The Good, the Bad, and the Sports Reporters

Post contributed b y Tate Russell -

  The Sports Media Journal published an article on the most positive and negative aspects of today’s sports reporters and columnists. The first thing the author mentions is that beat writers should report exclusively and not offer their opinion on their beat; it is their job to provide facts not opinion. 

   I do agree with this statement I would rather form my own opinion based on the fats I get from the person who closely follows the team I’m reading about. His next point is that a columnist should be an authority on the subject their column covers but too often enough research is not done. I also agree with this point, when reading a column I hope to as much new knowledge as I can and so I hope the writer can throw a ton of information at me. 

  The article's author contends that the 24 hour news cycle has killed unique sports stories. Reporters are so driven to get every piece news out first that they sacrifice doing player profiles or investigative pieces. As an audience member those are the types of stories im more likely to read and more of them can only be good. He fears that younger journalists are learning to do everything, from shooting video, editing photos, creating podcasts and reporting via social media, and that this could lead to a lack in quality reporting skills in the traditional sense. This is contrary to what we learn at the University of Tennessee but I do think it is interesting that someone is challenging that point.

Source -  What's Right and What's Wrong with Sports Media Reporters and Columnists,  Sports Media Journal.

(some editing by BJB)