Moritz.leading off

LEADING OFF: THE PROMINENCE OF SPORTS STORIES

IN U.S. NEWS SOURCES

BRIAN MORITZ Ph.D. STUDENT • S.I. NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS • SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

SUMMIT ON COMMUNICATION AND SPORT • FEB. 23, 2012 • UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

BRIAN MORITZ • LEADING OFF • THE PROMINENCE OF SPORTS STORIES IN U.S. NEWS SOURCES SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY


EARL WARREN SAYS INTRODUCTION

“I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.”


But really ...

BRIAN MORITZ SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

• LEADING OFF • THE PROMINENCE OF SPORTS STORIES IN U.S. NEWS SOURCES


WHY WE’RE HERE PURPOSE STATEMENT

How prominently are sports stories displayed in newspapers, on news websites, and on television and radio newscasts and news programs?


Theory

Placement/Prominence


Theory

Gatekeeping


Theory

Setting


Theory

Newsworthiness


Theory

Sports as news


Hypotheses • H1a: In written media (print and online), sports stories appearing in the news sections of newspapers are more likely to have high prominence than sports stories on online news sites.

• H1c: Longer stories are more likely to have higher prominence than shorter ones.

• H1b: International sports stories are more likely to have higher prominence than local or national stories.

• H2a: In broadcast media (network, cable and radio), sports stories appearing on a network newscast are more likely to have high prominence than sports stories on cable newscasts or radio.

• H2b: International sports stories are more likely to have higher prominence than local or national stories.

• H2c: Longer stories are more likely to have higher prominence than shorter ones.


How I did it Methods •

Pew National Coverage Index (NCI) - 2010 sample

18 sports “Big Stories” 851 individual sports stories

1,278 “Big Stories” 52,614 individual stories


How I did it Methods


How I did it Methods •

DV: Placement/prominence

Focal variable: Source Written (print vs. online); Broadcast (network vs. cable/radio)

IVs: Geographic focus (U.S./international), Length (word count, seconds)


Boring stats slide 1 Results


Huh?


What it means Results

Sports print stories were more than 200 percent more likely ��to have middle prominence than sports stories on online news sites.

Longer stories are more likely to be middle prominence than high.

Partial support for hypotheses 1a and 1c. No support for hypothesis 1b.

24

What it means Results

Sports stories on network TV newscasts are 46 percent more likely to have low prominence than those on cable TV or radio.

Network TV sports stories of low prominence are also ��1 percent more likely to be shorter than sports stories on cable TV or radio.

Partial support for hypotheses 2a and 2c. No support for hypothesis 2b.



But


Biggest numbers Results

1.4 1.6 Percent of data set Percent of stories

LEADING OFF: THE PROMINENCE OF SPORTS STORIES

IN U.S. NEWS SOURCES

BRIAN MORITZ Ph.D. STUDENT • S.I. NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS • SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

SUMMIT ON COMMUNICATION AND SPORT • FEB. 23, 2012 • UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

Moritz.leading off

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