Sports reporting is evolving
Modern sports teams utilize analytics to aid in putting together lineups and game plans, and in the same way, reporters take advantage of these advanced statistics to strengthen their work. While a team's marketing department may release these analytics in press releases only when the numbers serve as promotional material, there are several avenues through which today's sports journalists can access, decipher, and ultimately use this innovation. In a sort of "trickle-down" scenario, reporters covering professional teams started using these statistics, and now college beat writers and reporters have more opportunities for implementation than ever. This is particularly important for the Razorback beat, as the college teams at the University of Arkansas serve as the state's stand-in professional team. With this information, it becomes extremely evident that the evolution of sports analytics should ultimately result in an increase in use throughout the beat's reporting techniques. Alas, that has not happened, and as evidenced in my thesis paper, Advanced Statistics in Arkansas Sports Reporting (2019), only two journalists actively used these numbers at the time of submission. The paper attempts to explain the reasons for this as well as give examples that should encourage the beat's reporters to invest in the necessary tools for implementation.
If one accessed the news website FiveThirtyEight on October 15, 2018, the main story on the homepage was entitled titled “2018-19 NBA Predictions” by writer Jay Boice. The article is simply a large graphic filled with a series of numbers that ranked professional basketball teams from first to last in the slot in which the Elo ratings, an analytics-based algorithm, predicted they would finish. A small explanation at the bottom of the page describes the methods behind the data, including the metric: “These forecasts are based on 50,000 simulations of the rest of the season. Elo ratings are a measure of team strength based on head-to-head results, margin of victory and quality of opponent.” This is just one of many analytics-based pieces that FiveThirtyEight has become known for since its inception. Modern technology and the pursuit of advantages in sports have both evolved in recent years, and so have the statistics that can predict how a player, team, or system may perform. In my master’s thesis project, I will document this overarching evolution, how it is changing sports reporting, and the potential to change sports reporting in Arkansas, a state that is known for its quality sports reporting in older forms. Writers for the statewide newspaper typically base their reporting exclusively on quotes and box scores rather than advanced statistics. On the same October day, the lead sports article on the Democrat-Gazette website is titled “Hogs familiar with blowing late leads.” In the piece, journalist Bob Holt breaks down why the Razorbacks football team has been terrible at holding leads since 2012. Holt uses a plethora of mathematical arguments to back up his claim. There were not any predictive statistics, but they were analytical, and the article was dotted with quotes from several players and Arkansas’ coach. Holt, a two-time Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year recipient, represents the old guard of sports journalists in the state. These individuals believed in quote-centered reporting and box-score comparisons, which replaced the play-by-play system employed by writers before radio and television. Now, as reporting continues to shift toward a more analytical track with expanding technology and techniques, I sought to answer a basic question in my thesis project: are Arkansas sports writers missing an evolutionary component to their work? My research included interviews with journalists and coaches who use sports analytics as well as journalists who do not use them. I attempted to explain whether one can expect to see advanced-statistical journalism become widely adopted in Arkansas. Do Arkansas sports journalists have the requisite skills in statistics? The interviews I conducted are posted in feature-style stories posted on this website. This, combined with a research paper element, make up the bulk of my master’s thesis. |