Traditional Sports Media Takes Another Hit
This week, the Baltimore Sun let go of four of their columnists: David Steele, Rick Maese, Ray Frager and Bill Ordine. As Zach points out in his post at the Baltimore Sports Report, as newspapers have failed to adapt to the internet era, they have fallen by the wayside. He states that people aren’t reading newspapers anymore, when all a person needs to do to get their news is go out on the internet and get what’s happening almost instantly.
Now, before I was a citizen of the internet (whatever that implies; some people are in more places on the net than I am), I read newspapers. There was a time when I read my local newspaper, The Star-Democrat, the Sun and The Washington Post in one day, everyday faithfully. That time wasn’t all that long ago. But as I began doing more and more on the net, I gave up reading the newspapers. Back in that time, I had subscriptions to all three papers. Now, I only subscribe to the local paper, and I don’t even read it much of the time. That’s primarily because I can get what I need/want to read on the web, particularly about national stories. With a good feed reader to catch the headlines and stories from blogs, I am usually kept up to date on not just sports, but the news of the day as well. Even social networking sites, such as MySpace, FaceBook and Twitter, can help keep a person up to date without having to pick up a newspaper.
Meanwhile, newspapers are having a tough go of it in this current economic cycle. Many papers have shrinking circulations, one of the reasons being that much of their content is available on the web for free. Couple that with how television sports on local TV stations have almost been swallowed whole by newscasts that focus on the weather and traffic and features, as well as the news headlines of the day, sports in the traditional media (newspapers and television) have become almost a niche product in the local markets. When ESPN and the Comcast SportsNet channels have more time to do more with sports than a local station that has maybe five good minutes on a newscast, what will sports junkies gravitate to? When I watch the local newscast, there may be a couple stories about local sports, a quick look at one or two national stories, and scores. That’s about it. TV can’t even give what newspapers can in terms of coverage, while the internet can and often does exceed what newspapers offer, or at least equals it.
I’m not quite smart enough to admit that newspapers are about to be abolished from the face of the earth; I think there will always be a percentage of the populace that will want a newspaper in their hands in the mornings or evenings. I do think, that the percentage is going to keep dwindling as more and more people get online and find what’s out there.
Related Posts:
Comments
9 Comments on Traditional Sports Media Takes Another Hit
-
Zach on
Sat, 2nd May 2009 5:08 pm
-
on
Sat, 2nd May 2009 8:55 pm
-
on
Mon, 4th May 2009 7:47 pm
-
on
Mon, 4th May 2009 8:10 pm
-
on
Tue, 5th May 2009 8:18 am
-
on
Tue, 5th May 2009 10:15 am
-
on
Tue, 5th May 2009 12:50 pm
-
on
Tue, 5th May 2009 1:14 pm
-
on
Tue, 5th May 2009 5:07 pm
Thanks for the link, this issue gets me fired up. I just really think that newspapers had every opportunity in the world to provide news the way readers want it and they have failed. If they go under they have no one to blame but themselves.
No problem. Your post gave me the idea to write mine. Just wanted to share the inspiration. And I do agree with your position.
OMG! This is such a tragic situation, I feel so bad for some of these guys, they were always helpful to (me and) us “little people” when I was on assignments or doing a job.
I was a person who once swore she would never, ever get all of her news from the internet and is now doing just that. I need that paper in hand to get all my stories. But they are falling apart and it is really getting uglier.
Magazines are the same way. I’ve had a subscription to Sports Illustrated since like 1993 and am not renewing. Why would I waste the dough?
Although we still do get the Sun, it is only b/c of my hubby- he reads every day. I have resorted to looking at it on Sunday, and that is if I have time. Otherwise it is burn material or a crab feast waiting to happen.
The mass exodus is only turing these writers out of work….
Oy vay.
I feel the same way. I could never imagine not reading the newspaper everyday. Now, I hardly pick the thing up. Our local paper serves more of a purpose for my wife than me. I’ll glance at it in the morning before I go to work and then I’ll see it again when it’s time to do the recycling.
I have an subscription to ESPN the magazine, but I hardly even read it. I think I just get it for the Insider access at ESPN.com.
It’s a shame that newspapers are struggling so, but they can’t put the genie back in the bottle and charge for their online content, can they?
LOL I see we were on the same wave length when we did our blogs LOL. I still read the online paper and go to sports sites. But there are so many reasons why papers are on the decline. Advertising fees are sky high, and folks look for other options. Folks read online.. And of course, blogging (hence my new topic sorry LOL).
