ABSTRACT
Sports journalism is no longer purely a professional practice in the way that amateur bloggers have adopted its forms, styles and practices. Sports journalists have a reputation for soft news, opinion and subjectivity yet these are traits that are easily adopted by fans. However, bloggers are also making important contributions to sports journalism in broadening the news agenda to include marginalised voices and under-represented groups. The existence of bloggers raises important questions as to what makes sports journalists professionally distinctive. Sports journalists rely heavily on their access to professional sports as a boundary marker that includes outsiders. However, bloggers and influencers are increasingly gaining the inside track as media managers start to recognise their promotional potential to reach significant audiences. Sports journalists therefore need to decide whether to continue to work with bloggers in rather superficial ways or to make a more substantive commitment to collaboration on serious news work.
