questions' and Do Better When It Comes to Press Conferences.” The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2021, https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228.
Springer @ShiraSpringer, Shira, and Shira Springer. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Rita Sherban
ReplyDeleteSports journalism used to be way for fans to connect to their favorite teams with constant updates and analyses. Essentially, the sports journalism became foundational to sports as it provided an “up close and personal” look at different clubs and players. Over the years, as sports reporters like ESPN writers create business ties with franchises like NFL, the question of sports journalism is called into question. Due to the business relations between reporting outlets and sport companies, reporters often feel compelled to highlight teams in positive light, even if they do experience shortcomings. “Take the Greg Hardy scandal…defensive end who brutally assaulted an ex-girlfriend, earning him a 10-game suspension form the NFL, though only the website Deadspin obtained and ran the police photos” (Serazio, 2019). Without sport affiliation, news outlets, like Deadspin, can freely report on sports without the backlash. This is not the case for major companies like ESPN and NESN who rely on the fans from the NFL and NBA to go to their sites for game and player analyses. While sport journalists may compete for an edge up on their competition, athletes aren’t too thrilled about being in the press room.
The NHL has an agreement with the media that, “…provides 10 minutes after each game, each club will make key players and the head coach available” (Kraft, 2021). Sometimes, these key players are questioned about other athletes on the team. In the NBA, LeBron James left the press conference after, “…James was questioned repeatedly by ESPN’s Mark Schwartz about the mental state of teammate J.R Smith” (Kraft, 2021). Similarly, in 2015, during the Super Bowl Media Day, Marshawn Lynch admitted to a reporter, “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” (Kraft, 2021). Players begrudgingly sit through press conferences because they would be another player on the team if they didn’t. Tennis star Rafael Nadal told reporters, “Without the press…we (aren’t) going to have the recognition that we have around the world, and we will not be that popular, no” (Kraft, 2021). Even if players are becoming more irritable in the press room, the pandemic also gave reporters time to reassess.
Sherban (cont.)
ReplyDeleteWhen the world of sports came to a halt, journalists had to scramble for another way to analyze games that are no longer in session. Due to this, reporters were able to write about the industries themselves and the politics of the game. This is the first-time fans saw the integrity of the franchise called into question, like when the U.S women’s soccer team was fighting for their right to equal pay, or the Olympic gymnastics team speaking out about the sexual abuse they endured (Springer, 2021).
The benefit of sports journalism to fans is that journalists are moving away from objectivity and writing from the perspective of the fan (Layden, 2017). Fans are likely to return to the sport media outlets that voice the same opinions as they do. According to sportswriter, Tim Layden, “As writer, broadcasters and podcasters seek audience share, they will increasingly embrace partisan sports writing, chasing eyeballs predisposed to look” (2017). I think it’s important for sports writers to revert back to the objective way, giving an equal and fair view of the sport, as one sportswriter said, “I get paid on Thursday whether they win or lose” (Layden, 2017). If sport journalists want to stop being the “toy department” they should be reporting fairly, even if it doesn’t look good for a club because bad publicity is still publicity.
Kraft , N. (2021, August 18). Sports writers could ditch the 'clown questions' and do better when it comes to press conferences. The Conversation. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228
Layden, T. (2017, December 20). Sports journalism is moving away from objectivity. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.si.com/media/2017/12/20/sports-media-reporting-objective-journalism-fans
Serazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.
Springer, S., (2021, September 8). As the world changes, sports journalism needs to keep meeting the moment. Nieman Reports. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/
Brianna Gonsalves
ReplyDeleteMedia is evolving every single day and so the way in which we hear about information is also evolving every day. There are so many media outlets that cover the same kind of important news that it almost seems to be very repetitive, especially in terms of sports. This does not mean however, that sports journalists should be put on the back burner. Now more than ever, sports journalists are needed because they have a true passion for what they are talking about which is not always the case when news is being relayed to media users. Sports journalists are often questioned as to whether or not they are really needed in the grand scheme of things so problems surrounding this often arise.
