Tweets on DeckTweets on DeckMoving beyond traditional Moving beyond traditional models of sports coveragemodels of sports coverage

Avery Holton, Ph.D. Student, University of Texas at AustinAvery Holton, Ph.D. Student, University of Texas at Austinaveryholton@gmail.com, @averyholtonaveryholton@gmail.com, @averyholton

2011 UT ASNE Institute2011 UT ASNE InstituteUniversity of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at Austin

Tweets on DeckTweets on Deck

The state of sports mediaThe state of sports media

Creative coverage conceptsCreative coverage concepts

Social media and why it mattersSocial media and why it matters

Story tellingStory telling

Beyond game coverageBeyond game coverage

Making the most of sports coverageMaking the most of sports coverage

Before We Dive InBefore We Dive In

State of Sports MediaState of Sports Media

State of Sports MediaState of Sports Media

State of Sports MediaState of Sports Media

Twitter by the numbers:Twitter by the numbers:Needed nearly three years to reach 1 billion tweetsNeeded nearly three years to reach 1 billion tweets

Averaging more than 1 billion tweets per weekAveraging more than 1 billion tweets per week

More than 200 million usersMore than 200 million users

Projected to continue upward trendProjected to continue upward trend

Twitter users 3x more likely to actively seek and Twitter users 3x more likely to actively seek and participate in newsparticipate in news

Now a primary source of breaking and sharing newsNow a primary source of breaking and sharing news

*Every 10 minutes or so:*Every 10 minutes or so:

-200,000 unique videos hit YouTube-200,000 unique videos hit YouTube

-300,000 tweets are tweeted-300,000 tweets are tweeted

-690,000 messages are Facebooked-690,000 messages are Facebooked

-Google processes 2,000,000 queries-Google processes 2,000,000 queries

- 9,500+ new users sign onto SNS- 9,500+ new users sign onto SNS

* News organizations use SNS to break news, share news, * News organizations use SNS to break news, share news, recycle news, search for sources, and engage in non-traditional recycle news, search for sources, and engage in non-traditional practices such as offering opinions and humor, talking about practices such as offering opinions and humor, talking about work, and reposting user information as news.work, and reposting user information as news.

State of Sports MediaState of Sports Media

State of Sports MediaState of Sports Media

Creative Coverage Creative Coverage ConceptsConcepts

Creative Coverage Creative Coverage ConceptsConcepts

Creative Coverage Creative Coverage ConceptsConcepts

Creative Coverage Creative Coverage ConceptsConcepts

““Ambient journalism is part of a trend towards Ambient journalism is part of a trend towards news becoming ever more ingrained in the news becoming ever more ingrained in the everyday flow of experience of users. In this everyday flow of experience of users. In this context, news is omnipresent in the form of context, news is omnipresent in the form of unstructured data, coming in fragments of unstructured data, coming in fragments of raw, unprocessed journalism. This marks a raw, unprocessed journalism. This marks a change from the traditional bundling of news change from the traditional bundling of news into professionally edited fixed products such into professionally edited fixed products such as the print newspaper. News shifts from being as the print newspaper. News shifts from being a product to a process, involving both a product to a process, involving both journalists and users.”journalists and users.”

-Alfred Hermida, -Alfred Hermida, Reportr.net Reportr.net

*Stay traditional, restrictive, and professional (stagnation)*Stay traditional, restrictive, and professional (stagnation)

*Engage readers with caution (dehumanize)*Engage readers with caution (dehumanize)

*Break news on the web, not Twitter (desocialize)*Break news on the web, not Twitter (desocialize)

Creative Coverage Creative Coverage ConceptsConcepts

Why It MattersWhy It Matters

Traditional High School ModelsTraditional High School ModelsFew issues, few contentFew issues, few content

All print-basedAll print-based

Old NewsOld News

Current Real World ModelsCurrent Real World ModelsHigh issues, high contentHigh issues, high content

Multiple media platformsMultiple media platforms

Fully updatedFully updated

Why It MattersWhy It Matters

Students need early exposure to social media as a Students need early exposure to social media as a reporting tool.reporting tool.

Print-only editions extremely limit students’ ability Print-only editions extremely limit students’ ability to function as reporters.to function as reporters.

Social media gives students the power to break Social media gives students the power to break news, share new information, link and promote news, share new information, link and promote work, and get their voices into the media mix.work, and get their voices into the media mix.

Not without drawbacks.Not without drawbacks.

