The view from the boundary: how journalists cover county cricket in the digital age

Jones, Richard

Abstract

County cricket was a traditional mainstay of sports media in the UK, especially in the written press and on television. However, years of intense financial pressure and technological disruption affecting both local journalism and cricket itself have led to concerns the domestic game is less visible than it once was. This study aims to establish how county cricket is covered today. A series of semi-structured interviews are being carried out to explore the working practices of county cricket journalists. This includes staff reporters and freelancers working across a range of outlets in the modern, fragmented media landscape: legacy newspapers, specialist online and print publications, BBC local radio, county clubs’ own media channels and through the ECB-funded Reporters’ Network. The project will offer analysis and insights to help better understand the challenges and opportunities of working in county cricket journalism and recommendations as to what steps might be taken to help preserve and strengthen this area of media coverage in the future.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Cricket Research Network conference
• Start Date: Feb 13, 2025
• End Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Acceptance Date: Nov 29, 2024
• Publication Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed