The New “Toy Department”?: A Case Study on Differences in Sports Coverage between Traditional and New Media

Abstract

Sports journalism is at a crossroads; sports blogs and new media have become prime news sources and destinations for fans seeking content about their favorite teams. New media producers, and especially bloggers, however, may operate with different standards and practices than those in traditional sports media. This research uses a content analysis that compares new media and traditional media coverage on a single, major story: the 2009 announcement of major league baseball star Manny Ramirez’ 50-game suspension for using a banned substance. An analysis of stories found that new media outlets less often critically positioned Ramirez in the wider context of steroid use in baseball, instead opting for coverage that focused solely on him and often did not challenge his rationale for his positive drug test. The authors speculate that the new “toy department” reputation for sports coverage may be more applicable to the new media environment than to traditional sports journalists.

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