Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events. Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people Professional journalism is a form of news reporting which developed in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century along with formal schools of journalism News is any new information or information on Current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or Word of mouth Reportage sometimes refers to the total body of media coverage of a particular topic or event including news reporting and analysis " the extensive reportage of recent News style (also journalistic style or news writing) is the particular Prose style used for News reporting (ie Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of Ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by professional Journalists Historically Objectivity is a significant principle of Journalistic professionalism. News values, sometimes called "news criteria" determine how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet and the attention it is given by the audience In Journalism, a source is a person publication or other record or document that gives information Editorial independence is the freedom of editors to make decisions without interference from the owners of a publication A journalism school is a School or department usually part of an established University, where Journalists are trained List of Journalism topics This page aims to list all topics related to the field of Journalism. Arts journalism is a branch of Journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of the arts Business journalism is the branch of journalism that tracks records analyses and interprets the economic changes that take place in a society Entertainment journalism is an umbrella term used to describe all forms of Journalism that focus on the Entertainment business and its products Environmental journalism is the collection verification production distribution and exhibition of information regarding current events trends issues and people that are associated Fashion journalism is an umbrella term used to describe all aspects of published Fashion media Political journalism is a broad branch of Journalism that includes coverage of all aspects of Politics and Political science, although the term usually Science journalism is a relatively new branch of Journalism, which uses the art of Reporting to convey information about Science topics to a public forum Tech journalism is a relatively new branch of Journalism, which uses the art of Reporting to convey information about Tech topics to a public forum Trade journalism reports on the movements and developments of the Business world by way of articles or analysis A traffic report is an element of a Radio program or TV news broadcast that informs listeners about general traffic conditions Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location Advocacy journalism is a Genre of Journalism that intentionally and transparently adopts a non-objective viewpoint usually for some social Citizen journalism, also known as public or participatory journalism or democratic journalism, is the act of citizens "playing an active role in the The civic journalism movement (also known as public journalism is according to professor David K Community journalism is locally oriented coverage that typically focuses on city neighborhoods or individual suburbs rather than metropolitan state national or world news "Gonzo" redirects here For other uses see Gonzo (disambiguation Gonzo journalism is a style of Journalism which is written Investigative journalism is a type of reporting in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest often involving crime Political corruption, or some other Scandal Docufiction (often understood as Docudrama) is a Neologism which refers to a cinematographic work in a Genre mixing Fiction and Narrative journalism is the interpretation of a story and the way in which the journalist portrays it be it fictional or non-fictional New Journalism was a style of 1960s and 1970s News writing and Journalism which used literary techniques deemed unconventional at the time Opinion journalism is Journalism that makes no claim of objectivity. Visual journalism is the practice of strategically combining words and images to convey information Watchdog journalism refers to forms of Activist journalism aimed at holding accountable public personalities and institutions whose functions impact social and political life The term Fourth Estate refers to the press, both in its explicit capacity of advocacy and in its implicit ability to frame political issues Fifth Estate is any class or group in society other than the Clergy ( First Estate) the Nobility ( Second Estate) the Commoners ( Freedom Constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press Infotainment (a Portmanteau of information and entertainment refers to a general type of media broadcast program which provides a combination of current Media bias in the United States News propaganda is Covert Propaganda packaged as credible News without transparency as to source and motivation Public relations (PR is the practice of managing the flow of Information between an Organization and its Publics Public relations - often referred Yellow journalism is Journalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally News agency (alternative A news agency is an organization of Journalists established to supply News reports to organizations in the News trade Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast" that is published by electrical methods instead of the older methods such as printed newspapers Online journalism is defined as the Reporting of facts produced and distributed via the Internet. Photojournalism is a particular form of Journalism (the collecting editing and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast that creates