The Media Handbook - Introduction

Athletes are like performers. They are the actors in the production process. They are the spotlight, the protagonists, the stars. They are who we see on screens. They are the ones that earn the big bucks, the faces that you have posters on in your bedroom. They are the ones with the most followers on social media, the ones that fans will travel a sea-length to see. 

But who are actors without their fans, their agent, their backstage staff, their director, their marketing crew, their promoters, their logistic managers, and more of the entire manpower that goes into their success. Who are they without the people who put them on the screens?

I began this chapter by saying a huge thank you to every single person involved in the vast industry of sports media. The critics, the commentators, the reporters, the writers, the publishers, the TV crew, the cameraman, the broadcaster, the directors, the commissioners, and so much more that goes into putting a Sunday Night football game on your screen, a Premier League game on your TV, a Playoff series on your tablet. Thank you for keeping our sports alive, thriving, better than ever. 

I think people underappreciate how big of a job our modern broadcasting system is. Not just the landslide of work that goes into the logistical part of the delivery, including the graphical intricacies that the modern livestreams necessitates, and not just the impeccable accuracy that comes into the ground crew’s planning heading into gameday. I’m talking about every single person that is involved. The contracting deals way before the season actually starts, the entire organisation and planning of a sporting league season, the media and image right contracts. The establishment of the laws of the game, including seasonal amendments to make sure the games are fair and competitive. The engineers setting up the sound system at the stadium, the graphic designers preparing the pre-match graphics, the stewards with their backs to the field making sure the fans are watching instead of streaking, the police divisions that regulates gameday traffic and crowd control, the ticketing office to make sure that each attendee has paid, the bundle of cameramen around the field, the on field reporters and journalists, the press in the conference room, the equipment managers, the commentators in the commentary box, the broadcasting units, the referees, the technicians, the fans, and so many more dedicated personnel, as equally as important as all mentioned, that brings the game alive. So, a huge thank you!

As an athlete, I think we subconsciously treat the great opportunities we are granted everyday with such disregard frequently. We are truly blessed, and fortuned, to be provided with such a stage for our games. No matter the level we are currently playing at, that be at the high school level, or in the top leagues, we are absolutely gifted with a great stage for us to play on. So, thank you again!

Before we formally begin this chapter, I think we ought to truly understand how the media functions in the first place.