MMC3210 - Mod 7,8,9,10
Sports Blogs - Legitimate News Source?
"Checkbook journalism"- the concept of paying for stories • Often looked at as an unethical approach to reporting • This type of journalism is seen more in the blog-o-sphere
Racism In Sports - Are We Too Forgiving?
- Riley Cooper - Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver - Steve Williams - former caddie of Tiger Woods - Donald Sterling - Owner of LA Clippers
ESPN - THE Sports Media Giant
- The Decision - LeBron James - Some news outlets have used the practice of employing an ombudsman either on a permanent or temporary basis • Ombudsman- a person or entity essentially acts like a police and investigates complaints and/or tries to deal with problems fairly
Discrimination of Black Athletes
- Warren Moon - Black Quarterbacks - Present Day: • Better represented now then ever before- subtle racism still persists
Racism in Professional Sports
- Washington Redskins - Banning the N-word in the NFL - MLB & Spanish Interpreters
Women & Sex Verification
-Caster Semenya • Barred from competition & forced to undergo "sex testing" in 2009 • Tests showed she had triple the amount of testosterone levels as other women because she lacked a womb, ovaries & had undescended testes • Confirmed she was indeed "female" & allowed to compete once again
Diversity Hiring in Sports Media - Obstacles
1. Economics - Journalism not viewed as a way into sports given that positions are low in pay 2. Access - Lack of visibility of role models - Stigmas/biased 3. History - Minorities & women weren't allowed to play a role in sports media until fairly recently - Limited job availability
The Media & The BCS - BCS Controversy
2003 season = BCS came under fire when USC, ranked #1 all season by AP & Coaches' poll, was excluded from the championship game (played by Auburn & Oklahoma) even though the Sooners lost their Big-12 Conference championship game against Kansas State • 2004 season BCS caught in controversy surrounded around Rose Bowl when the Cal Bears were booted out for the first time since 1959 because some voters in AP poll put Texas ahead of Cal
Ethics & Athlete Privacy
At what point is an athlete's private life off limits? - Brett Favre & Jenn Sterger - LeBron James' Vegas Trip - Tiger Wood's Sex Scandal
Erin Andrews & ESPN's Change of Policy
Backstory: • January 2011- Andrews announced she would endorse Reebok's ZigTech Cleats Campaign • 2 weeks prior- Andrews reported Texas Christian were slipping in their new Nike Zoom Alpha Talon cleats during Rose Bowl
Sports Blogs - Legitimate News Source?
Brett Favre & Deadspin • August 4, 2010- Deadspin reported that Brett Favre made sexual advances on Jenn Sterger, a NY Jets employee & TV personality • Titled "Brett Favre Once Sent Me Cock Shots': Not a Love Story"
Olympics & Coverage of Women Athletes
But who's to blame? Olympic viewers repeatedly took to Twitter during London Olympics to disparage Gabby Douglas' hair : • "needs to get her hair done" • "she shouldn't be the standout in those [women's gymnastics] commercials with that hair"
Journalists & Endorsement Deals
CBS Sports: "We basically do it on a case-by-case basis. There is no real prohibition on them doing it since so many major talent are doing it now. They ask us our permission and tell us the type of commercial and what the product is. We make a decision based on that. Generally speaking, we try to be relatively liberal with the opportunities."
Discrimination of Black Athletes
Culture: • Culture, including black culture, add to problem by promoting athletics as the avenue of success • Theories: - Historical racism has limited opportunities for black individuals - Lack of visible black role models outside of sports & entertainment - Sports used to promote "manhood" in a culture where such attribute is often crucial
Discrimination of Black Athletes
Descriptions: • Black athletes are often described in ways that attribute their athletic success to natural ability • In contrast, white athletes are described as intelligent & hard working • Implication - black athletes are "unthinking, natural performers - born with an advantage" • These perceptions lead to a belief that black athlete are less deserving of their success
Erin Andrews & ESPN's Change of Policy
ESPN backed Andrews up stating: "We are confident in Erin's reporting ability and journalistic role." & "If an instance of inherent conflict arises, we would obviously be transparent with the audience."
