ABSTRACT
Digital media have influenced everyday life to a large extent. They have particular influence on jobs in the communication realm such as journalism. Clubs and federations communicate directly with their reference groups without being reliant on intermediate traditional media. Consequently, they have acquired communicative superiority in the highly competitive field of professional sports information. This research addresses how collaboration and relationships between sports and media work through expert interviews with the head spokespersons of 18 German Bundesliga clubs and an online survey among print sports journalists who report on these clubs (adjusted sample N = 174). An integrative analysis contrasts results from spokespersons and journalists. Both sides see journalists as more dependent on the spokespersons than vice versa. None of the spokespersons interprets their role as a service provider for the media but journalists do. Additionally, 87 percent of the journalists expect clubs to increase pressure on their reporting in the future. Assessing honesty, more than 90 percent state that spokespersons withhold certain information or do not tell the truth constantly. Also, 73 percent criticize authorization of interviews as modern censorship. The digital revolution, however, has changed journalistic roles and initiated a journalistic advancement as illustrated by new sports channels, programs, and formats.
