Introduction

Sport is now a more-or-less unavoidable part of contemporary society, a phenomenon that would have been inconceivable just 50 years ago. Since the late 1990s, widespread access to the internet and associated digital and social media, plus cheaper digital hardware with increasing functionality has only served to accelerate the omnipresence of media sport. Sport is now a more-or-less unavoidable part of contemporary society, a phenomenon that would have been inconceivable just 50 years ago. As a consequence, there are considerable organisational, technological and cultural considerations for modern sports journalists. The industry needs to interrogate and problematize its own professional practice not just in relation to the demands of digital media but also in relation to wider social issues and contexts. Some, and in particular print, media companies have arguably never recovered from this initial unwillingness to an embrace digital technology.