Friday, December 3, 2010

My last journalism reflection: Sports on NPR?

This week I'm really extending my boundaries. I actually went to the NPR Website to look, or listen I should say to a couple stories. Lucky enough for me, I first see a sports story on the World Cup bids going to Russia and Qatar for 2018 and 2022. First off, I really enjoyed the pieces, both of them. I'll get to the second here in just a bit, but the first one intrigued me because it gave me a perspective I may not have seen if I watched this story on Sportscenter. Because we live in America, I feel like the media would have at least some sort of negative slant to the U.S. not getting the world cup bids for either year. NPR told the story from a different perspective, another country's. The story sounded great.

NPR told the story from Russia and Qatar's perspective, two countries not known for their soccer. Qatar became the first country in the middle east to win a world cup bid Thursday. In the press conference, it seemed like the Qatar committee sounded so happy that FIFA (Federation International Futbol Association) had 'given them a chance.' The story coming from people there that have such happy feelings about winning the bid makes me happy for them getting it. NPR didn't do the story about how the 'U.S. did not get the respect it deserves in the soccer world once again.' Most other stations probably would have.

And now to the meaty story. Go figure that on the night where I'd want to watch one of the biggest NBA games of the season, I wouldn't be able to do it. Last night, Lebron James came back to his home area of Northeastern Ohio to screams of boos from the Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Can you blame the Cavaliers fans? No not really. Heck, I held extremely mad feelings myself towards the man who jumped ship from the city that loved him and in doing so broke the hearts of millions of Clevelanders. Hearing the package first though on the radio instead of TV brought a new meaning to the story. You have to visualize what had happened as you listened to the story. I'm not sure if I would have felt the same magnitude had I watched a package on this first instead.

After hearing all the boos, I almost got chills up and down my neck. It makes me want to actually watch the piece on television even more now. I can only imagine how bad he got hassled last night. Anyways, listening to these sports stories on the radio first just fascinated me because having to dream up the picture in your mind makes the story more impacting in a way than seeing it on television, if the reporter does it correctly. However, it might have been nice if the reporter had a CCC!

Listen to the story


King James 'smiling' as everyone boos him at the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday night.

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