It is no secret that the world of journalism is evolving right before our eyes.
There are many platforms for disseminating information and journalists everywhere need to know how to effectively communicate material on each type of medium. Big name colleges are aware of these changes; and they are varying the curriculum in their journalism programs to better prepare their students.
For instance, students at the University of North Carolina spent a semester studying Objective-C programming language and Apple’s Xcode in a course about designing and developing mobile apps. Another case would be the “Glass Journalism” course offered at the University of Southern California. In this class, teams (composed of journalists, designers, and developers) work together to research and develop different types of news apps, designed specifically for the glass platform.
Journalism is heading into a different era, where technology and data are becoming more important. This is giving more people the opportunity to enter into the field. The downward trend of the news industry looks bleak, but sports journalism is one of the fastest growing forms of media; and with the incorporation of technology and data, it isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
In sports, statistics mean everything, which makes data driven journalism important. This creates a strong need for numerically-savvy journalists who can filter data, process and analyze it, and present information in clear and meaningful ways.
Norm Lewis is a Professor at the University of Florida. He was the one who recognized the importance of data journalism.
“This semester, when Professor Lewis presented to our Advisory Council – made up of professionals – he brought two students to tell them about the data projects they’re working on,” said Ted Spiker, Interim Chair of the Journalism department at the University of Florida.
“When their session ended, many of the professionals got up and gave the students their business cards. I haven’t seen that happen before, and I’ve been here 13 years.”
Computer Science is also finding a way into the field of journalism. The mobile platform is becoming the main source of media, and schools are taking that into account. Schools such as the University of Nebraska and UC Berkeley have incorporated courses that help students learn mobile programming skills.
Another aspect that schools are trying to incorporate into their curriculum is Audience Analytics. This area of study focuses on how audiences respond when they are given information and how to build better strategies to reach these audiences. With social media becoming a main source of news, students will also learn how to effectively communicate the mass amounts of data on different social media platforms. Elon University introduced several classes in audience analytics and digital strategy this fall as part of its revamped journalism curriculum.
So what does this all mean for the future of sports journalism?
It all comes down to advanced analytics. Numbers drive the game of baseball, which contains statistics such as ERA, WAR, and OBP, for example. Data driven journalist will be able to present these confusing numbers in a reasonable fashion, so that that the average baseball fan will understand them.
These types of journalists would also thrive in the football realm as well. For instance, player efficiency, quarterback rating and 40-yard dash times are all used when evaluating players. These numbers can also be used to see who will be the most effective player at the professional level.
Data driven journalist will be able use these statistics to create the most accurate player rankings system. ESPN has already implemented a segment in one of their shows called “Sports Science.” It examines how advanced analytics and the numerical-side of the game affect on the field performance. This particular field of journalism has the potential to grow exponentially; and as analytics becomes more descriptive and in-depth, who knows what the future will hold for the creation and dissemination of data-driven sports journalism.