“They Took Our Jobs”
This article was written by Matthew Burgess and was originally published on www.unicafemedia.com
The broadcasting of sport is one of the biggest media industries in the world today. With 24 hour national and international coverage, companies such as ESPN, Eurosport and Fox Sports have flourished. However, with more former coaches and professional athletes transitioning into media positions than ever before, it looks as if sports broadcasting is no longer the job of the journalist.
Brigham Young University (BYU) broadcast journalism professor Robert Walz is under the same impression. Professor Walz, who has thirty years of experience reporting news, believes the sports broadcasting field is looking bleak for non-athletes.
“When you go out to compete in the world of sports journalism, who would the network rather hire to do commentary — someone who is just out of a journalism school, or somebody who has been working as a professional athlete?”
Looking at ESPN, the self proclaimed ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports’, it is hard to disagree with the BYU professor. In 2014 ESPN, produced more than 47,000 hours of live event or studio programming across multiple media platforms, and boasts approximately 8,000 employees worldwide. Of course the most renowned and recognisable employees are the commentators and analysts on the radio or in front of the camera.
In a recent listing of all of ESPN’s 396 personalities, 64 percent once played professional sports and were working as an analyst and/or colour commentator; the remaining 36 percent were journalists, who held 100 percent of the reporting and writing jobs.
Professor Walz did say that sports reporters can find a niche in local sports broadcasting, but the national-level jobs will continue to go to former athletes; something that former NFL player and TV personality, David Nixon believes will continue.
“I think former athletes are able to bring their experience to the table. They’re able to relate to the players, which brings a whole new depth to their analysis. I think some of the best commentary is sharing your own experiences that relate to what is going on out on the field.”
What’s more, thanks to platforms such as The Players Tribune and SbortsBlog, many active professional athletes are already cutting out the middle man and sharing their experiences directly with the fans. With contributors such as former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman, New Zealand All Black great Dan Carter and Seattle Seahawks Quarter Back Russell Wilson, this could very well become a large aspect of sports journalism in the near future.
But these are all just examples of sports journalism adapting to the needs of modern society. Whether journalism students like it or not, former coaches and athletes are a crucial part of sports broadcasting, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. They may be limited to a select few, but it is in my opinion there will always be a role for journalists at the very highest level of sport. It just might not be the glamorous role in front of the camera.
… But then again, I’ve always been told I had a face for radio, and a voice for print.
