Sports Newsrooms Versus In-House Media: Cheerleading and Critical Reporting in News and Match Coverage

Abstract

The mediatization of sport has created a rise in sports organisations expanding their media presence through digital platforms. However, the often-opposing ambitions of in-house media and sports journalism newsrooms highlight a contest over boundaries. This article examines how the mediatization of sport has impacted on content in in-house and traditional newsrooms and whether it is more aligned with journalism or public relations. The study analyses the coverage of both news and match reporting in six newspaper websites and five national sports organisation websites in Australia. The qualitative analysis is based on a sample of 466 text-based stories and focuses predominantly on elements of critical reporting and cheerleading. The findings outline how mediatization of sport through in-house publications is changing the boundaries of sports media and sports journalism. There were often strong divisions between the coverage in the sports organisations and news publications, with the in-house titles usually the more promotional, positive and less critical.