Sports are right on top when it comes to viewership. Sports journalists are at the head of this information being handed out. With recent times, it seems that the big news like the Rams winning the superbowl can also be found out on any form of news site even on apps like TikTok. So what is the purpose of sports journalism in this climate? Sports journalism made it start many years ago becoming the most popular thing that people wanted to get their hands on. The information part is an easy part to relay to users. However, when something is journalistically written it is written with the purpose of inciting readers. ESPN has been facing a lot of backlash because of how everything that they say was already public knowledge but the way in which they write it or discuss it, is what makes the difference. In the Power of Sports written by Michael Serazio, it explains how journalism is deeper than just giving the information, “As one ESPN executive said in response, ‘We’re not in the business of antagonizing our partners… to bring [Playmakers] back would be rubbing it in our partner’s face.’ Journalism, however, should be in the business of antagonism- and ‘afflicting the comfortable’,” (Serazio, 47). Journalistic writing is not only there to get the news across, it is for the people who are passionate to write something that makes the readers think which is why sports journalism really is so important.
Another reason why sports journalism is still important is because it is viewed as a reliable source for information on sports. If an individual decides to go into the sports side of the media, it ultimately means that at one point in their life they decided that they had a passion for sports. Media outlets like the Bleacher Report or ESPN have a staff of individuals who are interested in what they are writing about which is why they are so popular. Other companies want to buy these companies because of how popular and seemingly reliable they are. In an article from Vox titled Why the New York Times is Buying the Athletic written by Peter Kafka, it explains how the New York Times is buying this company to bring in news on individual sports teams, “In return, the Times gets a new subscription business it can market along with its core product. It’s also a product that doesn’t conflict with anything the Times does now. The paper has largely ignored sports in general over the past few years, and spends next to no time covering individual sports teams, which is the entire point of the Athletic,” (Kafka). Having websites like the Athletic which are solely run by sports journalists can assist papers like the New York Times in expanding their sports segments with reliability.
There are also some challenges that arise when looking at the question of whether or not sports journalism is still important. One of these challenges is that since the pandemic, sports journalists have been missing the mark when it comes to giving the people what they really want to hear about. In an article from Nieman Reports titled As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment written by Shira Springer, it says, “For many sports journalists, the pandemic expanded the beat beyond competition-focused coverage. It pushed reporters beyond play-by-play and day-to-day storylines. Of course, before March 2020, there were human interest features and hard news stories and hard-hitting investigations. There were storylines that put sports in a larger context and raised awareness… Sports reporters, by necessity, had to become politics, health, and culture reporters as well. That was what the moment demanded,” (Springer). With the way things are now, it is hard to pretend that they are not happening so of course a sports journalist is going to have to write about these issues. The problem with that is that it seems that the writers are not doing a good enough job integrating the two subjects and still making sports journalism what it once was.
DeleteWorks Cited
Kafka, Peter. “Why the New York Times Is Buying the Athletic.” Vox, Vox, 6 Jan. 2022, https://www.vox.com/recode/22870773/athletic-new-york-times-550-million-explained.
Serazio, Michael. The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture. New York University Press, 2019.
Springer @ShiraSpringer, Shira, and Shira Springer. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Ethan Carrión
ReplyDeleteSports journalism has had to change alongside sports since its creation. As a profession (journalists) that relies on another profession (athletes), it is inevitable that sports journalists will have to shape themselves to the changing sports world. That being said, it appears to me that the purpose of sports journalists is to give a subjective interpretation of sporting events.
