What ESPN’s Fire Sale Means for Sportswriters and Fans
Today was a shock for anyone in sports journalism. Really for anyone in journalism.
ESPN decided to shake things up. They announced they were to fire nearly 100 of their staff, including names like Jayson Stark, Ethan Strauss, and Trent Dilfer. They ripped their NHL department to shreds. Anyone that’s a beat writer for an NBA team should be worrying. ESPN wasn’t messing around.
We had all known their ratings had dropped. SportsCenter doesn’t nearly the same luster it once did. Without a phone, I remember even as a child watching SportsCenter just to see highlights. Hearing Chris Berman scream “BACK BACK BACK” during the home run derby I connect to spending time with my grandfather. Listening to ESPN Radio as a middle schooler gave me the passion even to be writing this article.
Those highlights? I can get all of those I want on my Twitter timeline. As soon as they happen. Or on any social media platform. Hell, Snapchat has highlights. We don’t stare at television screens for more than a few minutes anymore. Our smartphones have it all.
So ESPN has molded into a brand new marketing machine. People don’t care for breaking news, analyzed by superior minds. They can just unlock their phone to a Bleacher Report update.
Americans want to be entertained. They want to listen to Stephen A. Smith yell “BLASPHEMOUS” while debating who should win the NBA MVP after voting has long since been over. It doesn’t matter how factual the conversation or news is. Reporting is for chumps. (Kidding)
As a member of the media, I’m in the minority. We appreciate quality content. I will sit down and read a Zach Lowe or Howard Beck 3,000 word banger and enjoy the beauty of a column. I will sit through a Ken Burns documentary. I make time to enjoy sports analysis from the brightest minds in the business. I love it.
Is that because I want to be the next Bill Simmons? I mean, that’s who every basketball blogger East of Los Angeles strives to be. The balance between being a fan and writing articles that relate and get to readers everywhere is our goal. Then again, ESPN fired Simmons too. Why?
This leads to many spreading hatred of ESPN and all that it stands for. Yeah, I could spend 500 words attacking them, but what’s the point? I’m just bringing attention to myself. Aka, clickbait.
One of my fellow colleagues reminded me of some truth today: “The thing that get me is those who are openly ripping ESPN, when you know if the call comes to them saying ‘Want a job?’ their only answer is ‘When do I start?’”
That’s the thing. ESPN wants a younger staff. And anyone that’s a college aged freelance writer right now would take an offer from ESPN to write. It’s the “I made it” moment. Who doesn’t want to work for the media giant? I would take an offer from them in a heartbeat.
The paywall is the killer. ESPN could hire me, pay me a minimum to move to Bristol, Connecticut and produce content for them, instead of paying an experienced writer the same job they could do likely 10 times better.
That’s essentially what they’ll be doing. In a few weeks you’ll see some up-and-coming writer awkwardly tweet out “well I’m joining ESPN’s baseball writing staff” and you’ll see Twitter’s resident troll say something like “@JaysonStark how does this make you feel.” I’m calling it.
The issue with this media business is clickbait. When certain companies (not naming who) create content that is irrelevant/hilariously false (Rumor: Stephen Curry to be traded to the Chicago Bulls?) it creates an unfair market advantage.
Journalism is a profession that requires morals. You are sharing the truth to others so that they may know. That’s the freedom we have in this country. We also have is a free-market economy. Which allows for ESPN to have competition, and for them to make decisions to change the way they program on Television.
Television is losing its viewerships. Everyone seemingly has Netflix and is streaming games illegally. Why pay for something when you can pirate it for free? It’s an ethical dilemma we all face. With less views it leads to less money. Less profit. Cutting costs and programming is necessary.
And that leads us today. A society that prefers clicks over real news. A society where we prefer opinions over reporting. A society where ESPN is firing good reporters because we don’t consume news properly.
Is there hope? Of course there is. One day we will figure out the in-between quality writing and reaching a fan who only cares about his daily 5 minute NBA filler.
As a writer, we shouldn’t write to impress other writers. Journalists should write to reach everyone possible clearly and concisely.
How do we fight clickbait? In that same way. I will continue to produce quality sports analysis that many people can connect to. The Bill Simmons way one might say.
Or maybe just the right way.
