Today anyone can be considered a “sports journalist.” Everyday someone on Twitter shares information about their favorite team as if they were a beat reporter for a major news outlet. They might even tweet a link to an article they wrote on an independent website that relies on users to generate content like Bleacher Report. The question has to be asked: What makes someone a “real” sports journalist and not just a fan of sports?
The Approach to Content
In the social media age, sports fans are driven to consume more content than they ever have before. Before a major game, fans can find dozens of articles about specific points of the matchup with video segments of people discussing the game. People can also readily distribute their own podcasts sharing their knowledge and opinions of sports. As a fan, I live for this plethora of information and entertainment from multimedia sports content, but there are some general concerns about what is being posted for anyone to view. Sports journalists are held to a higher standard by the public to produce accurate and unbiased media content. This seems funny when fans then choose to consume user-created content from sites like Barstool Sports that have a more casual approach to sports. For example, a recent article posted on Barstool titled A Fan’s Guide On How To Deal With A Crushing Playoff Loss follows Boston Celtics fan Coley Mick’s ridiculous over-the-top methods of dealing with Boston’s game three loss to Toronto in the NBA playoffs. In his article, Mick mentions getting vehemently intoxicated and eating too much. While this article is not meant to be taken seriously, Mick still shows his side as a fan and not a journalist. A true sports journalist would lose legitimacy if they approached their content the same way.
Removing Bias
Those who follow sports have some sort of bias for the favorite team, sport, or player. What separates journalists from regular sports fans is acknowledging your personal bias covering the game with facts and not opinions. During my sophomore year at UT, I spent a semester interning at WKGN Fanrun Radio in Knoxville. While the station is called “Fanrun” there is still a requirement for hosts on the station to be more objective than the average Tennessee fan. Experiencing a football season as a journalist allowed me to start seeing the game through the lens of what other people see Tennessee football as, and not just through my own rose-covered glasses.
Where is the Line?
The line between fans and journalists is not as clearly defined as it appears. Professional journalists get more access, but their higher standard of legitimacy makes them more trustworthy to consumers. Ultimately, these journalists are still fans of sports. They still receive the same joy from watching a big touchdown or a block at the rim. That line between fan and journalist only matters after the game, not during it.
Matthew Covers Sports 