Date of Award
December 2014
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Mass Communications
Advisor(s)
Carol M. Liebler
Keywords
Digital news, Institutionalism, Media sociology, Newspapers, Social Media, Sports journalism
Subject Categories
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
This dissertation examines contemporary daily sports journalism through the lenses of media sociology and new institutional theory. In-depth interviews with 25 sports journalists (reporters and editors) identified the institutionalized norms, values, practices and routines of American sports journalism, demonstrated how that institutionalization affects story selection, and showed how the profession is changing due to digital and social media. The interviews show that although traditional sports journalism is highly institutionalized, digital sports journalism is far less so. Traditional sports journalism is still centered around a story, and digital sports journalism follows Robinson's (2011) journalism-as-process model. The journalists interviewed are expected to perform acts of both traditional and digital journalism during the same work day, which leads to tension in how they do their jobs.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Moritz, Brian Peter, "Rooting for the story: Institutional sports journalism in the digital age" (2014). Dissertations - ALL. 171.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/171