images in order to tell Alternative media are media (newspapers radio television movies Internet etc A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends A reporter is a type of Journalist who Researches and presents information in certain types of Mass media. Editing Language, Images or Sound through correction condensation organization and other modifications in various media A columnist is a Journalist who writes material on a regular basis for publication in a series A photographer is a person who takes a Photograph using a Camera. Meteorology (from Greek grc μετέωρος metéōros, "high in the sky" and grc -λογία -logia) is the Interdisciplinary Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Competition is a rivalry between individuals groups nations or animals for territory or resources While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports coverage has grown in importance as sport has grown in wealth, power and influence. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being There is no agreed-upon definition of power in Economics. At least five definitions of power have been used Purchasing power, i
Sports journalism is an essential element of any news media organization. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public Sports journalism includes organizations devoted entirely to sports reporting — newspapers such as L'Equipe in France, La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy and the now defunct Sporting Life in Britain, American magazines such as Sports Illustrated and the Sporting News, all-sports talk radio stations, and television networks like ESPN. In writing a report is a document characterized by information or other content reflective of inquiry or investigation which is tailored to the context of a given situation and audience A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. L'Équipe ( French for "the team" is a French nationwide daily Newspaper devoted to Sports The paper is noted for coverage This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian Newspaper dedicated to coverage of various Sports It was first published on 3 April 1896 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of Horse racing. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports Talk radio is a Radio format containing discussion about topical issues Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to
Contents |
Sports journalists' access
Sports teams are not always very accommodating to journalists: in the United States, while they allow reporters into locker rooms for interviews and some extra information, sports teams provide extensive information support, even if reporting it is unfavorable to them. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Elsewhere in the world, particularly in the coverage of soccer, the journalist's role is often barely tolerated by the clubs and players.
Sports journalists are like any other reporters, and they must find the story rather than simply relying on information given to them by the sports team, institution or coaching staff. Sports journalists must verify facts given to them by the teams and organizations they are covering. Often, coaches, players or sports organization management rescind sports journalists' access credentials in retaliation for printing accurate yet disparaging information about a team, player, coach or coaches, or organization.
Access for sports journalists is usually easier for professional and intercollegiate sports such as American football, ice hockey, basketball, baseball and football.
Socio-political significance
Major League Baseball gave print journalists a special role in its games: They were named official scorers and kept statistics that were considered part of the official record of the league. In the game of Baseball, the official scorer is a person appointed by the league to record the events on the field, and to send this official record of Active sportswriters were removed from this role in 1980. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Although their statistical judgment calls could not affect the outcome of a game, there was still the perception of a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust such as a Lawyer, Insurance adjuster, a Politician, executive or director
Sports stories often transcend the games themselves and take on socio-political significance; Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball is an example of this. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The baseball color line, sometimes called the " Gentleman's Agreement " was the policy unwritten for nearly its entire duration which excluded African Modern controversies regarding the compensation of top athletes, the use of anabolic steroids and other, banned performance-enhancing drugs, and the cost to local and national governments to build sports venues and related infrastructure, especially for the Olympic Games, show that sports still can intrude on to the news pages. Remuneration is pay or salary typically Monetary payment for services rendered as in an Employment. Anabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids ( AAS) are a class of Steroid hormones related to the hormone Testosterone. Performance-enhancing drugs are substances used by athletes to improve their performances in the sports in which they engage The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games
Sportswriters face much more deadline pressure than most other reporters, because sporting events tend to occur late in the day and closer to the deadlines many organizations must observe. Yet they are expected to use the same tools as news journalists, and to uphold the same professional and ethical standards. They must take care not to show bias for any team. Sports journalists usually must also gather and use voluminous performance statistics for teams and individual athletes in most sports.