I have a friend that actually like real papers still, but she’s the only one in my age group that I know, who still does. My parents still like the old fashioned paper, but I think from my generation on, we don’t have a need for it like they did
I sadly agree with all of this (and I love the Star Democrat). Just this month I let my Sun subscription expire but still get The Capital. I normally open it and flip through as we’re making dinner/feeding the baby. I also have a sub to ESPN mag and it’s also for the Insider access. The magazines I read aren’t for current news but stories I don’t feel like reading on the web (normally longer pieces). As much as I love the instant feeling of web news, too much just burns my retinas so I think there is definitely a spot for papers in my life. I have a feeling most of the people reading this head to the Sun’s website every morning to catch up on Bmore happenings so by the time you get home, the paper is already old news.
Sad to see those guys go though.
Hey no problem. I don’t have exclusive access to the topic LOL. I liked your post too.
If you haven’t read The NFL Chick’s take on the topic, check it out:
http://www.thenflchick.com/2009/05/sports-blogging-fubu-of-journalism.html
I think I might write about this now too 
Go for it! And I’ll definitely be reading it.
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Twitter: @mindpinball
- @ninerchick05 shoot. I read that article and STILL picked Texas. I watched Wake all season. Thought TX could put it together for one night.
- You get...the finger! RT @ninerchick05: Them FTs...Texas played to lose today :middle finger to Rick Barnes and Texas:
- @niclake13 Dino gets off the schneid...as a reward, he gets Kentucky.
- @niclake13 the Texas talent doesn't always play together very well though.
- @niclake13 TX may be garbage, but there's a load of talent on that squad. Wake has talent too, but it doesn't always show up.
- @ninerchick05 here ya go: http://tinyurl.com/ybcktyj
- @niclake13 what reason was that? Dino Gaudio is 0 for postseason. At least Rick Barnes has won a postseason game.
- @ninerchick05 LOL...he's preparing his boys for the League. Winning the tournament isn't his primary goal.
- Texas done woke up. Rick Barnes and his NBA squad just might win this thing after all.
- @ninerchick05 hence, I should've picked Wake Forest to win. Even with Dino Gaudio's 0 for postseason record.
- Powered byWordPress Twitter Widget Pro
Find Me On Facebook
Please Follow My Blog
-
baltimoresun.com – Sports- Chick Lang, longtime Pimlico GM, dies at 83 March 18, 2010Preakness attendance tripled during his 20-year tenure Charles John (Chick) Lang, the long-time general manager of Pimlico Race Course who transformed the Preakness into a spectacle of nationwide stature, died Thursday at 83. Lang succumbed to what his family said were natural causes at The Pines, a nursing home in Easton. […]
- NCAA TOURNAMENT The Toy Department: March Madness blog March 18, 2010Check out Baltimore Sun reporter Kevin Van Valkenburg's running diary of the first round […]
- Guthrie struggles in loss to Jays March 18, 2010Right-hander's poor performance this preseason recalls his 2009 spring By all accounts, Jeremy Guthrie's 2009 preseason was nightmarish, and it bled into what became his worst season as a big leaguer. […]
- ORIOLES SPRING TRAINING Reliever Uehara hurts left hamstring March 18, 2010Leg injury has been recurring problem for right-hander The Orioles had hoped it would be easier to keep pitcher Koji Uehara healthy by moving him to the bullpen, but his chronic hamstring problem cropped up again during the fifth inning of Thursday's ugly, 13-3 exhibition loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Uehara was 12 pitches into his sixth exhibition rel […]
- NCAA TOURNAMENT Maryland's Hayes does his job quietly March 18, 2010Point guard doesn't get much publicity, but he's steady When the Terrapins take on Houston on Friday, it will almost certainly be Greivis Vasquez who draws all the attention. Eric Hayes, however, just might be the key to how far the Terps advance in the postseason. […]
- The Schmuck Stops Here: Orioles vs. Blue Jays March 18, 2010[…]
- ORIOLES SPRING TRAINING Uehara hurt, Guthrie rocked in O's loss March 18, 2010Reliever strains hamstring; starter gives up 3 HRs, 7 runs in 3 innings Reliever strains hamstring; starter gives up 3 HRs, 7 runs in 3 innings against Blue Jays […]
- Ravens Insider: Top candidate to replace Edwards is in the draft March 18, 2010[…]
- NCAA TOURNAMENT Morgan State plays for ailing teammate March 17, 2010Anderson too ill with leukemia to go to Friday's game Bears center 'Big Ant' too ill with leukemia to go to Friday's NCAA tournament game in Buffalo against 2nd-seeded West Virginia […]
- Defensive end Kruger's goal is expanded role with Ravens March 17, 2010Team wants 2nd-year player to get bigger for defensive hybrid position The mystery that enveloped Ravens rookie Paul Kruger last season was, in the end, not so much a mystery as it was an indoctrination into the subtleties of life in the NFL. […]
- Chick Lang, longtime Pimlico GM, dies at 83 March 18, 2010
-