Diversity Hiring in Sports Media - ESPN
ESPN has a strong diversity hiring policy in place • Has won numerous awards for hiring a diverse cast of writers, editors, and columnists • Regularly features minority and female hosts, analysts, announcers, & journalists
Erin Andrews & ESPN's Change of Policy
ESPN's New Policy - a Two-Tiered Approach: • Reporters are treated differently from analysts • Analysts can enter into most endorsement deals, from Adidas cleats to Yonex rackets, pending approval. • Non-analysts, including anchors, writers, reporters, hosts and insiders -- those who do the work of journalists -- can take outside money only from organizations that don't create a conflict of interest, or even an appearance of one. • Reasoning for the tiered approach: It would be too difficult to attract top-flight talent if they banned those deals.
Journalists & Endorsement Deals
Endorsements are generally uncommon amongst media members given possible conflicts of interest.... The exception seeming to be in the sports media world.
Rooney Rule - History
Established in 2003 in face of potential lawsuits against NFL for discriminatory hiring practices • In 2003, only 6% of the NFL coaches were minorities • By 2006, 22% of NFL coaches in the league were minorities • However, approximately 70% of league players are minorities
ESPN - THE Sports Media Giant
February 2011- ESPN chose to bring in Poynter Institute to handle the watchdog role traditionally filled by an ombudsman • In an experimental move, the parties joined forces & called the 18-month initiative "The Poynter Review Project" • Final Report: pointed out the pitfalls of ESPN, but also seemed to "shed some truths" in defense of the sports media giant
The Media & The BCS
Formula: - Harris Interactive Poll (replaced the AP Poll); - A coaches' poll; and - A computer-generated rankings system • Additionally, 6 automatic qualifying (AQ) conferences that are guaranteed at least one of the 10 spots in the BCS games - i.e. the SEC
Journalists & Endorsement Deals
Fox Sports: "People give us the heads up on what they have been offered and then there are a few of us who discuss whether it is reasonable and does not negatively affect the schedule for the on-air talent, or negatively affect the Fox Sports brand. For the most part, we take a pretty liberal view because we like people to make a little extra scratch if they can."
ESPN - THE Sports Media Giant
From August 2009- January 2011, Don Ohlmeyer served as ESPN's ombudsmen - former US television producer & president of the NBC network's west coast division
NBA & Social Media
III. Content - NBA teams stress that the most important aspect of a social media presence is the content. - Quality content: content that is authentic, exclusive information in varying forms, that is posted with appropriate length & frequency, & gives value to customers/fans - Exclusive content: content that highlights the proximity to the team, behind the scenes information, & player contact
NBA & Social Media
IV. Social Media Campaigns - Many teams have found success in developing social media campaigns around specific thematic content. - Twitter is especially useful in developing hashtag campaigns around a season-long hashtag or using game-night hashtags • #KingsAllDay- season-long hashtag by Kings • #WizNets; #WizGrizzlies- game-night hashtags by Wiazards
The Media & The BCS - ESPN & the Coaches' Poll
June 2005 = ESPN withdrew its attachment to the weekly college football coaches' poll ranking • Until then ESPN had sponsored the Bowl with USA Today since 1997. • In 2005, ESPN asked that the poll become public after Cal incident (always secret) • Coaches only agreed for the final regular-season poll &none others
Journalists & Endorsement Deals - Ethical Dilemmas
Kelly McBride, journalism professor at the Poynter Institute, stated: "Journalists can review products. But they can't take money from a company to endorse them. That totally ruins their credibility...."
Diversity Hiring in Sports Media - ESPN
Leader in diversity hiring • Of the 12 people of color who are sports editors at "Circulation A" media outlets ESPN employs 4 of them, including 2 of the 6 African-Americans & 2 of the 4 Latinos • Of the 11 women who are sports editors at "Circulation A" media outlets ESPN employs 6 of them
Social Media & Professional Athletes
Most professional sports leagues only ban tweeting while games are being played and for a period of time before & after games. • Player's have to be careful what they tweet because it is an extension of their image & brand • Tendency to get more careless behind the keys of a computer screen or phone
Journalists & Endorsement Deals
NBC Sports: "We look at what the opportunity might be and see how it fits in with where we are and where that talent is. If it is some product that we don't think is appropriate to be tied to our brand, we certainly would not okay the relationship. If it's a brothel in Nevada, I have a feeling that we would say that is not a good thing for anyone involved in our department to endorse."
