Posts by bowlesj:
Opinion: Being a Media Member in Today’s World
December 5th, 2011In the interest of full disclosure, I would not identify myself as a traditional member of the media.
Far from it actually.
You won’t see my name in a newspaper or on your local news. That is just not what I do, nor what I want to do.
I would honestly identify myself as a fan who loves to study what makes the sports world so compelling, and how it continues to change.
While most of my thoughts are related to college athletics, I believe they can pertain to media as a whole. We live in a world where information is being transmitted faster, and in forms we never imagined years ago. College athletics is not shielded from this transition.
I have observed this media world from both sides of the spectrum. I spent the majority of the last year working in media relations and concurrently as a member of the press.
I’ve seen my fair share of press conferences, both in preparation and as a journalist. I am not the prototypical hardened, experienced journalist. But I think that allows me to have a fresh take on what it’s like, and also share my thoughts and frustrations with what a new journalist will see when they cover their first game.
I’m not going to sit here and give you the stereotypical bullet points about the lack of money in the profession or the long hours. You know what you are signing up for, and the passion to stick with it is a must.
The Good: When people say they would love to be closer to the action – or more specifically the coaches and players – that isn’t some false image of grandeur. You are given access that isn’t shared with the general public.
If you are respectful to the people in charge, they may grant you interviews one-on-one with specific players. In non-revenue sports, the opportunities are endless for interviews as they welcome the exposure. I recommend covering smaller sports first to allow yourself to get comfortable in the media setting.
The general perks are a given with the free food, which I learned is always a great topic of conversation on gamedays as to how much the athletic department will shell out for the press. Then you have the press row seating, which is generally comfortable, albeit crammed in some places. But in Assembly Hall, a good seat is often a rarity.
The Bad: Have any of you ever listened to a post-game interview and heard a coach or player use the phrase, “We played a really good team tonight” or “We just have to keep getting better”?
There is a lot of that in the sports world.
As a fan you may just roll your eyes at it, but in the media it is waiting for you at every turn. As someone who tends to look for what is new or innovative, there is way too much political correctness in this profession. Yeah, as a journalist you are searching for that “nugget” of a quote, but often you keep looking only to get some generic talking point that is ultimately meaningless.
The Good: If I would have written this maybe 2-3 years ago, I would have harped on about schools not treating bloggers like journalists and how Twitter is treated like a second-class medium. But in 2011, I can finally say I’m pretty happy with how both collegiate and professional organizations have allowed bloggers to be included in the press.
I would be shocked to find a school or professional team that didn’t credential some sort of blogger. Just take a quick look across press row, and the majority of the press has Twitter opened up on their laptops and phones, covering the game.
The Bad: While some freedoms have been allowed in the past few years, I don’t want to lie to aspiring journalists and say members of the press have free rein to be creative. The restrictions range from the fine print on the back of the credentials limiting the amount of video that can be used after the game, to where certain media members may sit on press row.
As someone who is well aware of the importance of brand management, many of these rules do serve a purpose. I see why the Big Ten would frown on media members posting live video clips during a game, which makes sense as it is infringing on their product. But having worked from the side that makes the rules, much more could be allowed.
I have to be honest and say that having been on the side that controls the brand, often public relations is treated as if someone is watching over them ready to strike at the moment someone says something negative or does something unusual. I may be in the minority that feels strong enough to make my opinions known, but it needs to noted when talking about collegiate media as a whole.
However, the bottom line is that those in charge make the rules, and you have to respect them or you won’t be given any access at all.
—–
As far as whether or not you should be a member of the media in today’s age, my answer is a resounding ‘most definitely’. I always encourage underclassmen to try things out, and see what happens.
That is what this crazy thing we call college is all about. You see if you like it and if not, you move on.
I also have to make it clear that as a media member, try to think outside the box. Don’t write the same story everyone else writes. Find a new angle, use a new medium, have fun with it.
This is strictly one person’s opinion, and your editors and bosses may question my advice to play with the rules a little bit, but that is my advice for those who are coming into the sports world with no idea of what to do. Get yourself noticed and enjoy the experience.
I look forward to the coming years and seeing how the rules will change. Think of how different things were just five or ten years ago without Twitter.
It’s a changing world, will you keep up or will you let it pass you by?
Sounds of Assembly Hall – IU vs Butler
November 28th, 2011Photo courtesy of IU Athletics
The sounds of Assembly Hall.
Comments Off
Indiana-Evansville: A Visual Experience
November 17th, 2011The media experience can sometimes be an adventure and last night was no different.
