The Changing Face of Sports News in the United Kingdom
Sports journalism is a style of journalism which reports on events relating to sports, sporting events and trends in sports. Sports journalism began in the late 1800s when it initially was aimed at the upper class and gradually became a part of the public media scene with leading newspapers having dedicated sports sections for several decades. Nowadays, sports coverage has become even more prominent, particularly with the proliferation of televised sports events and sports journalism in major newspapers and websites.
As such, there are now numerous online websites like twitter that allow sports journalists and other enthusiasts to follow the latest developments. Some sports journalists work freelance as only their own stand-up comedian or talk show hosts while others rely solely on sports media organizations and sports journalism columns for their daily work. Most popular sports journalists today have their own blogs where they display a wide range of information on sports related issues.
A good example is the freelance journalist reporter who covers sports events from various newspapers and websites in just a single day. This allows him to keep up with the latest sports news from all around the world. In fact, some of them are so dedicated to their job that they even travel to sports stadiums to cover a live sporting event. But most reporters and freelance sports journalists are not just sitting in front of their computers. Many of them also have regular jobs outside the sports industry, especially newspapers that often employ sports reporters.
The newspaper league tables once used to be dominated by the English Premier League, but with the recent departure of the much-loved Manchester United and the imminent departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, the outlook for the English top flight is changing. Nowadays, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and the Financial Times offer strong competition to the league leaders from Manchester City and Liverpool. Even though United are the heavy favourites to win the trophy, the heavy spending of the Manchester City and Liverpool in recent times has put an enormous amount of pressure on the league, especially as Manchester United have recently started to build new facilities at Oldham and made a significant signing of Brazilian playmaker Luizernational Brazil ace Hulk. All the same, the TFF have stressed that there is no immediate threat to the Premier League’s crown. All things considered, sports journalism in England has moved on significantly since the dawn of professionalism and the influence of established newspapers and journalism institutions has waned considerably.
But the influence of British journalism and sports media in England goes way back. Sports journalism in the UK began in the 19th Century, initially covering motor racing and football for the rural population. As time passed, the sports column in the country’s leading newspapers gradually assumed a much broader scope and included the highly popular sport of horse racing. With the advent of television and the launch of the first rugby clubs, the scope of sports reporting and sports broadcasting became more widespread. Today, the British people are regarded as one of the most passionate sports enthusiasts in the world. And the LMS, which is the governing body for English cricket, has done a lot to promote the game in the UK and give it a fighting chance against the other leading sports – basketball, cricket, hockey and swimming, not to mention golf and rugby.
So the world of sports journalism in England takes pride in its status as the world’s leading sporting journal. It would not be wrong to say that it drives the sporting industry in the UK. The influence of the LMS, which controls nearly all the British TV channels, can also be traced in the coverage and presentation of almost every major sporting event – from Formula One racing to cricket. And all this is being done without the help of a sports writer!