Social Media Use By Sports Organizations
Philadelphia Wings - National Lacrosse League
Diversity Hiring in Sports Media - ESPN
Problem ESPN can cherry pick from the entire sports world, however, problem usually starts in trying to break into the sports media world
Women & Sex Verification
Propagation of Male Superiority • Research has consistently shown that T levels can't predict who will run faster, lift more weight or fight harder to win • Sex Verification in sports reinforces idea that: (i)females are the weaker gender & (ii) females need constant protecting • Under sex verification policies, men enjoy freedom from scrutiny, even though they have greatly varying T levels & other varied attributes
Media Ethics - Before Publishing/Airing
Questions to ask when reporting a news story: - Does the story present both sides of the issue? - Were both sides of the dispute given a chance for equal input in the story? - Does the story show bias in any way? - Does the story deceive the reader or viewer in any way? - Was every reasonable effort made to determine the truth of the matter?
Media Coverage of Women Athletes
References to Maintain Femininity • Tendency of commentators discussing women athletes' dating habits, marriages, pregnancies, & family lives • Studies show that commentators will talk about the nurturing side of athletes & their husbands to combat the idea of threat to masculine hegemony & homosexuality
Media Ethics - Generally
Reporters & writers wield a great deal of power & enjoy a tremendous amount of freedom in this country • Power to control fates, reveal devastating truths & perpetuate lies • Ethical duties & responsibilities to report accurately, fairly, comprehensively &, in most circumstances, without biased
Media Ethics -Technology & Retractions
Technological age means a new story can be transmitted instantaneously • Increase competition - pressure to be first • "Competition" versus a reporter's due diligence • Mistakes of course happen but must be promptly corrected or risk defamation suit
Title IX - Tests for Compliance
Test #2: History of Expansion of Women's Programs • Question: Has an institution demonstrated a history and continuing practice of program expansion for the underrepresented sex? • If institution can demonstrate a history of expansion of women's sports programs, then the institution is likely to survive a claim against it charging noncompliance
The Media & The BCS
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is a selection system that created a series of college football postseason matchups, including the championship game.
Defamation
The communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government, religion or nation
Rooney Rule - Reasoning
The idea behind the Rooney rule is that if minority candidates are given the opportunity to be put in front of the decision makers of each franchise, these applicants will get a fair shot when in most situations they may not even be considered.
Media Coverage of Women Athletes
Women Athletes as Sex Symbols • Women athletes covered by the media are commonly sexualized & objectified • Commentary does not focus solely on their skill or athletic ability but also on their appearance & attractiveness • Comments have included: - "chicks with sticks" - when referring to US Women's hockey team - "have you seen any diva moments yet?" commentator asked Russian women's gymnastic team during summer London Olympics - "Semi-naked women... glistening like wet otters" - London Mayor Boris Johnson describing women's beach volleyball in Olympics
Equal Pay Act (EPA)
• Women coaches, trainers, & administrators have increasingly sued colleges and universities for gender discrimination under the Equal Pay Act (EPA) - with limited success • Must prove that her employer paid her less than a male for substantially equal work • Exceptions are made based upon: seniority system, merit system, measurement of earnings by quantity or quality of production
Title IX
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."
"Proper" Roles for Women
- Social and cultural messages of the "proper" roles for women pervade virtually every aspect of a woman's life - Part of this cultural message is that participation in sports is not a particularly female agenda to pursue, given the perceived lack of femininity
Discrimination of Women in Sports
- In 1972, only 1 in 27 girls in secondary schools participated in sports approximately 300,000 girls - In 2008, almost 3 million girls participated in high school athletics, or about 1 in 3
Women & Sex Verification
2012 London Summer Olympics: • International Olympic Committee's (ICO)instituted a new policy governing sex verification that banned women with naturally high testosterone levels from women's competitions, claiming they have an unfair advantage • Hyperandrogenism- female condition of having naturally high testosterone levels • Other major sports governing bodies with similar policies: Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) & International Association of Athletics Federations
NBA & Social Media
VII. Connecting With Fans Not At Games - Enables fans to interact with NBA teams when not in attendance of games - Providing fans with frequent updates & team discussions keep them engaged & a "part of" the experience
Black Athletes in Intercollegiate Sports
Academics: • Black athletes have comparatively little chance of succeeding academically in comparison to white counterparts • Many colleges place higher importance on athletics over academics • Black student-athletes, like many athletes, become isolated & exploited • "Dumb jock" stereotype- only college because of athletic ability
Title IX - Tests for Compliance
According to the U.S. Department of Education, in order to comply with Title IX a school must meet 1 of 3 tests • If a school passes any 1 of the 3 tests, then theoretically there is compliance
Olympics & Coverage of Women Athletes
Criticisms: • Commentators continually referred to women cyclists as "girls" (even though top US finishers were 28, 32 & 39) • "Have you seen any diva moments yet?" one Olympic commentator asked of the Russian women's gymnastics team. • Obsession with motherhood in London Olympics- NBC discussed motherhood about every woman athlete with a child
The Media & Cultivation Theory
Cultivation theory focuses on heavy television viewers & how they perceive the real world based on common & repeated messages received through television • Intended to explain the effects sports commentator discourse & media portrayal has on viewers. • Result? Heavy TV viewers are more likely to apply images, values, & beliefs obtained from TV to the real world around them • The accumulation of images & stories are absorbed by viewers & biased their perceptions of the real world
Sports Blogs - Legitimate News Source?