That is what I think, more than anything, good sports journalists can provide to fans that other sources cannot. Telling the story of a sports game objectively is relatively easy. There are statistics and numbers that can give anyone all the information they need as to how the game impacted the league. A computer could give an objective perspective. A subjective perspective on the other hand can be much more complex to express to an audience, but is almost always more engaging. I believe this is part of why athletes get so upset when they get asked the same questions repeatedly. As demonstrated in “Sports writers could ditch the ‘clown questions’ and do better when it comes to press conferences.” (The Conversation) In this article multiple athletes including Lebron James and Taurean Prince are shown becoming visibly upset with sports reporters due to their lack luster or boring questions. Just like the athletes, the fans want something that is more than surface level, they want to know what it was like to watch that game winning shot go in. The fans already know who won, they want to know why it was special.
Furthermore, I would go as far to say that the purpose of sports journalism is to capture a special moment and what makes that moment special. As I have made clear, the objective part of sports journalism can be relatively simple, but it is crucial nonetheless so that the journalist can be clear and organized. The objective description sets the scene for the moment the sports journalist will inevitably create. A quote from Serazio’s “The Power of Sports” may help illustrate my point. On page 41 there is a quote by Jemele Hill who states “I don’t think our audience really wants the facts. They want their opinions validated…I am in the opinion business, but as a journalist, there’s part of me that grits my teeth a little bit, because it’s so different than how I was trained to be.” (Serazio 41) I want to focus on the last part of that quote, hearing from someone in the field that their actual work is different from the work a journalist is trained for interested me. Of course the writing is different, academic journalism classes focus on honest and accurate reporting while sports reporting is about capturing the emotion of a moment from a subjective perspective.
I would also argue that making the shift from objective to subjective reporting is also the greatest challenge a sports journalist must face in their professional career. The journalists that fall short become apparent, they ask the same boring questions that upset fans and players alike. An article by the Bleacher Report highlights how these shortcomings look in a professional field. “Auburns defense line completely mauled Oregon’s offensive line for all 60 minutes of the game. Chizik knows it, Rinaldi knows it, you know it, and I know it.” (Bleacher Report) This quote is talking about a reporter who, despite seeing the same hockey game everyone else did, begins asking questions about whether or not the coaches game plan worked, despite everyone seeing the dominant performance the coach’s team just put on.
DeleteThomas, M. (2017, October 3). What's wrong with sports journalism and how can we fix it? Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/864689-whats-wrong-with-sports-journalism-and-how-can-we-fix-it
Kraft, N. (2021, August 18). Sports writers could ditch the 'clown questions' and do better when it comes to press conferences. The Conversation. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228
Serazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.
Blake Guerriero
ReplyDeleteSports Journalism has been the foundation for sports fans to easily access the latest news and opinions on their favorite sports teams and leagues. The entire purpose of sports journalism is to provide fans game summaries, update on the latest news, and rumors surrounding the team and league, as well as spark up topics based on their own opinions to give fans a good read. With sports fans using sports as an escape from reality, an opportunity to get lost in the world of sports and cast aside their worries, sports journalism plays a big role in that. Sports fans can watch TV and go on social media for updates as well, but sports journalism captures the essence of what being a sports fan is all about. Sports journalists are fans themselves and it becomes apparent in their work. Sports journalists are around the team more than a typical social media reporter or TV analyst, they capture events that happen within the team that nobody else would know, even trade rumors. With the pandemic sports journalists struggled, as there were “fewer games to be covered” (Springer). However, during that time sports journalism was able to help fans get through the pandemic and no sporting events by releasing articles about any topic within sports.
Sports journalism sites such as “The Athletic” have taken the sports media world by storm, even much so the New York Times “is paying $550 million in cash for The Athletic” (Kafka). The Athletic requires viewers to pay a monthly subscription to view their content, and many are subscribed to it. I personally am not but there are so many interesting articles that come up on my social media feed and I click on the link without realizing it is The Athletic and disappointed to see that I need a subscription to view it. That, along with the New York Times gaining interest in The Athletic that is just a small example of how valuable sports journalism is. As previously mentioned, good sports journalists provide events that happen within the team that nobody else would know, even trade rumors. They also provide athletes with the opportunity to open up about mental health and other issues that athletes speak up about, it gives athletes an opportunity to finally open up.