I was able to talk to a fellow media member who told me he is a lawyer during the day and takes photographs of Indiana Basketball as a hobby traveling to games on the road. His passion gave me the idea of sharing the media experience at Evansville through images.
It also needs to be noted that the brand new Ford Center in Evansville is a beautiful facility. The $127.5 million spent were definitely put to great use.
For more photos, be sure to check out our game photo gallery over on Facebook at this link: IU/Evansville Photos
The first steps inside the Ford Center
The calm before the storm
The view from the press box
Game preparation
The tip-off
The game
The Press Conference
Hoosiers win 94-73.
Don’t forget to check out more photos on Facebook here: IU/Evansville Photos
Also be sure to read Tony Adragna’s Game Recap for more information on the Indiana victory.
Comments Off
Real-Time: Twitter reacts to the NBA Lockout
November 14th, 2011If you haven’t heard by now, the owner’s latest proposal to the Player’s Association was rejected setting up a long drawn out process of decertification that will put the entire 2011-12 NBA season in jeopardy. No matter how you spin it, this is a dark day for basketball fans.
So what did the “Twitterverse” have to say? Below you will find just a sample of some varying opinions between those of disgust and those who don’t seem to mind missing the season.
If you have any other thoughts on possibly losing the entire season, Tweet them our way over at @IUSportCom.
Comments Off
Real-Time: New Media and Education
October 31st, 2011Freshman year I took J110, “Intro to Journalism and Mass Communications”, a basic intro-lecture on the media world, how it started, and eventually evolved into what we know it as today. At the time, I was just some 18-year-old trying to figure out my major and how this crazy thing we call college actually works.
One day, my professor introduced the class to what for some was just forgettable material that could draw a test question or two. She showed us a 55-minute video presentation by Kansas State Professor Michael Wesch titled “An anthropological look at YouTube”. I remember most people dozing off, but I sat there and watched intently, not knowing how the video would ultimately shape my future.
The video discussed the project Dr. Wesch had given his students to create a “digital ethnography” of the life of a college student. The results were compiled into another YouTube video called “A Vision of Students Today” where students shared how they spent their days in college. The data is now several years old, but the numbers were eye-opening and can easily be related to today’s undergrads.
Dr. Wesch along with his students in Anthropology at Kansas State have since created another compilation of responses by asking students to “upload a video showing us your life, your school, and how you learn.” The videos have been put together into a stunning video collage at http://visionsofstudents.org/. I highly recommend checking out the website and just watching a few of the submissions to see how other students perceive our world.
That original presentation I watched nearly four years ago opened my eyes to new media and how the applications are endless. Think about how just four short years ago, none of us were using Twitter. Facebook was just becoming the juggernaut we see it as today and some of us may have still been using Myspace. Now we live in this world where everyone is on the web and we are using it for everything.
We talked about this phenomenon in another class that I feel would be beneficial to every college student in today’s world. T101, “Media Life”, taught by Professor Mark Deuze, looks at how we are all living through media. We are experiencing it through TV screens, our laptops, and our smart phones. As college students we are more in-tune with technology than our parents and grandparents so we see this shift in culture every single day. This idea can then be tied directly to our education and how we grow as adults.
As a student today, I live these experiences. Many of you reading this are going through it as well. We have our phones out in class, trying to hide it from our teacher’s view. We are on our laptops checking Facebook and Twitter when we should be paying attention. I am not afraid to admit it. We sit in those classes where the teachers read off of a PowerPoint presentation and all we can think about is what we are going to do when we finish our long, exhausting day. This is how we function.
In our modern culture of academia, students need to be more than just spoon-fed facts. There needs to be visuals and real-world applications that excite students and make them want to learn. I’m obviously only speaking from my own experiences, but my favorite classes have been those where I felt connected to the material. That feeling should be true for all classes that closely relate to what students plan on doing when they go out into the real world. If you are going to be a doctor, you better be engaged and want to learn how to be the best doctor there ever was.
I would really like some feedback on this idea. Do you feel as though your classes have inspired you to be a better learner? What can be done to breed creativity in the classroom? What teachers or classes have inspired you? Please let me know. Also, if you have time, check out some of these videos I highlighted above. You may learn something about how others view being a college student in today’s world.
Real-Time: The Death of Dan Wheldon
October 17th, 2011The tragic loss of two-time Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon Sunday sent shockwaves across the sports world. The fiery 15-car crash has been seen countless times on all major networks and viewed by millions on YouTube. When news hit that Wheldon was seriously injured and had eventually passed away, fans turned to Twitter for information.