Conflict between journalist ethics & sports blogging • ESPN.com's Editor-in-chief Rob King said- "They're just in a different business with a different mission serving the audience in a different way"
Defamation
As to a Private Individual: 1. False statement purporting to be fact concerning another person or entity; 2. Publication or communication of that statement to a third person; 3. Fault on the part of the person making the statement amounting to intent or at least negligence; and 4. Some harm caused to the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.
Defamation
As to a Public Individual: - More difficult to prove - Public figures are of concern to general public & in turn lose a certain degree of privacy & protection - Prove all 4 Elements + ACTUAL MALICE
Social Media in College Sports
Contacting Potential Players: • According to the NCAA: "Tweeting is permissible as long as coaches are not using it to contact prospective student-athletes and are abiding by the standard recruiting rules such as not discussing specific recruits or contacting them when it is not permissible." • In 2009 the NCAA said North Carolina State violated recruiting rules when students, who were not affiliated with the athletic department, set up a Facebook page urging a basketball player to sign with the school.
Discrimination of Black Athletes
Black football players as quarterbacks: • While there are a lot of black athletes in football, history shows that they are underrepresented in the "coveted" role of quarterback • Quarterback role is often denoted as an "intelligent" position & white athletes are in turn the most "appropriate" fit
Social Media & Sports Media
Blogs and Twitter have revolutionized sports media by giving athletes and teams an active role in content production • However, sports media outlets appear to be losing some edge due to athletes' increased social media use
Sports Blogs - Legitimate News Source?
Brett Favre & Deadspin • October 7, 2010- Deadspin published another article based on evidence received from an anonymous individual known as Mr. X, whom Daulerio met in a NY hotel room & paid him $12,000 for the material • The story got a lot of media attention & Favre was fined $50,000 following NFL investigation
Sports Blogs - Legitimate News Source?
Brett Favre & Deadspin • Deadspin Editor AJ Daulerio printed claims from Sterger that Favre had sent her pictures of his genitalia, presumably taken from his cell phone & left flirtatious voicemails for her • Daulerio framed information from Sterger as claims & not facts; included quotes from email exchange even though she asked for anonymity
Social Media in College Sports
Buck Burnette • Texas lineman posted a derogatory Facebook message after Barack Obama's 2008 election vitory stating: "All the hunters gather up, we have a n***** in the White House" Will Hill • A Florida football player, posted a series of vulgar tweets about drugs, sex and his dislike for universityprovided meals... later claiming that his account had been hacked. Marven Austin • North Carolina defensive linemen posted pictures of a luxury vacation in Miami & within weeks the NCAA announce an investigation of NC players receiving illegal benefits from agents.
Olympics & Coverage of Women Athletes
Closest gender-equal media coverage of athletics • 2014 Sochi Olympics - 10% gap of coverage favoring men • 2012 London Olympics- women made up greater % of Olympics participants & coverage actually spent more time covering women athletes
The Media & Agenda Building
Describes the ability the media to influence public by telling them what events & issues are important & what they should & should not pay attention to • In this way, the media influences how audiences perceive women's sports & female athletes • Combination of not only commentator language crucial but packaging & production by networks
Racist Moments in Sports
Donald Sterling (LA Clippers owner) - 2014 • Banned by the NBA for life following recorded racists remarks that included: - "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?" - "You can sleep with them. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games." - "Don't put him [Magic Johnson] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games."
