Sport and the Media: Athletes Can Show Another Side

Link to article: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/story/_/id/7176084/pittsburgh-steelers-james-harrison-uses-social-media-show-softer-side

            In class on October 27^th, 2011, we discussed the topic of Sport and the Media.  This topic is also discussed in Coakley’s text starting on page 394.  One of the more popular aspects of this discussion had to do with the increasing role of social media.  This is one of the more prevalent topics when discussing the role media plays in present day sports.   In this article, it is explained that social media is a new outlet for athletes, like James Harrison, to show a different side of what people make them out to be.  Mr. Harrison is made out to be one of the meanest players in the NFL, but his social media pages give him a chance to connect with his fans and show them that he is a different person off of the field.  Like we discussed in class, athletes have embraced opportunities to connect with their fans through social media tools.  Coakley, on page 397, explains that the interactivity of being online is like having an open voice with everyone else in the entire world that is also online.

 Coakley, on page 399, also brought up the question of what will happen to this new media; will it democratize social life, or will it become a tool to increase capital, and continue to maintain an illusion that provides pleasure and excitement in our lives?  If the trends continue, I think it will be the ladder of the two.  We have seen how social media can be used to leverage brands, an example of this being the NBA and its 2.5 million followers on twitter.  Social media can also be a way of creating an identity that can help future business opportunities, i.e. Shaq.  And from personal experience I can tell you it provides a form of entertainment.  I have a twitter account and I follow all of my favorite athletes just to see what they are like off of the field, and I don’t think I am the only one doing this.  Over all, this new form of media can directly connect fans to their favorite teams and players, and it is giving fans the opportunity to be involved with these people on a personal level that has not been seen before.