In the end, many teams and sports leagues are focusing on individual players in order to improve fan engagement. The development of specialist websites such as The Athletic is an indication of this change.
But, the values of entertainment should not rule media coverage in sports. The most important ethical guidelines (IFJ, Council of Europe) specifically state that commentary and speculation are not acceptable.
Real time Soccer Scores
Fans who cannot to watch their favorite team take on the field, they can utilize websites that give real time soccer scores. These sites offer tournaments, cup competitions, and leagues in all countries. In addition, they offer in-game stats along with news, fixtures, and other information. In addition, they are optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.
In Germany, the majority of live soccer TV commentators work for public service broadcasters (ZDF, NDR, and WDR), RTL, and also private TV channels like Eurosport, sportdigital, and Sky. They are subject to a lot of high expectations. And as an interviewee 3 describes it “They expect us to know everything, see every detail, and assess it correctly in a matter of seconds”.
Commentaries are in a precarious position, as it is supposed to provide information to the audience in a journalistic manner and fulfill an orientation function, but also entertain them. The resulting hybrid form of journalism is known as soccer commentary. It blends the media formats of factual reporting and subjective comments (Wiske 2017). This study was to determine how live soccer commentators perceive the tension between journalistic as well as entertainment values in their work.
Enhanced Fan Engagement
The engagement of the fans is among the key aspects of reporting on sports because it affects various important metrics that affect teams and companies. In particular, a loyal and active fanbase could help to boost sales of tickets in addition to merchandise purchases and media coverage for the team. A strong and engaged fan base will to create a sense and loyalty among the fan base which could lead to greater brand awareness as well as a stronger revenue-generating model to the organisation.
Increased engagement of fans in sports reports can also be observed by the increasing popularity of soccer “fanzines,” cheaply printed magazines that are written by people who have no connection to official clubs’ match programming as well as traditional media. The magazines offer a variety of both journalistic and entertainment that blurs the line between entertainment and journalism. A few interviewees mention that this trend toward trivial’soft journalism has led to lower recognition for journalism (Wiske 2017). Others suggest it might be causing a more concentrated effort on the part of the commentators to establish their personal brand.
Data Driven Analysis
The success of the book “Moneyball” has sparked interest in big data analytics for sport. It is now possible to accumulate, store, transmit and study large sets of data for relatively little cost. This has resulted in new ways of analyzing data and increasing trust in the unbiasedness of data-driven decisions.
This has had an effect on sports journalism. The journalist’s role has become far more than a mere witness to the sport but now it’s a key mediator between players and fans Keonhacai. Journalists in sports are caught between their economic realities (drawing huge audiences through entertainment) and the pursuit of journalism (such as investigative stories). This tension has an effect on how the role of the journalist in sports is perceived and performed. Interviews with sports commentators show that they use a number of methods to distinguish themselves from other commentators that range from emotionally entertaining to neutral mediators. These types of commentators rely on a more traditional journalistic approach. The entertainment-oriented commentators aim to excite viewers through their voice, language and emotions.
Challenges of Reporting Live Sports Scores
Similar to all areas of journalism ethics are a factor with regards to reporting on sports. It is crucial for reporters to present accurate information. Additionally, it is essential to maintain a professional connection with the sources, and to not cave in to pressure from sources to publish details that support a team or player’s viewpoint. Journalists should not take the gifts of special invites or invitations that may influence their reportage.
In addition, it’s essential for sports journalists to understand the telecast’s hybrid character soccer. It is one thing that it’s factual and serves the purpose of providing information that is orientating, but in contrast it is a mixture of personal commentary as well as entertainment (Schaffrath 2003). Thus, sportscasters play a huge role in the ways that people view live sports and how they shape evaluations and memory of them.