Equal Pay Act (EPA)
EPA requires virtually all employers to provide equal pay for men & women performing similar work
Women Coaches in College Sports
Explanation for Title IX & the decline: • As interest in women sport grows, coaching positions become more desirable & a viable career path for both men & women • In turn, when up for a position women are removed or not given a coaching position in favor of male coaches who may be seen by athletic directors and hiring staff (generally males) as more qualified to coach or to bring in the necessary revenue to fund the sport.
Title IX Compliance
Factors considered when determining Title IX compliance between programs: • equipment and supplies • scheduling of games and practice time • travel and per diem allowances • tutoring • coaching • locker rooms, practice, and competitive facilities • medical and training facilities and services • housing and dining facilities and services • publicity • support services • recruitment of student-athletes (e.g., budget)
History of Sports Media
Fans followed only their local teams & attended local games • Before cable TV, sports programming limited (mostly baseball games)
Female Sports Journalists
Far more men employed in sports newsrooms • Average career span of women in sports is 10 year, unequal pay & lack of promotion • High-levels of discrimination & sexual harassment
Title IX - Controversy Surrounding Compliance
Funding: • Given greater popularity, men's sports often fund women's sports in order for them to survive • Many criticize that revenue sports such as football & men's basketball serve as "cash cow" for women's sports & argue that each program should survive on their own
Racist Moments in Sports
Fuzzy Zoeller (American golfer) - 1997 Masters Golf Tournament • During a post-final round interview, Zoeller said the following about fellow golfer Tiger Woods: "He's doing quite well, pretty impressive. That little boy is driving well and he's putting well. He's doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it. Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve."
Skirts & Female Boxers
Met with backlash & criticism: • Katie Taylor, a 3-time world champ out of Ireland, notably said: "I don't even wear miniskirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing one in the ring,"
Skirts & Female Boxers
However, not everyone was against it: Tyrieshia Douglas, US boxer from Baltimore, stated, "I mean, women can wear shorts, but it's boxing....We need to look more feminine. Under the headgear, you don't know if it's a man or a woman if we don't have any boobs. You don't know until we take off the headgear. `Was that a girl? Yeah, that was a girl.' We're women, and we need to let people know we're women, because you can't tell."
NBA & Social Media
I. Social Media Strategy - Primarily a branding & marketing tool - Drive fans back to teams' respective websites for ticket purchases, merchandise sales & sponsorship deals - Directly impacts the NBA's bottom-line
Women & Sex Verification
ICO policy noted that: "Nothing in these regulations is intended to make any determination of sex. Instead these regulations are designed to identify circumstances in which a particular athlete will not be eligible (by reason of hormonal characteristics) to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games in the female category."
NBA & Social Media
II. Social Media Platforms - Teams have expanded onto numerous platforms but most success: Twitter & Facebook - Platforms promote different efforts: • Facebook: brand extension of NBA or teams' websites • Twitter: Relationship building via conversations with fans and up-to-the-minute updates • Foursquare: maximize in-arena interaction • YouTube: give fans interactive visual content outside of photos & commercials
Social Media in College Sports
In 2011, USC coach Steve Spurrier announced that his players were banned from using Twitter during the season • Arizona's athletic department requires all athletes to set their accounts to private • Other schools include clauses in the student-athlete handbooks with guidelines of social media use • Many schools monitor social media accounts with specialized software
Media Coverage of Women Athletes
Infantilization of Women Athletes: • Women athletes infantilized by media has a marginalizing effect by giving women a lower status then their counterparts • Women athletes are often described using words like "girls," &"young ladies" • Contrarily, men athletes are described using words like "men," "young men," and "young fellas" but never "boys"
Racist Moments in Sports
Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder (CBS commentator) - MLK 1988 • Regarding the role of AfricanAmericans in football: "The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way because of thigh size and big size... all the players are black; the only thing that the whites control is the coaching job."
