Disrupting Sports Journalism

This book critically explores the impact that digital technology has had on the practices and norms of sports journalism.

In the wake of major digital disruptions in news reporting, the author analyses how sports journalism has been particularly vulnerable to challenges and attacks on its expertise because of its historically weak commitment to professionalism. Ultimately, an argument is built that sports journalism’s professional distinctiveness will depend on its capacity to produce rigorous news work at a time when its core, routinised practices are being displaced by bloggers and team media. Recent developments such as The Athletic, a start-up that has built its business model around quality sports storytelling, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic offer hope that a paradigm shift in digital sports journalism culture towards serious reporting is starting to emerge. The question for both the industry and scholars going forward is whether these changes will crystallise and take hold in the long term.

Disrupting Sports Journalism is a valuable text for researchers and students in sports media and journalism studies, as well as for industry professionals seeking an insight into developments in the field.

Simon McEnnis is principal lecturer in the School of Art and Media at the University of Brighton. He researches sports journalism professionalism in the digital age and his articles have appeared in journals including Digital Journalism, Journalism and Journalism Practice. He has a professional journalism background, having worked with local and national newspapers.