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What will sports journalism look like in 10 years?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Dick Whitman, Feb 20, 2014.

  1. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I think it's a great question, and I think it's a question that a lot of people are afraid to face, because, deep down, they know the answer.

    I presume there are pockets of America where the community comes out for games, not just friends and family. But in large part, 17-year-olds playing soccer or volleyball or even basketball against each other, in front of barely dozens, doesn't really seem news-worthy. The most general interest seems to be generated when an athlete is being recruited for the next level by a BCS-level program.
     
  2. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    I'll stipulate that I grew up in an area with lots of pro sports, and where high school football wasn't very big/good, and I also went to private school, so I don't have any allegiance to local high school sports.

    While it's silly for the local paper to hire Timmy's mommy to cover Timmy's team, is there any reason a "fan" of the local program, who didn't attend the big game, would need any more information about the game than the school's own website or Facebook page couldn't provide?

    Other than the pride Gammy gets from seeing little Timmy's name in "print" in the local paper, what's the difference?

    In most instances, the paper is just printing what the local coach called in anyway.
     
  3. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    In 10 years, sports journalism will be viewed through binoculars by this guy.
     
  4. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    Maybe we'll be better at giving readers what they want. No major metro newspaper should even waste a minute of staff time covering regular-season high school games because you're not hitting a broad enough cross section of your audience. More time and space should be devoted to major national sports because that hits your actual readership. It shouldn't be gasbag quotes and soft writing but rather sharp opinions and interesting information that people don't know already. Breaking news, even breaking a minor trade or signing, should be prioritized over the standard fluff beat reporters churn out. Instant analysis of breaking news is what carries the day. Recruiting will be valued more than covering individual college games. Feature stories all will be long-form and based on special access. Almost nothing will be written that is between 400 and 3,000 words.

    Why do I say this? I look at hits every day. I don't like it all, but readers do.
     
  5. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I think your word range is a little bit off - I'd say 500-2,000 or so. But I think the observations are pretty much spot-on.

    Analysis, analysis, analysis.

    Context, context, context.
     
  6. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    1. Much of what Versatile recommended is what newspapers TRY to do every day. It would be impossible to be more focused on the four major pro sports teams in this burg than the Boston papers are. Interesting information people don't know already a/k/a news, is hard to come by in sports. High school roundups and such will always exist because they provide certainty as to the AMOUNT of information you'll be presenting. Kind of hard on layout and production when you don't know how many pages the section will be until an hour or two before deadline.
     
  7. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    The problem is that these beat writers are with the teams, players, and management day-in, day-out, home, road, everywhere. And yet newspaper readers often get an update on someone's spider bite, while the sections concede thoughtfful analysis to Baseball Prospectus and 82 Games and MLB Trade Rumors.com and thoughtful essays to Grantland and commentary with bite to Deadspin.
     
  8. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    I don't think baseball beat writers can be asked to do more work. They're at about 13-hour day shifts as it is. Also, in my experience, it's what's in the daily coverage of the Red Sox that drives the fan conversation and attitudes here. Those other sites are fine for people whose main interest is sports journalism or who are obsessive fans, and they have audiences here. But it's not where people go to learn about the Red Sox.
    One thing that should and doubtless will be changed. The Sunday notes columns on the four pro leagues (each of which gets a full page in the Globe!!) must go. They were a wow in 1973, but that's space for which a million better uses can be found today.
     
  9. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    If all local papers try to outdo national writers on professional coverage, then they are walking into a battle totally outgunned.

    Anyone setting up a business, which is what a newspaper is, looks at what is already there and how they can compete with it.

    You guys are suggesting opening a pizza place next to a Dominos, Pizza Hut and two other local, established pizza joints. You're going to lose. But if there are no thai places in town, even though it has a limited base, you have that base because you have no competition.

    Cover local sports. No one else does or will.
     
  10. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I think what Versatile means by "major national sports" is that, for example, the Chicago Tribune go all-in on Cubs and Blackhawks coverage, and forget about the Chicago Public Schools football title game. Not that the Chicago Tribune send someone to every NFL game in a given week.
     
  11. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    It has to be different for papers 100 miles from a pro team and 20,000 readers than a major metro.

    The small papers have to do hyper local.
     
  12. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    And if they do exist, they probably shouldn't cover sports.

    That's what the school paper is for.
     
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