Super Bowl Sunday presents audiences of all ages with content, controversy, and a fair share of half-time music. Often, the coverage on the sports pages is often secondary to viral discussions on social media – as a result, moments such as Kansas City tight end Travis’ Kelce and coach Andy Reid’s altercation during the second quarter of Super Bowl LVIII are often old news by the time they hit the evening’s news coverage.
In a world where media is rapidly consumed at an increasing velocity, how can journalists, including those who have recently completed a sports journalism masters, capitalize on the changing media landscape and ensure that their content is front of mind? The answer may lie in understanding how media is transforming – from the role that fan engagement and social media have to emerging trends and how social norms are transforming sports reporting.
As sports journalism slips off the back page of newspapers and into the front end of social media coverage, let’s discover how the journalists of today are helping to shape the media landscape of tomorrow and beyond.
The Sports Media Landscape is Changing
The way that audiences have consumed sports media in the 21st century has rapidly shifted. In the early 2000s, blogs, such as the work of Bill Simmons (a.k.a. the Boston Sports Guy), and the development of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter in the dorm rooms of university students marked a turning point for traditional print media.
Fifteen years of social media networks have seen the sharpest drop in traditional print media readership – with an investigation by the Pew Research Centre highlighting that weekly media readership dropped by more than half between 2005 and 2022. At the same time, social media engagement has exploded – with more than three billion users of traditional platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as emerging platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat, the landscape for sports media consumption has evolved from print to digital.
As a result, engagement with sporting events has shifted dramatically. No longer bound by the constraints of print media, commentators can make posts in the public domain, that eager fans can then respond to in near-real time.
The Responsibility of Social Media
The rapid proliferation of sports commentary on social media can have advantages – it allows for expansive reach, often far greater than that of newspapers, and can allow fans to get an insider’s view, enabling a more intimate view of sports media than was previously possible.
For brand managers and sports marketers, the ability of sports-based social media to reach and appeal to an audience can be particularly powerful. However, given the speed of social media, it can be very easy to jump to conclusions, and end users must be prepared for the consequences that rapid media engagement may result in.
Consider the notion of editorial lines and ethics councils. For the modern sports commentator, these reporting lines may not occur when reporting on a sports blog. In a world where traditional sports newsrooms are being shuttered, such as the recent closure of the New York Times sports section, journalists must be aware of their obligations to the community, both legal and perceived.
Many professional journalism bodies have sought to embed the principles of ethical social media journalism into their operations, much like these groups are seeking to take policies around Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some groups, such as the Society of Professional Journalists, make their Code of Ethics publicly available so that observers and fans of sports can understand what obligations a journalist has to both the organizations they represent, but also the audiences they serve.
In particular, it’s important to note that while it’s quick to publish information, it’s important to validate and verify information before publishing it. As has been seen in recent years, it’s incredibly easy for social media platforms to disseminate misinformation and disinformation. Sports journalists, in particular, should hold themselves to a high level.
Perspectives of the Kelce/Reid Incident
The Super Bowl incident between player and coach highlights just how powerful social media can be in proliferating a story – even if it’s unsupported. Within minutes of Travis Kelce’s outburst, commentators from near and far were calling for everything from ejection from the stadium to the termination of Kelce’s contract.
While on the outset, it appeared to be a significant incident, it’s important to note that tempers were high, and there was no opportunity for either Andy Reid or Travis Kelce to respond to the outburst at the time. A lot of the reflection and coverage from both parties came well after the game – with Kelce admitting he was in the wrong, and Reid playing down the incident in the post-game press conference.
Depending on your perspective, there are a variety of ways that the incident can be perceived by observers. Some commentators argued that the incident was somewhat downplayed, arguing that if Kelce’s team had lost, or if he was of a different race, he’d have experienced more severe consequences.
It’s crucial that in these situations journalists are aware of their obligations to the community. Relatively speaking, it’s quite straightforward to jump to conclusions – for sports reporters, need to be able to be held beyond reproach.
The New Era of Sports Reporting
Social media has changed the face of sports reporting. No longer bound by traditional print media, sports journalists and media organizations are often scrambling to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Where does the future of sports reporting lie? The future will be far different from the print media publications that dominated the 20th century – however, it’s less clear whether sports consumption will stay bound to traditional social media platforms, or increasingly fragment and diversify into new platforms and avenues.
Regardless of the outcome, the Kelce/Reid altercation has noted the importance of objective, responsible sports reporting in the modern era. As media groups struggle to adapt to the new norms of sports media, it will be imperative on the journalists of today and tomorrow to be mindful of both their ethical and legal obligations to the communities they serve.