Types of Defamation
Libel = defamation in written form • Slander = defamatory gestures & verbal statements
Racism in Professional Sports
MLB & Spanish Interpreters - Cont'd. • Many Spanish-speaking players join the MLB from homelands of Dominican Republic, Venezuela & Puerto Rico (US territory but Spanish is predominant language) • Yankees don't have a dedicated Spanish interpreter & usually use any available bilingual players on the team • Yankees have 3 translators for their 3 Japanese players
Social Media - Obstacles
Maintaining social media presence is a major overtaking & requires a great deal of resources • Many sports organizations' arenas have infrastructures that cannot support mass 3G-cell reception & Wi-Fi • Caution when running campaigns possibility of backlash
Retraction Laws
Majority of states: - If retraction is published, then the amount of punitive damages are lowered or even eliminated Minority of states: - Person must first demand that the media outlet publish a retraction & give them a window of time to publish such a retraction - If the outlet does publish the retraction, then person can no longer sue
Rooney Rule
Many have been accused of following Rooney rule as protocol but not actually considering minorities for the open positions • In 2013, no minorities were hired into coaching or general managing positions • Others accuse the rule of being racist in & of itself but providing an unfair advantage instead of focusing on best individual for the job
Racist Moments in Sports
Margot Schott (Cincinnati Reds owner) - 1992 • Schott was fined and suspended for conuct that included the following statements regarding black players: "Million-dollar n*****s" & "Rather have a trained monkey working for me than a n*****"
Racist Moments in Sports
Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks owner) - 2014 • Made the following statements just days after Sterling was banned by the NBA: - "If I see a black kid in a hoodie at night on the same side of the street, I'm probably going to walk to the other side of the street." - "If I see a white guy with a shaved head and lots of tattoos, I'm going back to the other side of the street."
Brandi Chastain & 1999 Women's World Cup Final
Media focused on Chastain's shirt removal with pictures of the image plastered everywhere & commentators making constant sexual remarks - Chastain's celebration was described as a "strip tease" - One commentator joked that Chastain "managed to keep her shirt on" when she attended a golf tournament later on
Sports Media & Agenda Building
Media implements strategies which they employ to attract attention to specific upcoming sporting events, including: (1) showing television teasers, (2) using halftime to hype an upcoming sporting event, and (3)using coach and athlete interviews to talk about upcoming competitions • The idea is to build anticipation for specific events and garner a large viewing audience.
Evolution of Sports Media
Media outlets not only deliver the games, but also ancillary programming, such as: - Pre and post game shows - Fantasy game shows - Coaches' shows - Draft programs - Myriad of talk shows
Defamation - Actual Malice
Occurs when the person who made the defamatory statement knew it wasn't true, or didn't care whether it was true or not & was reckless with the truth
Title IX - History
Passed by SCOTUS in 1972 • Evolved from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Assigned to US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) • Anti-discrimination statute in response to employment & admission departments' discrimination against women at colleges and universities. • Has had the most notable impact on the field of play & not the classroom
Discrimination of Black Athletes
Perceptions: • Black athletes are athletically superior but intellectually lacking & work ethic • Black athletes don't need the commitment that white athletes need • White athletes are physically inferior but intellectually superior
Olympics & Coverage of Women Athletes
Possible Explanation? Nationalistic aspect- athletes aren't women athletes so much as they are American athletes representing our country
Racism in Sports
Racism - the transformation of race prejudice through the exercise of power against a racial group defined as inferior, by individuals and institutions with the intentional or unintentional support of the entire culture
Racism in the Media
Racism in the Media - Jeremy Lin Richard Sherman = thug ESPNEWS anchor Todd Grisham referred to Oklahoma's loss to Texas Tech as the "Trail of tears" • ESPN announcer Bob Griese, when asked where NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya was in the standings, said, "He's out having a taco."
Media Ethics - Conflicts of Interest
Recognizing & avoiding conflicts of interest are essential to the integrity of a media outlet • Conflict of Interest: A situation that has the potential to undermine the impartiality of a person/organization because of the possibility of a clash between multiple interests • Essence of journalistic integrity is independence
Racism in Sports
Unconscious Racism: • Racism that is in large part a product of the unconscious • Based on a set of beliefs whereby individuals irrationally attach significance to something called race • More difficult to identify given that it is less clear, straightforward & open
Skirts & Female Boxers
Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, stated in 2004 that female soccer players should wear "tighter shorts" to increase the game's popularity.
Social Media - Overview
Social media & mobile marketing has become crucial to business efforts • Traditional means of communications, marketing, and regular business functions such as research, marketing, sales, support, & development can now be accomplished in the social media space.
Social Media - Overview
Social media falls into 6 categories: 1. Collaborative projects (Wikipedia) 2. Blogs 3. Content communities (YouTube) 4. Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter) 5. Virtual social worlds (Second Life) 6. Virtual game worlds (World of Warcraft)
Social Media - Overview
Social media has 7 main functions: 1. Establishment of identity 2. Conversation/communication 3. Sharing 4. Presence 5. Relationships 6. Reputation 7. Groups/Community
Social Media - Overview
Social media is: "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological foundations of the Internet, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content (UGC)."
