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Mainstream media is slipping further behind the curve

20th July, 2014
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Can the Force snag a win against the Highlanders? (AAP Image/Theron Kirkman)
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20th July, 2014
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I love quotations. They are windows into the minds of scientists, philosophers, writers, performers, politicians and even, occasionally, athletes.

The impending sense of discovery makes scrolling through quotes exciting. Whenever I stumble across a really great quote I’m reminded that well written words are as much a medium for discovery as they are a means of communication. The most profound quotations seem to cram the most truth into the fewest words – and in doing so make the hidden appear obvious.

Consider this insight from Keith F. Lynch:

“I’ve noticed that the press tends to be quite accurate, except when they’re writing on a subject I know something about.”

Brilliant!

Writing should affect us. If it does not take us somewhere it is dead words on dead trees.

My foray into journalism has convinced me that mainstream media is broken. Far too often reporting on sport is allowed to blur into a grey mass of monotony.

Part of the problem is the system in which journalists operate. They have to produce a constant stream of content designed to steer readers into an ambush of internet advertisements.

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I can’t help but feel that this focus on quantity has ushered in a corresponding drop in quality.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I was interviewed for a national newspaper. Typically conversations with journalists are rushed affairs that rarely tend to reach any real depth. This particular interview went about three minutes during which I answered a number of questions on a range of issues.

Two days later I was disappointed and frustrated to see my name attached to a headline that completely misinterpreted my views. To his credit the reporter contacted me to apologise for a headline which he apparently did not select.

My experience is not unique. Athletes are routinely infuriated by the way in which their words are cherry picked to align with a narrative they did not choose. A narrative often designed to fill space and sell product rather than inform the public.

Many athletes react to being misrepresented by falling back on conservative cliches, sanitised statements and talking points designed to safely navigate the sound-bite world of modern media.

This approach invariably produces a paradoxical reaction – whereby denying the media access only increases the extent to which they become creative with the facts. This is how journalists given nothing always manage to write something.

Compromise is the only way to end this Mexican standoff between journalists and athletes.

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And compromise cannot come soon enough because the current system is failing. It fails reporters who yearn to tell interesting stories. It fails athletes who want their views accurately expressed. And it fails readers who want to gain genuine insight into the people who play the sport they love.

It is odd that sports reporting has remained largely unchanged for decades. A radical shift is needed in the way we think about journalism – a shift that is sympathetic to the new landscape social media has created.

When Nick Cummins wanted to speak directly to his fans about his relocation to Japan, he did so via photo-sharing and social networking service Instagram.

Traditional media platforms no longer own the bridge between athletes and the public. Like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have cut out the middle man and given fans and athletes unprecedented access to each other.

Additionally, websites like The Roar have recognised the opportunity to connect athletes and administrators with a large, consolidated fan-base.

Despite the changes, one thing remains clear. Those passionate about stories will always play a vital role communicating them.

This Brumbies team – like all groups – is a deep well of powerful, inspiring and important stories just waiting to be told. To reveal these stories requires an innovative approach to media content. It requires an understanding that a story is often only as interesting as the people it contains.

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