Troy Maychuk
Sports Journalism
Patrick Gordon
Blackistone &Whiteside
I found this weeks reading to be particularly interesting. I know we have spent time on several occasions in the classroom talking about diversity in sports journalism and whether or not there are issues that need to be addressed. I was honestly shocked at the decline of diversity within the sporting world. It is obvious that there has been an increase in ethnic players over the past two decades, but I never really thought about diversity in the newsroom. The article really lays out the hard numbers and shows how this sector is dominated by white males. I never really considered the push for diversity in the newsroom, as the article states the aim was to have the media outlets reflect the population in which it was broadcasted. I can definitely see the advantage of this, as it would introduce a broader landscape of cultures and foster a more diverse and tolerant industry where both players and reporters are free from being singled out because of race or other factors. Blackistone believes this environment paints black athletes especially in a dim light, as if they are a spectacle. I believe that diversity should be taken serious on the field as well. If we are to advance as society and truly become equal these measures must be adopted on every field and in every game. This does leave me to question though if so much focus is being put on race, are we overlooking the qualifications of some just to fit a diverse mold? I believe that diversity should always be a priority but at the same time a persons skills should never be overlooked just because they happen to be a specific color.
I found the Whiteside article very interesting as I just had a similar conversation over coffee the night before with a friend of mine. We were discussing how often incidents in sports are overlooked and not rightfully covered for fear of losing industry connections and lowering your own credibility. Whiteside states that sports media lacks a certain "edge'' which results in the ''Toybox" image that so often is assigned. I loved the substance abuse example of Ramirez because for me thats one of the oldest examples I can remember since I became interested in sports. In an effort to not rock the boat the coverage was so splintered and underdone. Unfortunately reporters just weren't in the position to hold any athletes accountable in an appropriate way because their job was literally on the line. In 2013 with the social media boom, the average citizen has the chance to chime in and voice their opinions openly. Hopefully this new dynamic continues to spur sports journalism into higher esteem as public opinions change.
Paper Idea: I would like to focus on how Boxing's public opinion has swayed over the last century. What was once a cornerstone of American culture became marred by scandal and controversy- Boxing is today a shadow of what it once was.
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