Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles

This article examines the political turn in sports podcasting, focusing on the blurring and evolving boundaries of journalistic roles. The US-based sports podcasts Social Sport, Burn It All Down, and Edge of Sports offer three case studies of how podcasting opens space for politicizing sports covera...

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Main Authors: Kim Fox, David O. Dowling, Kyle J. Miller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cogitatio 2025-01-01
Series:Media and Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8975
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author Kim Fox
David O. Dowling
Kyle J. Miller
author_facet Kim Fox
David O. Dowling
Kyle J. Miller
author_sort Kim Fox
collection DOAJ
description This article examines the political turn in sports podcasting, focusing on the blurring and evolving boundaries of journalistic roles. The US-based sports podcasts Social Sport, Burn It All Down, and Edge of Sports offer three case studies of how podcasting opens space for politicizing sports coverage beyond scores and highlights. Podcast coverage of sports has adapted by enhancing a focus on the political implications of athletes’ personal stories. Analysis of episodic content and interview correspondence with podcast hosts focuses on how the podcast medium has opened new spaces advancing the cultural discourse on how issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion impact athletes’ lives. Our results indicate the affordances unique to the podcast medium, like temporality, have enabled the expansion of journalistic roles and performance to include advocacy functions and leaning toward more socially progressive content than traditional media coverage has allowed.
format Article
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publishDate 2025-01-01
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record_format Article
series Media and Communication
spelling doaj-art-10d799ffdc1d4b189e6af27800d2b88f2025-08-20T03:40:25ZengCogitatioMedia and Communication2183-24392025-01-0113010.17645/mac.89753947Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic RolesKim Fox0David O. Dowling1Kyle J. Miller2Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, The American University in Cairo, EgyptSchool of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Iowa, USASchool of Communication and Mass Media, Northwest Missouri State University, USAThis article examines the political turn in sports podcasting, focusing on the blurring and evolving boundaries of journalistic roles. The US-based sports podcasts Social Sport, Burn It All Down, and Edge of Sports offer three case studies of how podcasting opens space for politicizing sports coverage beyond scores and highlights. Podcast coverage of sports has adapted by enhancing a focus on the political implications of athletes’ personal stories. Analysis of episodic content and interview correspondence with podcast hosts focuses on how the podcast medium has opened new spaces advancing the cultural discourse on how issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion impact athletes’ lives. Our results indicate the affordances unique to the podcast medium, like temporality, have enabled the expansion of journalistic roles and performance to include advocacy functions and leaning toward more socially progressive content than traditional media coverage has allowed.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8975activismadvocacyjournalistic rolespodcastingsports media
spellingShingle Kim Fox
David O. Dowling
Kyle J. Miller
Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles
Media and Communication
activism
advocacy
journalistic roles
podcasting
sports media
title Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles
title_full Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles
title_fullStr Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles
title_full_unstemmed Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles
title_short Advocacy and Activism in Sports Podcasts: Expanding Journalistic Roles
title_sort advocacy and activism in sports podcasts expanding journalistic roles
topic activism
advocacy
journalistic roles
podcasting
sports media
url https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8975
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AT davidodowling advocacyandactivisminsportspodcastsexpandingjournalisticroles
AT kylejmiller advocacyandactivisminsportspodcastsexpandingjournalisticroles