ABSTRACT
The sports journalism field operates within the broader Australian media system, but has become an important space for its contribution towards society, news-gathering and publishing. An increasing number of online publications, the fragmenting of audiences and rises in the economic capital of sports organisations have altered these structures, providing new challenges for sports journalism and its journalists. In this chapter, the nation’s media system is outlined briefly, before the importance of Australian sports journalism is explained. Aspects related to the business of sport and media content are discussed before an overview of the 120 sports journalists in this study, including women in the newsroom. Through this analysis, the perceptions of the roles and threats of sports journalists are detailed. The work of journalists in Australia has changed considerably since the rise of the internet and digital media, the impact of the Global Financial Crisis and the rapid expansion of social media. The journalists outline a number of threats that have emerged within the changing media environment.
