A+ 2025/2026
primary role and function of mass media: telling - publishing commentary and opinions
primary role and function of mass media: delivering - bringing messages to an audience
primary role and function of mass media: reinforcing - supporting cultural values
symbiotic relationship - the sport entity and the sport media are interdependent of each
other
convergence - Multimedia convergence is also evident in sport reporters' expanding
routines and responsibilities; words, pictures, videos, audio recordings, and other
demassification - divides the masses into segments before choosing which segments to
target. (specialization)
magazines do this to survive
one sport book and author - The Boys of Summer, By Roger Kahn.
1930s radio importance-1940s - -golden age of the radio
-"fandom" was one element of radio's ability to connect the nation and help overcome
differences in race, gender, age, and location
-individuals had more leisure time than before, and people relied on radio and the
movies for entertainment and enjoyment
-the number of homes with radios increased from 12 million to 30 million, and
advertising revenue expanded from $40 million to $155 million
-actuality sounds, helped fans imagine the event
actuality sound - the sounds that you would hear if you were live at an event
olympics rating juggernaut - -Whereas consumption habits change and evolve with
Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services, the Olympics still remain a "ratings
juggernaut,"
-ad sales generating $900 million from the 2018 Olympics
year of ESPN's debut - ESPN TV 1979
ESPN Radio debuted in 1992
digital sport media - is sports media content that can be created, modified, viewed, and
distributed through digital, electronic platforms (internet, social media)
Internet is immediate and instantaneous - -complex medium that provides an additional
communication channel, thus serving as an alternative mechanism to establish
communication
, -best illustrated in the sport industry. For example, on the official Super Bowl website
(www.superbowl.com), sport consumers can obtain information such as game recaps
and game stats for all past Super Bowls, as well as access their National Football
League (NFL) fantasy teams.
% of US adults who use the internet - 90%
most popular sport websites - yahoo! sports
espn
bleacher report
CBS sports
sports illustrated
Searching - -Searching refers to a more detailed and strategic process that is often
facilitated by professionals who serve as liaisons between users and the database
being searched
browsing - -Browsing is characterized by more simplistic queries in which several
documents are returned and people browse through the documents to find the ones that
are most pertinent to the desired information.
-users tend to prefer seeking information by browsing because it is perceived as being
less difficult than searching. typically more successful on sport websites
heuristic and analytic search - -characterized by the reason for the search
-heuristic search is conducted with low deliberation, meaning that the individual uses
hyperlinks to navigate the web.
-analytical search involves an element of planning and relies heavily on search engines.
-trial and error vs strategic
General expectations and needs of online users - 1. Interpersonal utility
2. As a pass time
3. Information seeking
4. For convenience
5. For entertainment
Consumer expectation of sports websites - visual and emotional appeal and enjoyable
experience
content - -considered a major factor in an individual's decision to return to a website
-should reflect the entity's objectives and meet sport consumers' demands by giving
them information that they value and find appealing
-ex: Exciting photographs, digital videos, infographics, and even humorous memes
Three trends shaping content decisions - 1. Sports consumers attention spans
becoming sporter
2. Availability of more entertainment options