The Human Media in Sports

Time was, when athletes, coaches, and officials referred to the media, they meant TV, radio and print.  Now, in the era of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, plus iPhone, iPad and Android devices, media means so much more.

Professional sports thrived, of course, on coverage.  But their various personnel often seemed to have an uneasy relationship with the media.  They were the stars, and the harried souls who reported on their stardom were a kind of impersonal conduit for this.  A talking head, a mouthpiece.  When things that were reported made the stars look like even greater stars, then everything was ‘hunky-dory.’  When it was the opposite, then the media was blamed for taking things out of context or making a big deal out of nothing.

NBA Union Chief, Billy Hunter, is surrounded by reporters and devices (image credit)

But ESPN writer HenryAbbott offered us a personal view of these reporters, regarding the current standoff in the National Basketball Association.  Not an impersonal conduit, not a disembodied mouthpiece, they.  But real men and women who need a story to do their job.  Who need to eat something for lunch.  Who have to use the bathroom periodically.

So when we think about media, let’s not think of it merely as a tech device or an internet site.  But eating, breathing, living human beings like you and me.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD