Internet Desk: Every year July 02 is marked as a significant day for the sports journalists all over the world. It is on this day World Sports Journalists day is observed world over. The World Sports Journalists Day was created in 1994 to commemorate the creation of International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and to celebrate the achievements of members of the sporting media. It aims at encouraging sports journalists to strive for excellence in their work and to set an example to the world – not only to the world of sport, but to the world at large.
The world of Sports Journalism has seen a wide range of evolution over the years. As we celebrate the 23rd World Sports Journalist Day, xtratime.in spoke to a few renowned Sports Journalists who have witnessed the evolution over the years, having travelled worldwide for the need of their profession.
Pradeep Magazine (Columnist at Hindustan Times)
It’s not only tough to do sports journalism today but is also difficult to sustain in the profession. With the meteoric rise in the digital media, the competition is tougher as no sooner than later we will find the story or the picture posted on the social platform.
Talking about the cricket journalism, during our time people used to minutely follow the match reports published in the newspapers. But nowadays, not much importance is given to the match reports as the matches are shown live. The cricketers in those days also respected the articles written by the sports journalists.
The modern day cricketers are not bothered what is written or spoken about them in the media. The main reason is that they have a huge fan following on twitter and other social media platforms.
Back in 1987 there was match between Bengal and Rest of India for the Irani Trophy match held at. The first day’s match report written by me reached my office on the third day. There was not much hue and cry in my office. But nowadays with so much cut-throat competition the reporters are always on their toes.
Boria Majumder (Consulting Editor-India Today Group)
There has been a radical change in the profession of sports journalism ever since the introduction of television and the growth of social media platforms.
The modern day sports journalist’s needs to be self sufficient. A modern day sports journalist should be able to put a story, create a story and then analyse the story. The need of the hour is to file your story in real time. If you are thinking about filing breaking news and are planning to write the story for the next day, it will be viral in digital medium like facebook, twitter and instagram. What would you write and what will you write and what will the readers get extra from the news. So, you will have to do the story in real time and analyse it in real time.
Sports Journalists like every form of the media is on the cusp of a challenge and the challenge is to become self sufficient. The challenge for a modern day sports journalist is to give his/her reader that extra bit. Viewers are watching the matches and the post match analysis. If they are not watching it on TV, they are doing so on their mobile phones by watching it on mobile apps like Hotstar, Amazon and Gio TV etc.
It will be challenge for the sports journalists to keep a track on every sport. A sports journalist cannot strive on just one specialised sport like the yesteryears. A modern day sports journalist should follow all that is going on in the field of sports. Take India for example as our country is heading for a huge leap in the next 10-20 years as the other sports disciplines are also doing well. For the moment though there have been only individual performances but no sooner than later we will find team sports like football and hockey also returning with success.
Debasis Dutta (Cricket Writer at Aajkaal)
I have been with Aajkaal since the last 37 years. We used send our copies by telex since fax did not arrive then. Slowly but surely the computers took over. Nowadays we have the mobile.
The relationship we shared between the players was much better compared to the present day. The sports journalists during those days required to concentrate moiré on the game and game reading. Television and websites has taken over from the newspapers.
I depend a lot on my phone and my personal relationship. I don’t want to be guided by electronic media but at the same time I am not criticizing the ones who are taking their help. Exercise of brain is the most important thing in life. If I require to call Sir Gary Sobers, I do not have to search the directory as I still remember his number.
It is no doubt getting tougher, I mean the Sports Journalism theses days. It is a tougher time than us.