As mentioned before, the pandemic was a challenge for sports journalists, but also sports journalists face other challenges they cause themselves, such as poor questions when interviewing athletes. An example of this is when “Interviewing Auburn head coach Gene Chizik directly following his team's victory in the 2011 BCS National Championship game, ESPN sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi asks, "you said the key match-up in this game was going to be your defensive front against their defensive line. How did that bear out in this game?" (Thomas). This was a dumb question because Auburn’s defensive line dominated Oregon’s offensive line, and it was obvious. Questions like those is what takes away some credibility from other journalists which could be a challenge for them. Overall, sports journalism is still going strong and should continue to do so, they offer content sports fans can’t find anywhere else and provide the fans with a good perspective on the game
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Kafka, P. (2022, January 6). Why the New York Times is buying the athletic. Vox. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.vox.com/recode/22870773/athletic-new-york-times-550-million-explained
Springer @ShiraSpringer, S., & Springer, S. (2021, September 8). As the world changes, sports journalism needs to keep meeting the moment. Nieman Reports. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/
Thomas, M. (2017, October 3). What's wrong with sports journalism and how can we fix it? Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/864689-whats-wrong-with-sports-journalism-and-how-can-we-fix-it
Alex Donald
ReplyDeleteSports Journalism is very popular and the purpose of it is that fans can look up sports on social media instead of watching the full game or the highlights. Usually media companies post about who won the game, players stats, some highlights in the game (if you’re looking at instagram or bleacher report), and so on. Sports journalists also write articles about players injuries, trades, controversies, and so on. However, sports journalists can sometimes drive athletes up the wall if they ask stupid questions or questions they know the answer to. For example, during the Cleveland Cavaliers loss in game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, “LeBron James was questioned repeatedly by ESPN’s Mark Schwartz about the mental state of teammate J.R. Smith, whose final-seconds rebounding blunder contributed to a Cleveland Cavaliers overtime loss.” (Kraft 2021) and another example “A Toronto TV reporter asked Bryce Harper, a non drinking Mormon, whether he planned to celebrate a homer with a beer. Harper’s response: ‘I’m not answering that. That’s a clown question, bro.” (Kraft 2021). Before the pandemic, sports journalism was mainly focused on the action of the game, interviews of players and coaches, trades, injuries, and so on and after the pandemic, sports journalism started to have more specific points and included more topics in the articles which basically provided fans that most journalists or other sources couldn’t before the pandemic or in other words “...the pandemic expanded the beat beyond competition-focused coverage. It pushed reporters beyond play-by-play and day-to-day storylines.” (Springer 2021). The topics that sports journalists include nowadays is sports activism, politics relating to sports, sports charity, and so on. For example, an article that talks about sports activism talks about how the WNBA helped US senator, Raphael Warnock to defeat the racist former senator and former Atlanta Dream owner, Kelly Loeffler by making warm up T-shirts saying “VOTE WARNOCK”. “At the time, Reverend Raphael Warnock was a little-known U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia, polling a distant third in the race. The incumbent, Kelly Loeffler, was a Republican who co-owned the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and called Black Lives Matter a movement intent on promoting ‘violence and destruction across the county’ in a letter to the WNBA commissioner. After the t-shirts debuted, Warnock’s poll numbers climbed right along with donations to his campaign. The WNBA and the t-shirts received widespread coverage, making national headlines everywhere from ESPN to The Washington Post to People Magazine.” (Springer 2021).
Sports journalism has faced many challenges but the biggest and hardest challenge that sports journalism had to face is the Covid 19 pandemic which they still face today. One of the challenges that the pandemic forced is that “Journalists lost locker room access in the pandemic and may not be invited back. That’s bad for reporters, yes, but also for teams, athletes and fans.” (Jones 2021). Other challenges of the pandemic included social distancing, zoom interviews, and so on. Zoom interviews for sports reporters didn’t get much in depth as they did when they were face to face with athletes in locker rooms and that's the time reporters did their best work. “Prior to March 2020, sports journalists did much of their best work in locker rooms. I cannot tell you how many interviews I did pulling wads of athletic tape off the bottom of my shoes while straddling sweaty equipment and damp towels to get a few insightful quotes from a winning pitcher, a losing goalie or the kicker who just won (or blew) the game in the final seconds.
DeleteBut those scenes have been replaced by Zoom calls. And while reporters can still ask questions, it’s clearly not the same. Talking to athletes on Zoom along with a dozen other reporters is entirely different than talking to an athlete one-on-one and in person.” (Jones 2021). Other notable challenges sports journalism has faced is the 2008 Financial Crisis, 2011 NBA Lockout, The Black Lives Matter Protests aka George Floyd Protests, and so on.
Work cited
Kraft, Nicole. “Sports Writers Could Ditch the ‘Clown Questions’ and Do Better When It Comes to Press Conferences”. The Conversation. June 11, 2021. Visited Feb 15, 2022. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228
Springer, Shira. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment”. Nieman Reports. Sept 8, 2021. Visited Feb 15, 2022. Retrieved from https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/
Jones, Tom. “Why sports reporting might never be the same after COVID-19”. Poynter. May 19, 2021. Visited Feb 15, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.poynter.org/newsletters/2021/covid-19-has-had-a-devastating-impact-on-sports-journalism/
Nicole Clemons
ReplyDeleteSports journalism focuses on reporting sports news through various mediums. Sports are a major part of people’s lives, and sports journalism offers both entertainment and information about the game, and players. Sports journalists can offer a lot to fans that other sources cannot. Journalists are able to get “up close and personal” with athletes and produce stories that you would not get from the athlete alone. Sports are a way for fans to escape reality and sports journalism plays a big role in that. Sports journalist have also taken on the role of informing those about issues happening in the world: “From Jesse Owens to Jackie Robinson to Colin Kaepernick and everyone in between, sports have always been a way for Americans to engage with one another about topics that are far bigger than championships” (Lynch). Journalist are writing more about social issues, mental health, and other issues are important that often get overlooked in sports.
Sports journalist also have the ability to tell a story and get information out quickly. Through game day stories, feature stories, profiles, and columns. Journalists are not only talking about games, but also other important issues going on in the world that are also having an impact on sports They are talking about these issues, and it is having an impact on more than many people would think “the games and all that surrounds them matter. But so do the stories that explore the intersection of sports and society, that dive into difficult subject matter and bring different perspectives to the forefront” (Springer). Journalist are creating and telling these stories that are important and meaningful to the world of sports. My favorite type of story that sports journalist write are feature stories. The ability to write a story about a person’s life and make you feel what the subject was feeling is very powerful.
Nicole Clemons cont
DeletePeople are now wondering if sports journalist are needed. They believe that athletes can tell you more about themselves and journalist often get a bad reputation from the questions they ask “Sometimes, a question is just so poorly researched, poorly timed or just plain poor that it makes you wonder what on Earth the reporter was thinking. Better yet, how does this reporter still have a job” (Kraft). Yes, some of the questions make you think why you would ask something like that, but there is also more to a journalist than just the questions. They are providing fans with entertainment as well as letting fans see athletes in a different light. Sometimes that is by bringing attention to athletes and getting them recognized, “without the press … we (aren’t) going to have the recognition that we have around the world, and we will not be that popular” (Kraft). Especially with something like a feature story a journalist can write something that completely changes your perspective about the athlete by allowing you to learn about them beyond the court or field.
I believe that sports journalism will continue to offer more to fans and the world of sports. Journalists offer content that you would not get from the athlete themselves. Who would not publicly ask themselves the answer the questions we want to hear.
Work Cited
Lynch | December 3, Eric. “Why We Need Sports Journalism.” Letter, 3 Dec. 2021, https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2021/12/why-we-need-sports-journalism.
