LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s Post

Great article about follow TD, Teri Rozic.

Check out our latest #MediaMonday feature from George Zeliff, the North Valley Schools and Sports Editor for INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA, INC. USA, covering Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Meet George, find out how he got his start in writing, learn what to pitch him and more in this post!

After 30 years of researching the intersections of women’s sports, media, and culture, here’s my take on how to make sense of the growing ratings, viewership, attendance for women’s sports. The answer may surprise you.

Had an amazing time with UA’s Associated Press Sports Editors this week. We had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Jon Krawczynski, a senior writer at The Athletic, covering the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA and the Minnesota Vikings. Here are three key takeaways: 1. Be the calm in the storm. For many of us professionals, present and future, we work in some exciting atmospheres. Not to say that we aren’t allowed to relish the moment, but we should internalize it. As Mr. Krawczynski put it, “Be the sober one when everyone else is drunk.” 2. The best sports journalists seperate themselves from others by writing stories that people want to read, regardless of whether the team is winning or not. The same can be said for all journalists, and the same can be said for all PR professionals. Everyone wants to cover the Warriors when they’re on the fast track. Everyone wants to work in a well-established organization with significantly higher consumer awareness, engagement and loyalty. How do we engage a disinterested audience? We convey a narrative that is undeniably interesting; that’s what will differentiate you from competitors! 3. Finally, seize EVERY opportunity that comes your way (with balance, of course)! Every opportunity is a chance to reach an audience or market that you’ve never reached before. You never know where it might lead. Additionally, a big thank you to Professor Tom Arenberg for his guidance! It means so much to have professors like you who continue to invest in students, even after my time in JCM 303. #journalism #publicrelations #sportspr #APSE

💻 FREE Substack intro class for sports journalists! 👀 Learn about the platform and its publishing opportunities 🗓️ Register now to join on Zoom on Tuesday 8 October (6.30pm) - follow the link for all the info #sportsmedia #sportsjournalism #substack #sportsjournalists #sjaacademy

An insightful article on the power of sports journalism to engage the public on important topics. Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel was a prime example of how issues in sports can be used as a gateway to examine and engage viewers in more significant discussions on pressing issues such as substance use disorder, adolescent mental health, the criminal justice system, racism, and the environment. Funders take note: sports journalism and the storytelling format can create meaningful conversations on critical topics that matter. #journalism #storytelling #publicengagement #mediaimpactfunders

Check out this feature on our recent alum, Olivia Lee!

So after the billions of dollars in broadcasts rights paid annually for Division-I college football and men's basketball, the value of all remaining D-I broadcast rights for 21 women's and 19 men's sports is only $115MM annually, with women's basketball being $65MM of that amount. First, anyone who thinks this demonstrates the power of women's sports can't add, plus it's demeaning that the NCAA pimped women's basketball to increase the bundle pricing for the remaining 39 non-revenue sports. Second, there's no revenue sharing with teams, which hurts women's basketball and no one else here, as to develop a sport, you need money. This deal caps the money on the NCAA end, gives none to the schools, and effectively disinvests the schools in all of these teams over the next eight year duration of the contract. Third, this broadcast contract is so small that it probably doesn’t cover the costs of running the forty non-revenue sport championships, which is why the schools are okay with no revenue sharing. This is an example of nothing other than how financially irrelevant college sports are outside of D-I football and men’s basketball. Remember, too, that all members across all three divisions are paid out of March Madness to belong to the NCAA, so that the NCAA can claim to speak for college sports. Big picture, non-revenue schools receive far more from the NCAA than they give up, which is why the NCAA has more than 1,200 members. This is fine for the schools, but any individual sport that has its sights on growth, like women's basketball, is just screwed in the calculus. Fourth, developing any market takes money and time. In the 1970's, the NCAA promulgated "The Business Plan," whereby D-I athletic departments would become self-sustaining separate from their schools, so that the NCAA could grow D-I football and men's basketball into semi-professional teams. That was fifty years ago, and it took decades to achieve. Even now, less than a third of the D-I athletic departments meet this criteria, concentrated in the Power Five Conferences, which are moving like tectonic money plates, ironically to the detriment of all other D-I non-revenue sports. Fifth, we will never know what any sport, men's or women's, could produce without a focused development plan over decades to grow a sport. This current deal kick's the can another eight years before women's basketball could even start trying to develop a business model. Finally, I've written many times on the economic reality of college sports, and here's a link to my most recent post including a data chart: https://lnkd.in/emsNJvif. Rachel Bachman, "Women’s Sports Drive Value of NCAA’s New ESPN Deal," Wall St. J., Jan. 5, 2024, at A-12, available at https://lnkd.in/efN4zzqx Street Journal

The sports media business has become increasingly complex, with multiple cross-currents increasing the challenge of exploiting rights. My writing partner John Kosner and I look at the changes in this recent SportsBusiness Journal article, and suggest things properties can do to adapt. #sportsmedia #sportsbusiness #sportstv #mediatrends https://lnkd.in/ggzAZVqg

PR agents have asked this for years as news outlets downsize or disappear. Thoughts in this piece provide a good way to consider the changes and value in what qualifies as sports journalism today. #PR #journalism