Many of the most talented and respected print journalists have been sportswriters. (See List of sports writers. The following is a list of sports writers. Historical sportswriters Henry Chadwick George W )
Sports journalism in Europe
The tradition of sports reporting attracting some of the finest writers in journalism can be traced to the coverage of sport in Victorian England, where several modern sports - such as association football, cricket, athletics and rugby - were first organized and codified into something resembling what we would recognize today. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Rugby football (usually just " rugby " may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of Football developed at Rugby School
Cricket, somewhat like baseball in the United States, possibly because of its esteemed place in society, has regularly attracted the most elegant of writers. The Manchester Guardian, in the first half of the 20th Century, employed Neville Cardus as its cricket correspondent as well as its music critic. Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus ( 2 April 1889 &ndash 28 February 1975) was an English writer and critic best known for his writing on music Cardus was later knighted for his services to journalism. One of his successors, John Arlott, who became a worldwide favorite because of his radio commentaries on the BBC, and was also known for his poetry. Leslie Thomas John Arlott ( February 25, 1914 &ndash December 14, 1991) was a freelance author whose main subjects were sport and wine a poet
The first London Olympic Games in 1908 attracted such widespread public interest that many newspapers assigned their very best-known writers to the event. There have been two London Olympics ( London hosting the Olympic Games) in 1908 and 1948 with a third scheduled for 2012 The Daily Mail even had Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the White City Stadium to cover the finish of the first ever 26-mile, 385-yard Marathon. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42
Such was the drama of that race, in which Dorando Pietri collapsed within sight of the finishing line when leading, that Conan Doyle led a public subscription campaign to see the gallant Italian, having been denied the gold medal through his disqualification, awarded a special silver cup, which was presented by Queen Alexandra. Dorando Pietri, often wrongly spelled Petri ( October 16, 1885 - February 7, 1942) was an Italian athlete famous for his And the public imagination was so well caught by the event that annual races in Boston, Ma, and London, and at future Olympics, were henceforward staged over exactly the same, 26-mile, 385-yard distance, the official length of the event worldwide to this day.
The London race, called the Polytechnic Marathon and originally staged over the 1908 Olympic route from outside the royal residence at Windsor Castle to White City, was first sponsored by the Sporting Life, which in those Edwardian times was a daily newspaper which sought to cover all sporting events, rather than just a betting paper for horse racing and greyhounds that it became in the years after the Second World War. The Polytechnic Marathon was a Marathon distance foot race that took place in England between 1909 and 1996 commonly referred to as simply the Poly The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of Horse racing.
In France, L'Auto, the predecessor of L'Equipe, had already played an equally influential part in the sporting fabric of society when it announced in 1903 that it would stage an annual bicycle race around the country. The Tour de France was born, and sports journalism's role in its foundation is still reflected today in the leading rider wearing a yellow jersey - the color of the paper on which L'Auto was published (in Italy, the Giro d'Italia established a similar tradition, with the leading rider wearing a jersey the same pink color as the sponsoring newspaper, La Gazzetta). History See also:CategoryTour de France by year The dominant sports newspaper in France L'Équipe ( French for "the team" is a French nationwide daily Newspaper devoted to Sports The paper is noted for coverage The Giro d'Italia ( Tour of Italy) also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance Road bicycle racing Stage race for professional La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian Newspaper dedicated to coverage of various Sports It was first published on 3 April 1896
Sports stars in the press box
After the Second World War, the sports sections of British national daily and Sunday newspapers continued to expand, to the point where many papers now have separate standalone sports sections; some Sunday tabloids even have sections, additional to the sports pages, devoted solely to the previous day's football reports. In some respects, this has replaced the earlier practice of many regional newspapers which - until overtaken by the pace of modern electronic media - would produce special results editions rushed out on Saturday evenings.
Some newspapers, such as the The Sunday Times, with 1924 Olympic 100 m champion Harold Abrahams, or the London Evening News using former England cricket captain Sir Leonard Hutton, began to adopt the policy of hiring former sports stars to pen columns, which were often ghost written. The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Harold Maurice Abrahams, CBE ( December 15, 1899 &ndash January 14, 1978) was a British athlete. Sir Leonard Hutton (born June 23, 1916 in Fulneck near Pudsey, Yorkshire, died September 6, 1990 in Some such ghosted columns, however, did little to further the reputation of sports journalism, which is increasingly becoming the subject of academic scrutiny of its standards.