Kraft , Nicole. “Sports Writers Could Ditch the 'Clown Questions' and Do Better When It Comes to Press Conferences.” The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2021, https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228.
Springer @ShiraSpringer, Shira. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Robert Fritz
ReplyDeleteSports journalism and its purpose has changed over time and especially now in the new age of social media. Back in the day when you could only rely upon what was in the newspapers or whatever soundbite the TV station chose it was hard to get a grasp on who these athletes are as people. This is no longer the case as with social media and the ability to post full context clips, we have a more direct mainstream line to our favorite athletes and teams. We are also seeing players start up their own podcasts and putting their writings in the Players Tribune so that they themselves can control the narrative. A part of this also has to deal with the fact that sports journalists do have an agenda and are sometimes not good at their job. We saw that this was the case with the infamous Allen Iverson press conference talking about practice. We also saw with Naomi Osaka at the French Open having to withdraw from the event due to her mental health being made worse by the press (Kraft). The challenges that face sports journalism is itself. Living in the age of clickbait news you often see people saying whatever it takes to get the most traffic to their site rather than sharing the story in its full context. Sports journalists are in a great position to connect fans with their favorite teams and players but it seems as if they fully don’t realize that. Certain journalists have the honor and privilege of being a hall of fame voter for their respective sport but instead of honoring the greats that played the game we see said journalists make remarks about their character for reasons to not induct someone into the hall. We’ve seen that in the NFL with Terrell Owens, we saw that over the past 10 years in the MLB with players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Now this isn’t every sports journalist who does this but for one reason or another these are the type of ones who seem to be rewarded for this behavior. A sports journalist job at its simplest form is to connect the fans to the players in an interesting and exciting way and not complain about the most minuscule of things. Sports is everchanging and it is time for some to realize that and one of those people is Shira Springer who had this amazing quote “The sports landscape will undoubtedly change again in dramatic ways, and when that happens the sports media should make time to step back, to reexamine its priorities, and recalibrate to meet future moments.” Sports journalists are seemingly lacking in integrity in recent years and giving way to the hot takes and trolling landscape that is social media. I am not alone in this as this sentiment seems to be growing by the day another quote that caught my was this “Not to say there isn’t great sports journalist, they’re many. It’s that though a lot of the time negative press and more drama are used to enhance entertainment” (Mbifngwen). The role of a sports journalist and its challenges are connected to each other and for the role to remain prominent and respected they need to be better at their jobs.
Kraft, Nicole. “Sports Writers Could Ditch the 'Clown Questions' and Do Better When It Comes to Press Conferences.” The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2021, https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228.
Mbifngwen, Raymond. “The Toxicity of Sports Media.” Medium, Freedom of Thought: Expand Your Mind!, 21 Mar. 2021, https://www.thefreedomofthought.com/the-toxicity-of-sports-media-ee6003e241ff.
Springer @ShiraSpringer, Shira, and Shira Springer. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Charlie Windels
ReplyDeleteSports journalism has changed drastically in the past few years and still seems to be slightly behind the rest of the media world. This is mainly because of the many challenges they had to face in recent years. 10 years ago, there was much more of a focus on sports journalism because articles were written and put in the newspaper. However, as time went on we shifted towards a digital age which made it much more difficult for journalists to get their stories out. One major challenge that journalism faces because of this is constantly trying to compete with social media pages. Another challenge sports journalism faces starts with the interviewing process. Recently there have been a lot of bland questions that have been asked by sportswriters during post-game press conferences. Nicole Kraft, an Associate Professor of Clinical Communication argues that writing is only part of sports journalism, and interviewing is the other. She quotes Anticipating and benefiting from moves is how you win at chess. It is also how you win at interviewing” (Kraft). This was an interesting point and could be one-way sports journalism could climb back. If writers put more thought into their questions, people watching the press conference may be more interested and intrigued to read journalism articles on that topic.
