Concussion, Sport and the U.S. Media

Concussion, Sports and the Media

Sports Concussion SummitThe University of MichiganInjury Center

September 24, 2015

Joanne C. GerstnerSports journalist and author, w/New York Times, USA Today, ESPN, Detroit News, PGA Magazine

Sports Journalist in Residence, Michigan State University School of Journalism

2012-13 University of Michigan Knight-Wallace Fellow, studying sports neurology

2015 Jacobs Foundation Neuroscience Fellow

No disclosures

Concussions make newsBut why?Who is doing the reporting?What affects the reporting?

Is pop culture/concussions/sports a new thing?

Simple Google search of concussions and sports3.1 million general results in less than a second.Googles suggested follow-up query, Which sport has the most concussions?

Narrowed search, to news, produced 110,000 results from the week of Sept. 14.Most were about youth sports, or football-related.Source: Google search, conducted Sept. 20

Social media.

And on TV.

Around 2007, New York Times Sports reporter Alan Schwartz starts focusing on football/concussions. His focus, combined with the high-profile suicides of Dave Duerson (2011), Junior Seau (2012), lawsuits v. NHL/NFL = more coverage

Evolution of media attention toward concussion & sports

Progression over past decade

Some things to understandalso known asmedia 101 The public has more choices than ever for news sources: traditional newspapers, TV, magazines, radio, social media, outlets/websites with a slant (Fox/MSNBC), experts of all stripes using media platforms to promote themselves. The public can be confused by real outlets, pundits, those pushing products/agendas, fans all claiming to be news sources and reliable content providers.

Changes in U.S. Media decline in print since 2000 full-time staffing cutbacks rise in freelance or unpaid content providers

U.S. Print Media under pressure:

What does that mean?

There are 20,000 fewer journalists working in newspapers today, than in 2000. Newspapers have been the backbone of journalism in the U.S., able to do more in-depth and aggressive coverage than TV/radio, usually because of space and stronger staffing.

The pressures of the job have increased. The Internet, 24-hour news cycle, social media, pressure to be first and make money for your employer through clicks, ads and going viral all weigh on todays sports/general media.

It adds up to: less time to report deeply, quicker content cycle. more temptation to go for the click-worthy headline/content/video, stirring things up to go viral.

- Sources for data: Pew Research Center State of the Media report 2015.

More factors for media and sports/concussions:

Fewer editors reading stories due to cutbacks in management. And younger, freelance reporters.

HIPPA and FERPA limits, perceived and real.

Fear of litigation, with schools/sports information/sports administration concerned about concussion suits.

Medical professionals who wont to speak to the media, even on broad topics or those not permitted to do so.

Poor relationships between media and entities

Reporters arent neurologists. And neurologists arent reporters. Speaking two different languages.

Knowing Sequelae, and running gamers for the 2-dotusually not in the same universe.

Hollywood: influencing media and public

Movie: The College CoachYear: 1933

The best part of the movie.

Flash forward eight decades - to whats slated for release Dec. 25, 2015

This is the movie advertising as everything the NFL doesnt want you to see

(USA Today, Sept. 2, 2015)

Movie: ConcussionYear: 2015

The differences? The Public viewed the College Coach as fictional entertainment, based on college football.

Concussion is likely to be taken as whole truth, not a dramatic, scripted movie, given the current media narrative and public sentiment about football and concussion.

And yes, some people have turned Star Wars into a religion. (seriously called Jediism)

Conclusions:

Increased awareness of concussions and sports is important for the public.

Media, especially sports journalists, play an important role as translational communicators between neurology/medicine, athletes and the public/audiences.

The decade-long downturn in newspapers, due to technological upheaval, layoffs in U.S. media sectors of full-time employees leads to pressures of elevated workloads, immediacy due to 24/7 news cycle and multiple platforms, and acute competition for clicks, eyeballs and virality.

Sizzle, aka the scary, sells concussions quicker in Hollywood since the 1930s. Sorry Fresh Prince, youre not the first.

Sports medicine, media relations, and journalists all need to work better together to communicate as much truth as possible while still maintaining medical and privacy rights.

Joanne C. Gerstner

contact information:Email: joanneg@MSU.edu

Twitter: @joannecgerstner

Website: joannecgerstner.com