Just minutes after the crash, I read a tweet from a friend that there had been a major wreck. I then immediately switched over to ABC to see what had happened and after seeing the first replay, I knew it was really bad. The aftermath was complete destruction. Having been a casual race fan for years, this was one of the worst wrecks I had ever seen. The next thing I hear, Dan Wheldon is said to be “in really bad shape”.
I began following search terms for anything relating to Dan Wheldon in order to see if anything was coming out regarding his status. Tweets were piling in at the rate of hundreds per second with fans trying to lend their thoughts and prayers. After nearly two hours with no official update and the race red-flagged, fans were still trying to find any information they could.
Highlighting the evils of social media, someone began spreading a fake tweet from Ashley Judd, the wife of fellow driver Dario Franchitti saying that Wheldon had passed away. Once a few people saw it, it began spreading like wildfire. I quickly began telling friends not to spread it and that it was made up, but the story still spread.
This is another example of the dangers of using Twitter as people will spread information without checking the sources. I have always said Twitter is not to blame for the problem. People must be aware of what they are posting and use some form of common sense.
As fans continued to follow on their phones and computers for concrete information, ABC showed fellow driver Danica Patrick noticeably crying before crew members shadowed her from the camera’s view. This was the moment many fans, myself included, began to expect the very worst.
A friend whose brother works for IndyCar had been texting me updates throughout the afternoon on Wheldon’s status. At 5:42pm, just minutes before the official announcement by IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, I received a text saying that Wheldon had passed away. My heart immediately sunk. Minutes later fellow driver Max Papis tweeted out, “I will miss u forever @danwheldon forever”.
Following the announcement, fans immediately responded with their condolences. The drivers agreed to an emotional five-lap tribute for Wheldon that was one of the hardest things I have ever had to watch as a sports fan. Video of the tribute can be seen at this link.
As tragic an event this was for the Wheldon family and the racing world, the tragedy has shown where so many people turn for real-time information around the world. The ability for people to receive information so quickly from a variety of sources has the allowed the world to be more in-tune with what is happening at any given moment. Social media has become such an important part of our everyday lives and will continue to be a way we communicate for many years to come.
RIP Dan Wheldon, you will be missed.
Comments Off
Real-Time: Wild Card Wednesday Edition
September 29th, 2011This is the first edition of “Real-Time“. A place where each week we will take a look at everything the sports world is talking about on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and everywhere else on the web. Feel free to submit anything that catches your eye to @IUSportCom and we will make sure to share it on our next edition.
Wednesday night was all about baseball and the wildcard race. Unless you were living under a rock, you experienced something special. Three close games that directly decided the playoff race, two walk-offs, and just drama galore. Here is a look at what the people were saying.
Comments Off
No blocking this YouTube sensation
September 22nd, 2011This is part three of a three part series profiling how lesser known professional athletes are making a name for themselves in the world of Social Media.
Part One: Colts’ McAfee Finds Audience Through Social Media
Part Two: Marlins’ Morrison Makes Splash on Twitter
The sport of rally car racing may not have mass appeal in the United States, but with the recent inclusion into the X-Games in 2006, as well as the popular “Colin McRae: Dirt” video game series, the internationally dominated sport has been growing domestically.
A key figure in this American rally revolution is Ken Block. He is a professional rally driver and the Chief Brand Officer for sports apparel juggernaut DC Shoes. He is famously known for his highly-popular YouTube videos that have gained as many as 36 million views. His #43 Subaru Impreza is also featured on the cover of the popular video game Dirt 2. He can also be seen in his new Ford Fiesta rally car in the recently released sequel Dirt 3.
On the racing side, Ken Block is also the only American driver to compete in the World Rally Championships, one of the most popular motorsports events in the world. While success has been limited overseas, he has multiple top-five finishes on the USA circuit and most recently a silver medal at X-Games XIII.
While success on the track is important, Ken Block has separated himself as a brand through the use of social media. The success of his YouTube videos and the DC Shoes brand gained him notoriety in Sports Business Journal’s “40 under 40” and #17 on the list of “Most Influential People in Action Sports” in 2004.
His Facebook page has nearly two million fans, a number that rivals the likes of Lance Armstrong or Kevin Durant. He uses the page as his main avenue of connecting with fans whereas other athletes and celebrities tend to lean more towards Twitter. His fan base is highly interactive, sharing videos and photos across the web like a wildfire.
The most popular series of videos produced by Ken Block and DC Shoes are based on a type of motorsport called “Gymkhana”. It involves a highly-complicated rally course where drivers must memorize sharp turns and complete the course as quickly and with as few mistakes as possible. The result is an exhilarating mix of speed and skill that fans won’t see on the NASCAR ovals every weekend. He can also add a little “Hollywood” to the production making the finished product a spectacle for rally fans.