Making It WorkMaking It Work

Sustainability and the Single EmployeeSustainability and the Single Employee

Making It WorkMaking It Work

Making It WorkMaking It Work

Making It WorkMaking It Work

Interactive 1Interactive 1

The A.D. Goes ApeThe A.D. Goes Ape

Interactive 1Interactive 1

The athletic director of your school announces to The athletic director of your school announces to the media she’s holding a press conference at 5 the media she’s holding a press conference at 5 p.m. for a major announcement regarding your p.m. for a major announcement regarding your school’s sports budget.school’s sports budget.

Because this is a major news event that could Because this is a major news event that could impact your school at a number of levels, you impact your school at a number of levels, you assemble your student reporters and prepare to assemble your student reporters and prepare to cover the press conference.cover the press conference.

So, how do you approach the press conference?So, how do you approach the press conference?

Interactive 1Interactive 1

Who do you assign to cover the press conference?Who do you assign to cover the press conference?

How can reporters use social media to report the How can reporters use social media to report the press conference?press conference?

What if social media isn’t an option?What if social media isn’t an option?

How can a reporter break news, contextualize the How can a reporter break news, contextualize the news, and keep that news in the conversation for news, and keep that news in the conversation for your publication?your publication?

What are possible drawbacks?What are possible drawbacks?

StorytellingStorytelling

Even with social media, context is still important.Even with social media, context is still important.

Even in sports, there are stories that connectEven in sports, there are stories that connect

Questions students should ask:Questions students should ask:Why is this story important?Why is this story important?

Who will this story impact?Who will this story impact?

Who can best tell this story?Who can best tell this story?

What’s the best medium to tell this story through?What’s the best medium to tell this story through?

How can I let people know about this story?How can I let people know about this story?

StorytellingStorytelling

Who cares about one season?Who cares about one season?

StorytellingStorytelling

Who cares about one game?Who cares about one game?

StorytellingStorytelling

Who cares about one second?Who cares about one second?

StorytellingStorytelling

What happened before this game?What happened before this game?

Who made this journey possible?Who made this journey possible?

What are the implications of this game?What are the implications of this game?

Where will this game play in history?Where will this game play in history?

How will this game change other games?How will this game change other games?

Why should anyone read this story?Why should anyone read this story?

Why should this story resonate in peoples’ minds?Why should this story resonate in peoples’ minds?

The Man Who Tweeted the WorldThe Man Who Tweeted the World

@AveryHolton@AveryHolton

So News Is All Around UsSo News Is All Around Us

“Ambient journalism is part of a trend towards news becoming ever more ingrained in the everyday flow of experience of users. In this context, news is omnipresent in the form of unstructured data, coming in fragments of raw, unprocessed journalism. This marks a change from the traditional bundling of news into professionally edited fixed products such as the print newspaper. News shifts from being a product to a process, involving both journalists and users.”

-Alfred Hermida, Reportr.net

News Approaches Must ChangeNews Approaches Must Change

*More socialization and information surplus than ever *More socialization and information surplus than ever before (Google would need 57,448 to index all of the before (Google would need 57,448 to index all of the information currently online).information currently online).

*More people turning to lightweight mobile devices to *More people turning to lightweight mobile devices to connect to the news (An average of 7 mobile devices connect to the news (An average of 7 mobile devices per person by 2020).per person by 2020).

*More people reporting feeling overloaded with the *More people reporting feeling overloaded with the amount of information they encounter daily.amount of information they encounter daily.

Digitize, Socialize, FunctionalizeDigitize, Socialize, Functionalize

*Media presentations should fit the medium.*Media presentations should fit the medium.

*Media should work beyond the restraints of *Media should work beyond the restraints of traditional norms and practices.traditional norms and practices.

*Aggregation is great, but personalized and *Aggregation is great, but personalized and automated aggregation could provide a more useful automated aggregation could provide a more useful tool.tool.

*News can become a more functional part of people’s *News can become a more functional part of people’s lives by understanding people as less consumer and lives by understanding people as less consumer and more, well, more, well, peoplepeople..

Digitize, Socialize, FunctionalizeDigitize, Socialize, Functionalize

The Man Who Tweeted the WorldThe Man Who Tweeted the World

*Socialization is an opportunity to:*Socialization is an opportunity to:- Understand consumers as people- Understand consumers as people- Find trends in context and habits- Find trends in context and habits- Reduce information overload by personalized - Reduce information overload by personalized

aggregationaggregation- Approach new reporting techniques- Approach new reporting techniques-Actively experiment-Actively experiment- Engage - Engage peoplepeople

The Future of International ReportingThe Future of International ReportingExperimenting with citizen journalism, social media, Experimenting with citizen journalism, social media,

and non-profitsand non-profits

@SummerDHarlow@SummerDHarlow