Access denied: an examination of sports journalism and college athletics through the lens of gatekeeping theory

Abstract

A phenomenon encompassing the access sports journalists are increasingly denied, when compared to how athletic departments have increasingly become more self-media-centric, is a unique and timely topic of study in the ever-growing space of media development in the digital age. In this master’s report, I conducted interviews and a literature review within a small case study, using gatekeeping theory as a lens to view the relationship between journalists and athletic departments, with members of the media who cover Kansas State University Athletics and University of Kansas Athletics. The individuals interviewed included a diverse range of traditional media members and hybrid media members (individuals who utilize traditional and non-traditional media as a means of disseminating information) with the purposes of determining the reasoning for why athletic departments deny access to journalists, their perceptions on the relationships between athletic departments and journalists who cover them, and their methods for acquiring information when access is denied. All identifying information has been removed from the interviews to preserve ethical research integrity. Results included the emphasis on developing interpersonal relationships with Sports Information Directors (SIDs) who act as institutional gatekeepers, the need of diversification of information dissemination on the media level and literacy with social media methods, and the perception that media members who are increasingly denied access in favor of increasingly media-centric athletic departments need to shift their information dissemination methodology or be lost in the transition to the fully digital age. In this master’s report, I provide recommendations on how to further study this phenomenon and to further develop the gap in the literature that is specific to this issue.