Does Media Negatively Affect the World of Sports?

Issue 9

Does Media Negatively Affect the World of Sports?

Yes: Marieke Van Puymbroeck, Ph.D & Kyle Ott, B.S, from “Does the Media Impact Athletic Performance,” http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/does-media-impact-athletic-performance

No: Jonathan Lee, “ARGUMENT Benefits of Social Media in Sports,” http://nationalsels.org/home/?p=888

No: Eric C, Covil, “Radio and its Impact on the Sports World,” http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/radiohistory.html

Issue Summary

Yes: Marieke Van Puymbroeck is a dedicated scholar invested in education and improving life for others with the skills derived from her PdD from The University of Florida. Marieke, accompanied by Kyle Ott hold the position that media negatively effects the wellbeing of players in the sports world and elaborates with examples of the damaging effects of media on many famous and talented athletes. 

No: Jonathan Lee, “Argument Benefits of Social Media in Sports” and Eric C Covil, “Radio and its Impact on the Sports World” both hold the position that different aspects of the media have been and continue to be beneficial to the sports world. Jonathan Lee points out the opportunities for companies to become more connected with current fans and also the ability for market growth. Eric C. Covil focuses on the positive impact radio has had in the growth of sports and broadcast.

The world of sports has grown in massive proportions since the origination of broadcast in the early 1920’s. Although, some people today say that the relentless efforts of media and their desire to develop a story is ruining the industry entirely; would sports be where they are today if it weren’t for media outlets sending information alerts, broadcasting thousands of events, and advertising for important business supporters. There is an argument for both sides. The explosive growth of sports media allowed different forms to branch out and obtain powerful rolls in the sports entertainment industry. Different forms of media ranging from broadcast- radio and TV, print – newspapers, magazines, blogs, social networking cites, websites, and film have all taken hold of the airwaves and are being received by billions of people across the world. It is known that the relationship between the teams and the media is a rocky one. Jennifer Van Grove, described the relationship in, “Sports and Media, Where opportunity and fear collide,” as “an arranged marriage of sorts, where fear of cheating prevents a truly harmonious union.” Marieke Van Puymbroeck and Kyle Ott agree that the relationship often has an unhealthy effect on players and can easily result in the destruction of their professional career. On the other hand, Johnathan Lee and Eric C. Covil believe that two totally different forms of media are both beneficial to the sports world as a whole. The article by Lee elaborates on the opportunities created for franchise through social media. The live update feature of every professional and college game being played going directly to cell phones and computers all over the world is what has more people interested in sports than ever before. From the players to the franchise leaders, social media is an important resource for promotion, as well as a hub for fans and players to network and build relationships. While social media is a growing media platform, Eric Covil focuses on radio specifically, and the positive influence it has had on the world of sports over the long and intimate seventy something years broadcast has served as a media outlet used by sports teams. He highlights the impact of broadcasting on high school, collegiate, and professional sports and explains why radio has a better relationship with the game than any other form of media. Compare both the articles and use the different arguments to help form your own opinion of whether media has a negative or positive impact over the world of sports.

Links have been provided below to access the articles.

No argument #1 by Jonathan Lee

No argument #2 by Eric C. Covil

Yes argument #1 by Marieke Van Puymbroeck & Kyle Ott

Postscript

Does Media Negatively Affect the World of Sports?

As media continues to grow so does its power. The question, Does media negatively affect the world of sports remains debatable. So many different aspects play a part in deciphering the answer. Social media and other digital media that are catching fire in the sports industry such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc. have many positive and negative affects depending on the way which they are used. Espn and other sports talk shows have become gossipy and filled with status updates and hoopla, but that is the least of the problems. Players and figures of public interest must remain conscious about what they say over social media because media sources such espn will be the first to know. If a player posts a status on facebook stating, “downtown SF tonight to party” most all the media sources will be talking about it the very next day, it is likely to be talked about on espn, radio, internet, print forms, and maybe other news coverage if the public interest is there. But is this really a bad thing? As viewers of their sport we also like to know how they act off of the field and a players twitter or facebook can be like a door into their life, the pressure is on the players to know when to close the door and not publicize everything they do, unless that is their intentions. It is known that players usually receive the harshest scrutiny by the media. If they haven’t let the team down they, the media is always posing the question; will they let the team down today? This pressure is what many athletes dread most about playing the game and the next press conference is always in the back of their mind creating persistent anxiety and pressure. The head coaching position also receive high amounts of pressure to bring their team a win, and if they are not winning, the media is always posing the question; will this be their last game?