The pandemic was also a significant challenge for the sports world and journalists. With Covid-19 sports games had come to a halt and leagues were thinking of ways to resume play. Journalists had to make a major adjustment from talking more about the sports themselves to now finding off-the-field stories. An article I was reading titled As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment by Shira Springer talks about how the pandemic was a storyline in itself. She explains how “For many sports journalists, the pandemic expanded the beat beyond competition-focused coverage. It pushed reporters beyond play-by-play and day-to-day storylines” (Springer). This is important because it shows how sportswriters are constantly adapting to change and how sports journalism is still relevant today even though it has fallen behind a bit. Sports journalism is a unique way of telling a story and presenting sports fans with attention-grabbing news. Not only that but sports journalism recently talks more about some of the social issues rather than the sport itself. Oftentimes, we don’t realize when we are reading a sports article that there is more to the article than just the sporting event. An article I found titled Why we need sports journalism by Eric Lynch quotes, “the fun and psychosocial effects of sports are great, sports journalism has never been solely about sports” (Lynch). I think this shows how sports with their large audiences can be a way to bring awareness towards social issues that we may not pay attention to regularly. It emphasizes the impact journalism has on society not just in sports, but in other industries as well.
Works Cited
LYNCH | December 3, ERIC. “Why We Need Sports Journalism.” Letter, 3 Dec. 2021,
https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2021/12/why-we-need-sports-journalism.
Kraft, Nicole. “Sports Writers Could Ditch the 'Clown Questions' and Do Better When It Comes to Press Conferences.” The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2021, https://theconversation.com/sports-writers-could-ditch-the-clown-questions-and-do-better-when-it-comes-to-press-conferences-162228.
Springer, Shira. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, President and Fellows of Harvard College, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Clever Streich Part 1
ReplyDeleteDespite an ever-changing media landscape where news is delivered directly to consumers on mobile devices and social platforms, sports journalism still plays an important role in telling the stories of sports both on and off the field. The purpose of sports journalism in a modern context is to try and present fans or viewers with the most comprehensive coverage and analysis of the sports landscape, while also attracting an audience in a highly competitive marketplace. As Shira Springer writes in NiemanReports, “when we emerge from the pandemic, sports journalism needs to keep meeting the moment” (Springer). For example, throughout the past two years, sports journalism has redefined itself by continuing coverage even without games to recap. This has led to a reinvigorated focus on exposing the power dynamics and larger social contexts that may be regularly underreported, allowing for further investigation into the modern reality of sports (Springer).
The objective of sports journalism continues to grow and evolve beyond the simple recap, as efficient sports journalists can offer a unique perspective to the game and one’s favorite player when compared to other competing outlets. For example, with new innovations in digital media, reporters can deliver individualized content on platforms such as podcasts and social media, with popular writers like Peter King and Adrian Wojnarowski being examples of personalities who have adapted from traditional journalism (How digital media has changed sports journalism). In order to provide coverage that can’t be found anywhere else, fans come not only for the news but for the personalities as well, which can increase the entertainment value for the audience member. With mediums such as websites, blogs, traditional television, social media accounts, podcasts, radio, and print, journalists have more accessibility to produce and spread content than ever before (How digital media has changed sports journalism), popular journalists have a better grip on how to tell stories and grow their audiences.
Clever Streich Part 2
ReplyDeleteDespite the numerous resources today’s sports journalists have, and the power of their messages, difficulties can still mount for reporters who try to share in-depth and sometimes critical stories about the business side of sports. According to an article published in Yahoo Sports, MLB writer Ken Rosenthal was banned from appearing on MLB Network after publishing a series of columns in The Athletic that criticized MLB Commissioner Robert Manfried for his handling of the MLB season during the COVID-19 pandemic (Baer). By cutting ties with Rosenthal, the MLB takes away a critical voice that could be constructive for informing the audience on the current state of the league, especially as there were multiple reporters writing similar columns at the time, and Rosenthal had been contributing for the network for over a decade (Baer). If a league controls the media and the flow of information, it cuts off the opportunity for sports journalists to report and commentate objectively over the state of the game. If this type of issue persists, it could give leagues more power over the media, when the focus should be maintained on letting the press report the narrative and the bigger contexts that surround the story without obstruction or censorship.