But sportswriting in Britain has continued to attract some of the finest journalistic talents. The Daily Mirror's Peter Wilson, Hugh McIlvanney, first at The Observer and lately at the Sunday Times, Ian Wooldridge of the Daily Mail and soccer writer Brian Glanville, best known at the Sunday Times, became household names in the late 20th Century through their trenchant reporting of often earth-shattering events that have transcended the back pages and been reported on the front pages: the Massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972; Muhammad Ali's fight career, including his 1974 title bout against George Foreman; the Heysel Stadium disaster; and the career highs and lows of the likes of George Best and Lester Piggott and other high profile stars. Peter Wilson or Pete Wilson is the name of Pete Wilson, former Governor of California Peter Wilson (Australian rules footballer Hugh McIlvanney, born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1933 is an award-winning sports writer Ian Wooldridge OBE ( 14 January, 1932 – 4 March, 2007) was a British sports journalist. Brian Lester Glanville (born 24 September 1931) is a leading English football writer and novelist Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Best (22 May 1946 &ndash 25 November 2005 was a Northern Irish professional football player best known for his years with Manchester United. Lester Keith Piggott (born 5 November 1935) is a retired English Jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow"
Specialist sports agencies
The 1950s and 1960s saw a rapid growth in sports coverage, both in print and on broadcast media. It also saw the development of specialist sports news and photographic agencies. For example, photographer Tony Duffy founded the picture agency AllSport in south London shortly after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and, through some outstanding photography (such as Duffy's iconic image of the American long jumper Bob Beamon flying through the air towards his world record at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics) and the astute marketing of its images, saw the business grow into a multi-million pound, worldwide concern that ultimately would be bought and re-named Getty Images. The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan Getty Images Inc ( is a stock photo agency, based in Seattle Washington, USA
McIlvanney and Wooldridge, who died in March 2007, aged 75, both enjoyed careers that saw them frequently work in television. During his career, Wooldridge became so famous that, like the sports stars he reported upon, he hired the services of IMG, the agency founded by the American businessman, Mark McCormack, to manage his affairs. Mark Hume McCormack (November 6 1930 &ndash May 16 2003 was an American sports and celebrity marketing entrepreneur And Glanville wrote several books, including novels, as well as scripting the memorable official film to the 1966 World Cup staged in England.
Sports books
Increasingly, sports journalists have turned to long-form writing, producing popular books on a range of sporting topics, including biographies, history and investigations.
In London, through the 1980s and 1990s, one shop on Charing Cross Road - the area known for its book shops - was entirely devoted to sport, although the growth of online book sales through websites such as Amazon eventually led to the closure of Sports Books.
This was not before, though, the establishment, through sponsorship from William Hill, the bookmakers, of an annual prize for the sports book of the year. The name William Hill may refer to the following People William Hill (governor (fl This was first held in 1989, when Dan Topolski's book about one of the most controversial University Boat Races was declared the winner. For the stand-up comedian and actor see Dan Antopolski Daniel (Dan Topolski (born June 4, 1945) is an Author, former Rower
The status of the awards, and of sports books generally, were enhanced greatly in 1992 when Nick Hornby's first novel, Fever Pitch, took first prize. Nick Hornby (born 17 April 1957 in Redhill Surrey, England is an English Novelist and Essayist. Both Fever Pitch and True Blue have subsequently been adapted into feature-length motion pictures. Only one author, Donald McRae, in 1996 and 2002, has won the William Hill award more than once.
Unsurprisingly, given cricket writers' often literary aspirations and the appetite for books on cricket, the summer game has four times been the subject of the prize-winning book, the same number as football.