On the other hand, media and technology have worked hand in hand to make the sports entertainment business more enjoyable for fans. Many diehard fans believe that it is essential to have their smartphone and scorecenter app open all game day, to get the latest updates on every game happening around the nation. Social media and the interactive relationships allow more people to talk sports more often, and they are. While building a larger fan base and getting more people talking about sports in general, all franchises have created detailed websites to view schedule, player bio’s and statistics, and to purchase tickets and team apparel. Radio and broadcast are another important aspect to consider when analyzing media and their relationship with the sports world. Combining all forms of media - print, broadcast, online, and film, and use the articles that you have read to create your own opinion about the affect of media on the world of sports. Is media creating a positive or negative atmosphere for fans, players, coaches, and the sports community as a whole?

Will The Evolving Forms of Journalism Be an Improvement??

The topic of Issue 10 is the evolving forms of journalism and whether or not the impact is an improvement to journalism as a whole. while Mark Deuze, Axel Bruns, and Christoph Neuberger have taken the side of yes, and support their position with point which exemplify the power of every individuals opinion and the greatly appreciated experience of interactive journalism which has taken the online world by storm.

On the opposite side of the argument, David Simon's testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the Future of Journalism was a great piece of support for the No argument. It explains that evolving forms of journalism are causing journalism ethics and grammar to plummet as if citing sources and credible sources were never an important aspect of journalism.

Both sides suggest viable reasons why the evolving forms of journalism can be an improvement or actually leading journalism in a negative direction. While Simon says, "high end journalism is dying in America and agrees that it is in part due to the industry harming itself with unwise business practices and failure to adapt to the digital environment." But he makes sure to point out that this does not take away from his stern position and concerns of the negative impact of new forms of journalism. In his statement to the Senate Committee he concludes that internet and citizen journalists are ruining the authenticity of journalism. By allowing anyone to become a journalist the room for error and lack of research is what modern forms of journalism are leaning toward.

The "yes" argument is supported by case studies, which were conducted of news organizations that developed extensive plans to incorporate participatory news practices. The conclusion of the case studies was complex to analyze but the data found is workable and will eventually help professional journalism and citizen journalism mix and provide a more desirable and community acknowledging media source. "participatory journalism offers the hope of broader community engagement in civic issues" And the ability for community members to voice their opinion on important civic concerns by writing comments on virtual news websites or independent digital voices is one form of citizen journalism. The other form of citizen journalism that is becoming more prominent is the news stations that recognize community events and news over traditional global news coverage. This type of news content with option of community engagement through commenting, blogging, and social media is a positive experience for people taking part and the information received by the news cite can direct the station to more topics that the community believes should be covered. This type of news is becoming more popular for the younger generations as well as people who have been effected by the economy and find more enjoyment in community engagement and social issues rather than political, financial, and violent imagery of the large news stations.

Arab Spring Social Networking Article--Interesting and Informative

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=4a5075bd-a411-4e98-85b7-3b73d515821f%40sessionmgr115&vid=15&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=64459913

The Effect of Advertising on society

Issue 7 is regarding advertising, and if the efforts of advertising companies are good or bad for society. One stand point taken by John Calfee a former U.S. Trade Commission economist believes that advertising is very much beneficial to society and supports his claim with examples from many different industries. One example that Calfee uses to support his argument is Kellogg's cancer awareness ads. The advertising campaign is supported by the, "National Cancer Institute who believes a high fiber, low fat diet may reduce your risk of some kinds of cancer." This statement regarding health and wellness coincided perfectly with Kellogg's All-Bran cereal, which has nine grams of fiber per serving, so they ran with it. Is this a deceptive way of getting people to buy Kellogg's cereal? John Calfee believes no, and that advertising as a whole is more beneficial for consumers than deceptive. Turns out the cancer awareness Ad campaign printed by Kellogg's was a big hit with the Federal Trade Commission - who regulate food advertising, and in-fact, the director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection declared that "the ad has presented important public health recommendations in an accurate, useful, and substantiated way." This is one clear example of how advertising can have a positive influence of society.

On the other hand, most shoppers know that some advertisements they read and see all around them are persuasive and created to spark emotion which will drive them to buy an item they do not even need. This is aspect of Dinyar Godrej view, which is that advertising is worse for society than it is good for society. He supports his side by explaining the media business and the corporate giants who control every second of airplay and the idea that advertising which is displayed by the corporate giants are not to inform society but to persuade them to think a certain way and do a certain thing, buy their products. He also makes the point that advertising companies portraying a "lifestyle that is beyond reach of all but the wealthy." 

After reading the yes and no arguments regarding the question, is advertising good or bad for society? It was obvious to see that both sides of the argument had examples and good points supporting their side. I agree with Dinyar Godrej many lifestyle advertisements are portraying a life which is often unobtainable and a waist of time looking for. However, I also can see the positive power which advertising can have on society if it was used correctly. unfortunately, for the most part corporate giants would rather let their pockets get fatter than inform society on public health or important issues. I also think the scope of the question is extremely wide, with so many different forms of advertising in todays society. Advertising can both be beneficial and detrimental to society depending on the content and the company policy. Advertising is clearly a prominent form of media in the 21st century with a massive amount range and power. 