All in all, sports journalism is a field that has adapted and changed with the times, and journalists are finding new and innovative ways to continue providing game day coverage, but also evolve and expand the scope of the sports world to encompass bigger trends and stories.
Clever Streich Part 3
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Baer, Jack. “MLB Network Cuts Ties with Ken Rosenthal, Reportedly over Criticism of Rob Manfred.” Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo!, 3 Jan. 2022, https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-network-cuts-ties-ken-rosenthal-criticism-rob-manfred-001713304.html.
“How Digital Media Has Changed Sports Journalism.” St. Bonaventure University, 22 Mar. 2021, https://online.sbu.edu/news/sports-journalism.
Springer, Shira. “As the World Changes, Sports Journalism Needs to Keep Meeting the Moment.” Nieman Reports, 8 Sept. 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/as-the-world-changes-sports-journalism-needs-to-keep-meeting-the-moment/.
Dalton Rice
ReplyDeleteThe internet has busted open the doors of possibility in every industry, especially journalism over the past few years. Rather than a few newspaper companies that could stay afloat due to having richer ownership and others failing to make their way into the market, the internet is for the most part free. Websites like Wix and WordPress have made it possible for literally anyone to be a journalist, merchant or blogger since their services require only a free account and only ask for payment if a user wants to transition to a custom domain.
The purpose of sports journalism is the same as it always has been, it just looks different. Journalism is a very broad industry with many subgenres, sports being one of them and like the other subgenres, there hasn’t been much change until recently (NSJC). Since the dawn of time, journalism has been painted by the faces of typically middle-aged to older white men who keep their same jobs until they keel over behind their news desk with their yellow notepad and hatred for Barry Bonds in hand.
A good sports journalist is essential in the sports world. Journalism isn’t as easy as many people think it is. The well-known sports journalists that we know and for the most part love, have paid their dues in this industry by working awful hours and growing their networks, gaining trust of the athletes and coaches we read about daily. Admittedly, sports journalists are not the only people who do this, but the ones with check marks and ESPN in their bio surely do.
Today, there are many challenges in journalism as a whole, not exclusive to sports journalism. As I mentioned before, there has historically been a diversity issue in this industry. The rise of the internet has helped in giving people who aren’t white men a greater opportunity towards having a platform. On the other side of that, there are quite possibly too many people in sports journalism. The internet has made it possible for people like me to put my work out there regardless of how many people actually care about what I have to say. In sports, there are only so many opinions one can have about a given topic. You are either in support, against something or neutral. The only place we see outside-the-box thinking is in long form pieces and only a small percent of those reach the spotlight.
Like the athletes themselves, sports journalists seem to only matter when they are on an ESPN segment or get “exposed” for their wrongdoings (Bleacher Report). For example, I had never heard of Jim Matheson before his recent exchange with Leon Draisaitl, I am sure he is a great reporter but his name has only popped up on my Twitter once because of his heated exchange with Draisaitl. Unless you are Adam Schefter, your career can be tarnished in this industry due to one bad outing.
Baughman, James. “The Fall and Rise of Partisan Journalism.” Center for Journalism Ethics, 19 Oct. 2016, https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2011/04/20/the-fall-and-rise-of-partisan-journalism/.
“Indiana University Bloomington.” SMG: What Hasn't Changed about Sports Journalism, https://nsjc.mediaschool.indiana.edu/smg-what-hasnt-changed-about-sports-journalism/.
Thomas, Michael. “What's Wrong with Sports Journalism and How Can We Fix It?” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 3 Oct. 2017, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/864689-whats-wrong-with-sports-journalism-and-how-can-we-fix-it.