The award has not been without controversy in recent years. In 2000, the award went for the first time to a "ghosted" book, Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike. Lance Armstrong (born Lance Edward Gunderson September 18 1971 is an American professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam Team Astana At the time, some also observed the irony of the award going to the American Tour de France winner, when, in 1990, Paul Kimmage's stern critique of doping in cycling, Rough Ride, had been declared the winner. History See also:CategoryTour de France by year The dominant sports newspaper in France Paul Kimmage (born May 7, 1962 in Dublin, Ireland is an award-winning sports Journalist who writes for the Sunday Times newspaper
The judges - the same panel is used each year - were also criticised in 2006 when they chose Geoffrey Ward's Unforgivable Blackness, because it had been first published in 2004. Geoffrey Champion Ward (born November 30, 1940) is an author and Screenwriter of various documentary presentations of American history
The 2007 winner of the award, announced at a ceremony staged at Waterstones, Piccadilly, on November 27, was Provided You Don't Kiss Me, the account of local newspaper reporter Duncan Hamilton working with the controversial Nottingham Forest manager, Brian Clough. Waterstone's is a United Kingdom –based chain of bookshops. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Brian Howard Clough, OBE ( 21 March, 1935 – 20 September, 2004) was a successful footballer and subsequently football
Winners of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year
2007: Provided You Don't Kiss Me, Duncan Hamilton
2006: Unforgivable Blackness, Geoffrey Ward
2005: My Father and other Working Football Class Heroes, Gary Imlach
2004: Basil D’Oliveira, Peter Oborne
2003: Broken Dreams, Tom Bower
2002: In Black & White, Donald McRae
2001: Seabiscuit - The True Story Of 3 Men & A Race Horse, Laura Hillenbrand
2000: It’s Not About the Bike - My Journey To Life & Back, Lance Armstrong
1999: A Social History of English Cricket, Derek Birley
1998: Angry White Pyjamas, Robert Twigger
1997: A Lot Of Hard Yakka, Simon Hughes
1996: Dark Trade, Donald McRae
1995: A Good Walk Spoiled, John Feinstein
1994: Football Against The Enemy, Simon Kuper
1993: Endless Winter, Stephen Jones
1992: Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby
1991: Muhammad Ali, Thomas Hauser
1990: Rough Ride, Paul Kimmage
1989: True Blue, Dan Topolski
Investigative journalism and sport
Since the 1990s, the growing importance of sport, its impact as a global business and the huge amounts of money involved from sponsorship and in the staging of the Olympic Games and football World Cups, has also attracted the attention of well-known investigative journalists. Duncan Hamilton can refer to Duncan Hamilton (politician, former Scottish National Party MSP Duncan Hamilton (racing driver (b Geoffrey Champion Ward (born November 30, 1940) is an author and Screenwriter of various documentary presentations of American history Gary Imlach is a British author journalist and broadcaster specialising in sports Peter Alan Oborne (born July 11 1957) is a Journalist, Commentator, and Author. Tom Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British writer A former Panorama reporter his books include highly critical unauthorised Seabiscuit ( May 23, 1933 &mdash May 17, 1947) was a champion Thoroughbred Race horse in the United States. Laura Hillenbrand (born 1967 is the author of the acclaimed Seabiscuit An American Legend, a non-fiction account of the career of the great Racehorse Lance Armstrong (born Lance Edward Gunderson September 18 1971 is an American professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam Team Astana Sir Derek Birley ( 31 May 1926 &ndash 14 May 2002) was an English educator and writer who had a strong interest in sport especially Cricket Robert Twigger (born in Brno) is a British Writer and Novelist. Simon Henry Ward Hughes (born 17 May 1951) is a British politician and Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North Southwark John Feinstein is an American sportswriter and Commentator. He is a columnist for Chapin Times the Washington Post, an Author, is Simon Kuper is an English author He writes about sports "from an anthropologic perspective Stephen Jones may refer to Stephen Jones (musician (born 1951 Australian electronic musician and video artist Stephen Jones (Baby Bird Nick Hornby (born 17 April 1957 in Redhill Surrey, England is an English Novelist and Essayist. Thomas Hauser (born 27 February, 1946 in New York City, US) is an American author For the stand-up comedian and actor see Dan Antopolski Daniel (Dan Topolski (born June 4, 1945) is an Author, former Rower The sensitive nature of the relationships between sports journalists and the subjects of their reporting, as well as declining budgets experienced by most Fleet Street newspapers, has meant that such long-term projects have often emanated from television documentary makers.
