From objective to bullish: Covering sports for a college

Poynter's Romenesko points out a good read out of Harrisonburg, Va., today.

Colleges are hiring official sports writers.

Dustin Dopirak writes about how more newspaper sports reporters are jumping to college athletic departments. "We wanted to create a position that informed our fans directly," said U.Va. executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver.

Now, that sounds like traditional PR, but the story is worth reading. There's more to it. Hiring sports writers is a trend that began with the pros. Sites like MLB.com and NFL.com employ beat writers for each of their teams.

Is this sports journalism or the impression of journalism? These writers are not going to write controversial stories that their employers don't want them to break.

As newsrooms downsize, travel becomes limited, and journalists redefine themselves, what happens to objectivity? What do the fans, sports customers, want?

What happens to stories about the business of sports?

The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism will be hosting a workshop on covering the Business of Sports March 10, 2010, in Indianapolis.

Stay tuned.