Beat reporting sucks.
It’s hard. It’s fast. It’s competitive. It’s time-consuming; however, it’s a challenge.
According to Moran and Kindred, it is not an easy route to being a beat reporter. It does not only take skill, but dedication. To be a beat reporter, there has to be passion underlying for this tricky field.
Kindred tells the story of Wally Matthews, a beat reporter for ESPN New York. In 2010, he busted out of boxing to cover the elite Yankees. Since then, Matthews arrives “four hours early” and leaves “two hours” after each Yankees game. It has become such a lifestyle that he informed his wife not to call him after 3:30pm unless there is an emergency. There is so much pressure to have the line-up out first and knowing facts about injuries right away.
Matthews claimed fans tweet constantly about a topic until he can get it up. It may seem ridiculous that fans might get so angry when they are not immediate update; however, consider Malcolm Floyd, the veteran wide receiver of the San Diego Chargers. After leaving the field in the Eagles’ season opener, people were constantly tweeting, asking updates about his status. The people want to know as soon as possible and will badger a network until they have the information. Kindred shares the stressed and consumption of beat reporting through Matthews.
Another reporter, Lisa Olson retaliated saying beat reporting does not need to be so consuming and she’s right. People want statistics and they want them fast, but the live-blogging and constant tweeting can be overbearing. It does not need to be so absurd.
Absurdity has grown especially through tweeting and social media. According to Moran, technology has “changed the ballgame” with being able to be so instant. With everything so quickly accessible, the safety net is gone from “tightrope walking.”
Reporters are forced to constantly update; it is taking away from enjoying the game. The passion of sports is weighing heavy and this career has just become another job. Beyond that, fans are sometimes avoiding actual writing due to accessibility through social media.
Basically beat reporting is changing. Society seems unsure whether it’s more stressful due to constant updates or less stressful because the in-depthness has seem to left the beating community. Technology will continue to change journalism. It may consume us. It may take weight off our shoulders It may make us more desirable to fans. It may make us less credible. It is just too new to tell how sports journalism will ultimately be affected.
It’s hard. It’s fast. It’s competitive. It’s time-consuming; however, it’s a challenge.
According to Moran and Kindred, it is not an easy route to being a beat reporter. It does not only take skill, but dedication. To be a beat reporter, there has to be passion underlying for this tricky field.
Kindred tells the story of Wally Matthews, a beat reporter for ESPN New York. In 2010, he busted out of boxing to cover the elite Yankees. Since then, Matthews arrives “four hours early” and leaves “two hours” after each Yankees game. It has become such a lifestyle that he informed his wife not to call him after 3:30pm unless there is an emergency. There is so much pressure to have the line-up out first and knowing facts about injuries right away.
Matthews claimed fans tweet constantly about a topic until he can get it up. It may seem ridiculous that fans might get so angry when they are not immediate update; however, consider Malcolm Floyd, the veteran wide receiver of the San Diego Chargers. After leaving the field in the Eagles’ season opener, people were constantly tweeting, asking updates about his status. The people want to know as soon as possible and will badger a network until they have the information. Kindred shares the stressed and consumption of beat reporting through Matthews.
Another reporter, Lisa Olson retaliated saying beat reporting does not need to be so consuming and she’s right. People want statistics and they want them fast, but the live-blogging and constant tweeting can be overbearing. It does not need to be so absurd.
Absurdity has grown especially through tweeting and social media. According to Moran, technology has “changed the ballgame” with being able to be so instant. With everything so quickly accessible, the safety net is gone from “tightrope walking.”
Reporters are forced to constantly update; it is taking away from enjoying the game. The passion of sports is weighing heavy and this career has just become another job. Beyond that, fans are sometimes avoiding actual writing due to accessibility through social media.
Basically beat reporting is changing. Society seems unsure whether it’s more stressful due to constant updates or less stressful because the in-depthness has seem to left the beating community. Technology will continue to change journalism. It may consume us. It may take weight off our shoulders It may make us more desirable to fans. It may make us less credible. It is just too new to tell how sports journalism will ultimately be affected.
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