Tom Bower, with his 2003 sports book of the year Broken Dreams, which analyzed British football, followed in the tradition established a decade earlier by Andrew Jennings and Vyv Simson with their controversial investigation of corruption within the International Olympic Committee. Tom Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British writer A former Panorama reporter his books include highly critical unauthorised Andrew Jennings is an Investigative reporter, writer and documentary filmmaker Jennings and Simson's The Lords of the Rings in many ways predicted the scandals that were to emerge around the staging of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City; Jennings would follow-up with two further books on the Olympics and one on FIFA, the world football body. The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) Likewise, award-winning writers Duncan Mackay, of The Guardian, and Steven Downes unravelled many scandals involving doping, fixed races and bribery in international athletics in their 1996 book, Running Scared, which offered an account of the threats by a senior track official that led to the suicide of their sports journalist colleague, Cliff Temple. Duncan McMillan "Mickey" MacKay ( May 21, 1894 in Chesley Ontario – May 21, 1940 was a Canadian professional Ice Steven Downes (born 1961 in Waterloo, London) is an award-winning Sports journalist and television producer based in London Cliff Temple was a leading UK athletics journalist author commentator and coach
But the writing of such exposes - referred to as "spitting in the soup" by Paul Kimmage, the former Tour de France professional cyclist, who now writes for the Sunday Times - often requires the view of an outsider who is not compromised by the need of day-to-day dealings with sportsmen and officials, as required by "beat" correspondents. Paul Kimmage (born May 7, 1962 in Dublin, Ireland is an award-winning sports Journalist who writes for the Sunday Times newspaper
The stakes can be high when upsetting sport's powers: when in 2007, the English FA opted to switch its multi-million pound contract for UK coverage rights of the FA Cup and England international matches from the BBC to rival broadcasters ITV, one of the reasons cited was that the BBC had been too critical of the performances of the England football team. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after
Sports journalism organizations
Most countries have their own national association of sports journalists. Many sports also have their own clubs and associations for specialist journalists. These organizations tend not to operate as trades unions, but do attempt to maintain the standard of press provision at sports venues, oversee fair accreditation procedures and to celebrate high standards of sports journalism.
The International Sports Press Association, AIPS, was founded in 1924 during the Olympic Games in Paris, at the headquarters of the Sporting Club de France, by Frantz Reichel, the press chief of the Paris Games, and the Belgian, Victor Boin.
The first statutes of AIPS mentioned these objectives:
to enhance the cooperation between its member associations in defending sport and the professional interest of their members.
to strengthen the friendship, solidarity and common interests between sports journalists of all countries.
to assure the best possible working conditions for the members.
AIPS operates through a system of continental sub-associations and national associations, and liaises closely with some of the world's biggest sports federations, including the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, football's world governing body and the IAAF, the international track and field body. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) The International Association of Athletics Federations ( IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics.
In Britain, the Sports Journalists' Association stages two prestigious awards events, an annual Sports Awards ceremony which recognises outstanding performances by British sportsmen and women during the previous year, and the British Sports Journalism Awards, the industry's "Oscars", sponsored by UK Sport and presented each March.
Founded as the Sports Writers' Association in 1948, following a merger with the Professional Sports Photographers' Association the organization changed its title to the more inclusive SJA in 2002. Its President is the veteran broadcaster and columnist, Sir Michael Parkinson. Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE (born March 28 1935) is an English broadcaster and Journalist.
The SJA represents the British sports media on the British Olympic Association's press advisory committee and acts as a consultant to organisers of major events who need guidance on media requirements as well as seeking to represent its members' interests in a range of activities. The British Olympic Association ( BOA) is responsible for the United Kingdom 's participation in the Olympic Games.
In March 2008, Martin Samuel, chief football correspondent of The Times, was named British Sportswriter of the Year, the first time any journalist had managed to win the award three years in succession. Martin Samuel is a columnist for The Times newspaper He has been a sports writer and columnist for The Times since 2002 and was named Sports Writer of the Year for 2005 and
External links
- Sports Journalists Association of Great Britain website: Largest national organisation of its type in the world, site carries news on sport, journalism and sports journalism
- Journal of Sports Media blog hosted by University of Mississippi journalism school
- British Council article on the state of sports journalism in the UK
- How objective is our sports journalism?
- Playthegame.org
- An Interview with NYT Sportswriter Ira Berkow
- What's wrong with Sports Illustrated?
- Sports writers from USA Today and The Washington Times answer the question, "What is Sports Journalism?" A program hosted by ResearchChannel.
- Bribes, ethics and the end of an era at Fifa Investigative journalist Andrew Jennings on reporters' relationship with soccer's world body
- Female Reporters in Male Locker Rooms
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic