Intro:
Again, I’m thrilled to share my discoveries from the recent explorations in sports magazines as I create my portfolio project for the maximum exposure of my work and the high-quality publications.
The game has changed; it’s no longer as much about using interesting adjectives in writing games given that many readers will be reading from their phones and scrolling through pages of multimedia content.
In this blog post, I want to provide an outline of what I have researched during this process as well as where I am heading moving forward.
Research/impact:
My goal was to recreate modern sports journalism's most powerful businesses through reverse engineering their development. Researching three general areas helped me to do this successfully:
Macro Trends: I looked for academic and industry research that explained where sports media will be headed in 2024+ and looked at how they're shifting to be more internet based – with more digital formats than ever before.
Giant Analysis: After thoroughly researching several examples of 'giant' sports news businesses (like The Athletic, which became a massive business by providing extremely detailed subscription-based coverage of sports), I could identify ways in which more traditional brands (like Sports Illustrated) have changed over time.
The “How-To” of Professionals: To find out how to be successful today as a journalist, I searched for resources to show me what type of skills/knowledge aspiring journalists need now to help them succeed (like developing reliable sources and social media skillsets).
Tool Finding: Knowing what tools to use is very important to having success professionally. I researched and studied the major software applications and platforms sports journalists are using today to produce data analysis, video editing, and visually appealing graphics.
Along with reading, I also watched tutorial videos online, viewed portfolios, and examined many different "back-end" systems related to producing The Stories You Read Every Day.
Analysis/Impact:
I have conducted leading research about today's fast-moving and challenging industry. The following key themes appears to inform my selection of projects:
1. Data provides the New Narrative
Data were historically a supplement to statistics but now they are the thing that tells the story. Data operated some dynamic organizations such as The Athletic to provide insight into how and why teams are performing the way they are in ways once unavailable through traditional media. This means that in addition to providing recollections of what took place (such as, box scores) we also need to identify a trend through a reporting method such that we can create a narrative around the trend.
Impact on my project: That was an eye opening experience. I cannot simply provide a beautiful story in my portfolio; I also need to exhibit data literacy. The first element of my plan is to produce at least one work that's fundamentally databased, with appropriate visual reporting to reinforce a hypothesis regarding a players efficiency or strategic realignment within a team.
Resource I found helpful: This guide on how data journalists create feature stories breaks down the process perfectly, from sourcing data to visualizing it.
2. The Athlete as a Media Company
A major transition has occurred for athletes as they become their own media companies. By using resources such as The Players’ Tribune and athlete-hosted podcast, they are now able to reach fans directly without the use of traditional media. Many athletes are now breaking their news on the own terms, sharing their story when and how they want to.
How this affects my project: This evolution of the industry may not eliminate journalism, but alters the role of journalists. No longer is it just a matter of obtaining the quote, it is now our role to provide context, analysis, and verification to the narrative the athlete is creating.
Instead of a traditional profile—perhaps for my portfolio I could create an analytical piece that analyze the story told by an athlete; requiring me to research the historical context or data to enhance the fan’s understanding of the narrative they are creating.
3. Multimedia is Not Optional
A modern sports journalist is a content creator. The most effective writers are also clipping highlights for Twitter, creating quick video analyses for TikTok, and designing infographics for Instagram. The story has to live across multiple platforms in different formats.
Impact on my project: This confirms that I need to diversify my portfolio. A Word document is not enough. I need to show I can think visually. I'm excited to try out beginner-friendly content editors like Adobe Premiere Pro to create short, snappy analysis pictures to accompany my written pieces.
Watch this: To understand the power of visual storytelling, check out this video on how video analysis is used in sports to improve performance. It gives a great sense of the kind of detailed breakdown fans crave.
Reflection:
This research has been incredibly grounding. I feel like I have a much clearer map of the terrain. The key takeaway is that I need to move from being a "writer" to being a "multimedia storyteller."
What comes next?
Next, I am going to research how to use a camera so I can capture photos that will detail and convey the “comeback” story of the athlete that I am working with.
Sources:
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