Sports Coverage: “Toy Department” or Public-Service Journalism? The Relationship Between Reporters’ Ethics and Attitudes Toward the Profession

Abstract

U.S. sports operations have been described as newsroom “toy departments,” at least partly because of their deviation from journalistic norms. Recently, however, more attention has focused on issues of ethics and professionalism; the failure of sports journalists to adequately cover steroid use in Major League Baseball has also directed critical attention to their roles and motives. This study, through a telephone survey of journalists in U.S. newsrooms, examines sports reporters’ practices, beliefs, and attitudes in regard to ethics and professionalism and how their ethics and practice relate. Results indicate that reporters’ attitudes toward issues such as voting in polls, taking free tickets, gambling, and becoming friends with sources are related to their views of public-service or investigative journalism. In addition, friendships with sources are linked to values stereotypically associated with sports as a toy-department occupation. These results suggest that adherence to ethical standards is linked to an outlook that embraces sports coverage as public service.

Inching Away From the Toy Department

“…However, ultimately, it serves to label sports journalism as lacking the professional standards of other forms of journalism especially in terms of engaging in the watchdog role of the press (Hardin, Zhong, & Whiteside, 2009). Indeed, a major criticism of sports journalism is that it lacks a critical perspective (Rowe, 2007).…”

Cultura(s) Periodística(s) Iberoamericana(s) La diversidad de un periodismo propio

“…Esta idea se encuentra en investigaciones realizadas por otros autores, que dan cuenta del escaso prestigio de estos ante la sociedad o los colegas de otras áreas. La etiqueta que acarrea el periodismo deportivo como "departamento de juguete" se reconoce en distintos trabajos (Boyle, 2006;Hardin, Zhong, Whiteside et al, 2009;McGuire, Murray y Ketterer, 2015). Esta noción anglosajona se percibe de forma similar en el contexto mexicano, donde el periodismo deportivo no goza de la misma reputación de áreas como política o economía.…”

Untitled

“…Sports media professionals must gain awareness of their accountability to the public (Harro-Loit 2015) and counteract the widespread deficiencies that have not only challenged the normative standards of the profession but that have also eroded their credibility and status (English 2016). Those include the blurring of the frontiers between comment and facts; boosterism; the pervasiveness of speculation and rumour; the lack of investigative reporting; sensationalism; the use of warlike language; the inequalities in relation to gender, race and disability; or the lack of variation in the sources employed (Hardin et al 2009, Horky and Stelzner 2013, Oates and Pauly 2007.…”

“…The authors explored problems such as the dependency on advertising; the difficulty of maintaining a critical distance; the economic and emotional constraints of sports journalists; or the scarce prominence given to issues such as doping. Other literature has examined the ethical attitudes and beliefs of sports journalists, focusing on economic problems (Salwen and Garrison 1998) and how the perceptions of public service determine sports journalists" attitudes towards accepting gifts or establishing close relationships with sources (Hardin et al 2009). Wulfemeyer (1985) analysed the Ethics Guidelines produced by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) and offered guidelines in ten areas (newsgathering methods, privacy, moonlighting, freebies, gambling, special interests, self-interests and involvements, news sources, direct quotes) to promote the accountability of sports journalists.…”