1. Introduction: why sports journalism matters; 2. Under pressure: critical issues in sports journalism; 3. Writing about sport: Saturday sports specials and the changing local press; 4. Sport on the radio: BBC Radio 5 Live, talkSPORT and the sports news agenda; 5. Television sport: the rise and fall of BBC Grandstand and how we watch sport now; 6. Sports broadcasting after the pandemic: how football commentators work; 7. Sports journalism in practice: reporting on county cricket; 8. The boys of summer: sports journalism and club media in rugby league; 9. Struggling for air: the case of swimming and the media; 10. In the neutral corner: boxing journalism amid a changing media environment; 11. Gender and working practices in sports journalism; 12. Conclusion: why sports journalism matters more than ever; Appendix; Index
Biography
Richard Jones is Director of Media, Film, Journalism, Politics and History at the University of Salford, UK. Before working in academia, he was a journalist for Sky News and the BBC, among others. This is his second book. His first, Reporting the Courts (Routledge 2024), examined the working practices of court journalists.
“This insightful and timely book offers a compelling examination of the evolving landscape of sports journalism in the UK. The book makes a significant contribution to contemporary debates in sports media and communication, with some particularly important reflections on gender, representation, and the growing visibility of women’s sport."
Rafaelle Nicholson, University of Bournemouth, UK
“Richard Jones has conducted original and archival research to provide a fascinating insight into where sports journalism in the UK has come from, where it is now, and where it is going to. Richard deftly chronicles how once-prominent sports in the UK are now marginalised within the media, driven by technological and globalisation forces, and how the working practices of non-football journalists have shifted towards remote and precarious labour. This book has produced important insights into the challenges - and opportunities - that UK sports journalists now face in delivering a public service.”
Simon McEnnis, University of Brighton, UK
“A thoughtful, engaging and important book that understands sport is never just sport. With clarity and conviction, it explains why sports journalism still matters in an age of platforms, streaming and endless content.”
Roger Domeneghetti, Northumbria University, UK, and author of From the Back Page to the Front Room: Football’s Journey Through the English Media
“This is a theoretically informed and empirically rich, accessible and engaging compilation of topics, wonderfully suited to students of sports journalism."
Hannah Thompson-Radford, University of Swansea, UK
“Sports Journalism in the UK is a compelling and informed journey through the evolution of sports coverage in the digital and social media age, and since the arrival of subscription TV. Richard Jones' book examines how the creation and delivery of content, as well as coverage itself, has been shaped to reflect modern media practices and the shift from traditional newsroom culture to contemporary media landscapes.”
Chris Lepkowski, Birmingham City University, UK
“Sports Journalism in the UK is a very ambitious project, but also a hugely successful one. It is an important book which touches on all key media operations that one needs to know about working in the present-day sports media industry. The range of sports covered throughout the book paints a refreshingly accurate picture of the variety and vibrancy of this exciting sector. It is must-have reading for any sports journalism module or course, and for anyone with an interest in how sports journalism has developed up to the present day. Who wouldn’t want to work in the sports media after reading this?”
Joe Smith, University of Leicester, UK
"Sports journalism has never been more expansive. This engaging and excellently timed analysis of the industry's past, present and future offers crucial insight in a world with an increasingly short attention span."
Paul Marsden, Leeds Beckett University, UK