Sports Media & Agenda Building
Sports media more or less decide what athletes to focus on & what events are given prominence • Generally, women sports & championships garner limited media attention, coverage or hype
Social Media Use By Sports Organizations
Sports organizations are now utilizing an increased number of social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, blogs, & live chats) • Sports organizations are able to connect with the public, build a brand, conduct customer relationship management, & manage reputations.
Technology & Greater Access
Sports programming is now delivered through a variety of forms of media • Popular technology mediums such as websites, blogs, Twitter, & text message notifications • Technology has made it easier for fans to become a "part of sports" & players have a more "personal" relationship to sports fans
Black Athletes in Intercollegiate Sports
Stacking: • The practice of assigning certain racial minorities to some positions & not others based on stereotypical perceptions of the individuals • Goes back to the idea that black athletes are "naturals" but "less intelligent" than white athletes
Title IX - Controversy Surrounding Compliance
Substantial Proportionality: • Means by which schools most often comply with Title IX because it is the most clear/defined test & easiest to pass • In order to comply with Substantial Proportionality test, however, most schools do not to add women's sports programs but cut men's sports programs • This is the reason UF doesn't have a men's soccer team
Evolution of Sports Media
Technology & Globalization: sports is now accessible by anyone, anywhere • Cable TV & ESPN transformed sports reporting, production & the viewing of sports in the last 30 years
Title IX - Tests for Compliance
Test #1: Substantial Proportionality Question: Is an institution providing participation opportunities for women and men that are substantially proportionate to their respective rates of enrollment as full-lime undergraduate students? Test #1: Substantial Proportionality • In order to comply, ratios between women & men must be substantially proportional • Most often used by institutions to comply with Title IX because seemingly most straightforward • What qualifies as "substantially proportional" not define, however, courts have held that a disparity of about 5% is ok, while a disparity of 10.5% was deemed to have failed the test
Title IX - Tests for Compliance
Test #3: Full & Effective Accommodation of Women's Interests • Question: Has an institution fully & effectively accommodated the interests & abilities of the underrepresented sex? • Proving that women (or men) are having their interests effectively accommodated • Virtually impossible to prove; attempts have included conducting on-campus surveys
Black Athletes in Intercollegiate Sports
The "Superspade": • Since being included in college, black athletes have had to fill the role of super athlete • Historically, blacks athletes are expected to perform at a higher level to become involved in college sports than white student-athletes • Trend has begun to dissipate through years
Rooney Rule
The Rooney rule holds that for all coaching and general manager job openings, a minority candidate has to at the very least get an interview.
NBA & Social Media
V. Offline Presence - Using social media efforts & campaigns to further offline efforts • i.e. Houston Rockets - Social Media Night 2012
NBA & Social Media
VI.In-Arena Presence - Teams' brands are everywhere inside NBA arenas from the players, employees, the Jumbotron, and all signage - Integrating social media efforts into the live fan experience in the arena is crucial • i.e. Denver Nuggets - find the mascot
Women Coaches in College Sports
Title IX's Surprising Negative Effect: • Created gender inequity in hiring of coaches & staff steady decline of women in head coaching positions at educational institutions • Almost all men's college teams are coached by men, but less than half of women's college teams are coached by a female head coach
Women & Sex Verification
Treatment: • If a female athlete's testosterone level is deemed too high, a medical team selected by the sport's governing bodies develops a "therapeutic proposal" • "Therapeutic proposal" involves either surgery or drugs to lower the hormone level • If doctors can lower the athlete's testosterone to an "appropriate level", she may return to competition • If she refuses, she is placed under a permanent ban from elite women's sports
Social Media - Obstacles
Washington Redskins' Twitter Fail • May 2014- Senate majority leader Harry Reid & 49 other US senators signed a letter urging the NFL commissioner to force name change • Redskins GM responded with a letter & a Tweet:
Skirts & Female Boxers
• "Dress Code" debate prior to 2012 London Olympics • AIBA suggested that wearing skirts would help the women stand out from the men's competitions • Spectators had complained that they couldn't tell the difference between the men & women & that the shorts looked sloppy on women
Skirts & Female Boxers
• AIBA ended up amending policies so that skirts were optional but not mandatory at London Olympics • Some national federations, however, made the skirts compulsory • For example, Poland required their women boxers to wear skirts because they were more "elegant" & gave a "womanly impression"