As of April 2011, the series had reached over 105 million total views and earned various awards from YouTube and web-marketing websites. Ken Block is a great example of how the potential power of YouTube for stars in the sports world is exponential. Sports that are growing must look to YouTube to help build popularity through viral marketing.
Be sure to check out Ken Block & DC Shoes on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KenBlockRacing & on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/DCshoesFILM
Comments Off
IUSC 2011 NBA Draft Chat
June 23rd, 2011Click Here to join the IUSC 2011 NBA Draft Chat
Comments Off
Marlins’ Morrison Makes Splash With Fans On Twitter
June 9th, 2011This is part two of a three part series profiling how lesser known professional athletes are making a name for themselves in the world of Social Media.
Part One: Colts’ McAfee Finds Audience Through Social Media
You wouldn’t think many people would care about some 23-year old left fielder for the small market Florida Marlins. Yet somehow Logan Morrison has found a way to gain the attention of his more than 34,000 Twitter followers. Those numbers would even comfortably beat the team’s average home crowd on a given night.
Morrison was the #2 prospect in the Florida Marlins minor league organization before being called up last July. In just one year’s time he has earned the everyday starting position in left field, batting .289 with 21 RBIs and 7 HRs. He has a been a key piece in helping the Marlins to a 31-29 record so far this season, just five games behind the Phillies.
His twitter account, @LomoMarlins, has been the most important asset in making him such a compelling figure to fans across the league. Whether it be answering fans questions or providing a likely sarcastic commentary on his view of the world, the fans keep coming back for more.
When you first follow Morrison, you may receive a direct message thanking you for taking the time to follow. Whether or not this is actually Morrison sending them or one of those automated applications that are becoming more and more popular, it is good to see athletes showing their appreciation in some form or another. The message I received read, “Hey thanks for the follow. I love to Tweet & love to interact. Make sure to say hello.” Simple things like this make Logan Morrison stand out.
You’ll see posts ranging from his fear of a family intervention dealing with his Twitter use to a comical look at him trying to get his fictional pet Gorilla “Dimples” on his apartment lease to even hugging old guys that as he said were “definitely not Veterans” on Veteran’s Day. He also shared some of his dating tips in a visit to the MLB Fan Cave. These make up a normal day in the world of @LomoMarlins.
Most people in the world of sports know the fans in Philadelphia can be the most ruthless when it comes to opposing players and teams. However, of all people, Logan Morrison seems to have broken this seemingly unbreakable boundary by gaining a loyal following of Phillies fans. Of course part of his key to their hearts included cheering on the Flyers in the NHL Playoffs and joking about how the only way to prepare for Phillies ace Roy Halladay was to pray. A little pandering can go a long way.
He even did an autograph signing in the Philadelphia area to raise money for the American Association of Lung Cancer, the disease that took his father during the off-season. From all accounts, the line of fans went out the door and the event was a huge success as Morrison has been a strong ambassador in the fight against Lung Cancer. In a very emotional moment that caught the attention of the baseball world, he dedicated his opening day home run to his father.
USA Today, ESPN, and other media outlets have highlighted the outfielder’s success through Social Media with Morrison responding by saying ”I don’t take it seriously at all.” This obviously struck the wrong cord with Marlins President David Samson who made it clear that one big misstep can take it all away. He has urged Morrison to be careful with what he says via his social media persona. Many MLB teams have curtailed use by players in an effort to keep them focused on the game and away from possible scrutiny.
Owners need to understand the benefits will outweigh the potential problems over time. The bottom line is fans want to be connected to their teams and favorite players. It may be hard to gauge the impact Logan Morrison has had on the Florida Marlins organization, but it would be hard for someone to honestly say it has been negative.
Logan Morrison and his success story in the Social Media world is a prime example of why it is a crucial mistake for teams to ban or censor players from using various forms of Social Media. It is obvious that not everyone is going to be a Logan Morrison, but as he has proven, social networks give fans the opportunity to connect with lesser known players and their teams. To remove that connection would risk losing fans and the opportunity to expand a fanbase. Hopefully someday they will learn how big of a mistake this really can be. Until then, the Logan Morrison’s of the world will ensure the fans are closer than ever.
Be sure to follow @LoMoMarlins on Twitter.
Stay tuned for part three in our series of professional athlete success stories. The next athlete to be profiled is professional rally driver Ken Block (@kblock43)
Comments Off