Video #3

To view our best attempt at creating our own reggae song click the link below.
http://youtu.be/p3XfF2mOUrE

Stevie Wonder- Village Ghetto Land

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/steviewonder/villageghettoland.html- click the link to listen to the song and view the lyrics.

The always inspiring and extremely talented musician Stevie Wonder, delivered a groundbreaking song entitled Village Ghetto Land, which was released September 28, 1976. The song describes the lives of the poor within a village ghetto land aka American ghetto's and addresses the problems that people are facing everyday while politicians are choosing to be blind to the fact that people are dying and hurting in the streets. The strong imagery that the song provides along with Stevie Wonder's obvious indication that the government is running the world while leaving it's own citizens poor and hungry, tells a little bit about  why Stevie almost left America and the music business to teach disabled children in Ghana - in search of doing something truly productive. He reconciled with his desire to leave the music business in the early 70's and decided to take advantage of the opportunity he had been given and created the album Songs in the Key of Life. The album hit number one on the billboard charts the first day it dropped and the song Village Ghetto Land attracted much attention to those who felt that the government was unsuccessfully running America, and also to those who were running it.

here are some lyrics that I pulled from the song, which I believe best illustrate the point of the song and inspire change.

Children play with rusted cars, sores cover their hands, politicians laugh and drink- drunk to all demands

Families buying dog food now, starvation roams the streets, babies die before they're born, infected by the grief..

Would you like to go with me, down my dead end street, would you like to come with me to Village Ghetto Land

I chose these excepts to elaborate on because they exemplified great use of focus writing and creating a visual picture of the scene which he is singing about. The song also asks of the listener, "Come with me" as if Stevie wonder is your personal tour guide through the ghetto's of America that many have never seen. The specific line, "family buying dog food now," specifically spoke to me because this is something that many would say no one does in America but i think that they are mistaken and people are seeking any form of food to stay alive even if it is dog food, but we are blind to the fact because we don't want to believe it.

What is hate speach

As the world becomes smaller do to the use of mass media, the scope of contact between one another becomes almost limitless. Although this connectivity between people has no doubt been beneficial to many aspects of technology, business, medicine, the list goes on..

The expansion of communication prompted hate speech grew as-well. Hate speech is the expression of aggressive emotions towards a specific race, sex, religious group, political group, etc. Some say that the transmission of hateful feelings  did not increase, but the ability to track them down through technology became prevalent.

 So the mass media also banded together different hate groups and organizations. Hate groups are prejudice groups which ban together in order to illustrate their hatred for a select group of people and many of these groups believe that power in numbers is the best way to get their point across. Through the use of social media and other internet resources prejudice groups have been banning together with growing numbers in search of victims to verbally harass. Other very organized groups will use social media as a way to schedule meetings and gain a following. The different types of hate groups are growing as well, not specifically based on race but many other aspects are in-sighting hateful attention. The virtual world online provides a shield for bullies to hide behind. Most bloggers who intend to spread hate mail use fake email addresses and names so they are undetectable to authorities after they are reported.

One of the articles found in the text was focusing on Obama and how America is carrying a hatred for our president not because of the decisions he makes but because he is black. Many of the quotes are harsh and uneducated. The beginning of the article relates the health care reform supported by Obama to the tactics of Adolph Hitler to take over the world. Most of the quotes provided were via U.S. citizens and what they think of President Obama, mostly criticizing him for all sorts of things. The first "anti- Obama" quote is from Glenn Beck when he said on a live broadcast that "Obama is a racist with a deep-seated hatred for white people." Pastor Steven Anderson from a church in Arizona said, "I am going to pray that he goes to hell." Tom Eisenhour - man who compared Obama to Hitler, also said "I would go to washington with a gun if enough of you would go with me." All of these obscene testimonies were determined acts of free speech. Where do we draw the line? When speech becomes violent or insights hateful actions upon someone or a group of people that is grounds to no recognize the first amendment. But the area is grey. Many would say that the man who said he would go to washington with a gun if enough would go with him is in-sighting violent behavior but he never was arrested or charged with anything. The New York Times publish an article saying "some just cant believe a black man is president, and will never except it." I think this sums up all of those hateful statement's in to one justified reaction. Many were raised with a distorted perception about race and gender and in todays society the majority looks beyond the color of skin when make the decision who is most qualified for the position. In President Obama's case the majority voted him president and that is what the people got, an educated, intelligent, and well qualified leader. Whether or not the people believe that he is the right man for the job we will see in the up and coming election.