This paper summarizes three articles: The Future of Sports Media; Essay – Media and the Business of High School Sports: A Case for Closer Scrutiny; Boos, Bans, and Other Backlash: The Consequences of Being an Activist Athlete. The key themes covered include the evolving relationship between media and sports teams; the business opportunities related to high-school sports; the interconnection between politics and sports.
The sports media undergoes a rapid transformation in the way it operates. New technologies open opportunities for clubs and leagues to reach their fans (Rein, Kotler, & Shields, 2007). Now football clubs like Manchester United begin to communicate with fans using various media channels (television, radio, magazine, internet). Consequently, the team has achieved a global reach through its innovative media coverage methods (Rein et al., 2007).
The search for new markets led media businesses to switch to high school sports. They found another path to generate profit, namely, by covering scholastic championships and players (Hardin & Corrigan, 2008). The interest of students, parents, college teams and sports boosters in the potential players enabled the high school arena to gain popularity in the media.
Lastly, the relationship between politics and sports is intricately linked. Due to their recognition by millions of people, world-famous sportsmen hold a chance to influence their followers. However, the athletes who dare to speak out regarding socio-political problems face a wide criticism (Kaufman, 2008).
Overall, this synopsis discussed three underlying themes in the articles. Firstly, the fact that the traditional ways of interaction between clubs and fans are transforming. Secondly, high school sports are swiftly becoming a popular place for broadcasting and making a profit for media providers. Finally, due to its global span, the sports arena opens up some critical possibilities for promoting certain socio-political agendas.
References
Hardin, M., & Corrigan, T. F. (2008). Media and the business of high school sports: A case for closer scrutiny. Journal of Sports Media, 3(2), 89-94.
Kaufman, P. (2008). Boos, bans, and other backlash: The consequences of being an activist athlete. Humanity & Society, 32(3), 215-237.
Rein, I., Kotler, P., & Shields, B. (2007). The future of sports media. Futurist, 41(1), 40.