In today’s society that is driven by technology, the print media is slowly fading into anonymity. However, newspapers still play a crucial role for sports fans. The main goal of all newspapers is to inform the public of events around the country, unlike social media and some aspects of television where the main goal is to entertain viewers.

Before the era of sports on television, newspapers were the main way citizens were able to see information on sport events around the country. Thanks to the creation of the penny papers in the early 1800s, newspapers quickly became the main mass media tool because people from all economic classes were able to see the current news, including sports. During the Industrial Revolution and the evolution of the printing press, the quality, quantity and the speed of production significantly increased for newspapers. Newspapers today continue to allow consumers to access information both local and national sports news.

There are several advantages of newspapers over other media platforms like television, radio, the Internet and social media. The first advantage is that newspaper allows citizens to have a physical copy to hold, instead of a quick video highlight of a game or a tweet regarding scores. Another advantage is the in-depth analysis and statistics that are included in newspapers. Sports writers and editors for newspapers give opinions and a thorough recap of the game or match.  A third advantage is that newspapers reach a different audience. According to John Vivian, the main consumers of sports and other information from newspapers are older, more educated and have a higher income compared to consumers of other platforms.

In the past fifteen years, the average newspaper circulation has dramatically dropped for both weekdays and on Sundays, according to the Pew Research Center:

• 55,185,000 on weekdays and 58,495,000 on Sundays in 2003.
• 34,657,199 on weekdays and 37,801,888 on Sundays in 2016.

With the decline of newspaper sales, consumers looking for the latest information on sports are turning to online versions of the newspaper, like the sports page in USA Today Sports and social media accounts like the New York Times Sports Twitter page. Another reason for the decline is that newspapers are not up-to-date. Once a newspaper is printed that day, they cannot change the information regarding new breaking news.

So, what is the future of sports in print media, specifically in newspapers? I believe that newspapers will be a main source for sports information among the older generation. However, with the development of technology, newspapers are already on the decline and sports fans can get statistics and live scoring on social media, apps, and the Internet.

For Further Reading:

Pew Research Center

USA Today Sports

Vivian, John. The Media of Mass Communication. 12th ed., Pearson Education Inc., 2017.