Troy Maychuk
Week 4 Blog
Patrick Gordon
(Blog 4 Moran & Kindred)
In Kindred's article, The Sports Beat: A digital reporting mix with exhaustion built in, he delves into the mission of the 21st century Sports Journalist, how it has changed, and what really should remain the same. A specific quote struck me while reading, "One conclusion to draw from his experience is that the work on a sports beat today is more than an evolutionary step in the news business--its revolutionary." This is what really sunk into me, gone are the days of sharpened pencils and feverish scripting. Nowadays reporters have an entirely different set of weapons such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, even live up to the second online blogging tools. What once seemed super involved has become hyper involved. We as prospective employees must realize the changing tides of technology and news delivery and quickly assimilate or be left in the dust. I believe that Moran spoke of a student from just five years prior telling him that he already feels left behind by the new wave of technology and delivery and is forced to play catch-up. This really makes me wonder what it will be like five years from right now!
Sports Journalists are expected to have facts accurate (80%) and as quickly as ever in order to bolster fan support cementing atheletics as America's 'unifying thread' for many centuries and new technologies to come. Moran cites an issue with today's hyper technological reporting methods: A lack of engagement and discernment. With reporters gunning for the next big story small but important details get washed away in favor of short burst quick information such as Tweets. The core elements of good journalism which is truth and good questioning still remains...but that is about all that is still prevalent, even from 10 years ago before the social media bomb had dropped things were totally different and way less expedited. Notebooks have turned into digital tablets which are sending signals to satellites orbiting the earth quicker than you can bat an eyelash which in turn means that the world expects speed and accuracy, otherwise they will find it from a different source---this seems to be the ultimate plight of the Sports Journalist, getting the facts straight and a half second before the other guy does. A quote that struck me from Moran's article was by a legendary Journalist named Gay Talese and he proclaimed, '' Good Journalism is wasting time''. What Talese means is that all of that time glued to a computer screen cannot replace the cold hard facts and details coming straight from the mouths of athletes after you have constructed an actual relationship with them thru interpersonal contact. You have to absorb your subject entirely and physically, not just thru a keyboard!
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