I was recently asked to participate in a “Sports and Social Media” panel at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. Along with several other panelists — including Warren Miller (director of public relations for the San Diego Padres) and Kirk Morrison (linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars) — I did my best to explain why social media has affected sports in such a significant way.
It’s not just that it’s trendy and fun — (and honestly, sometimes it’s not even fun … Ever had angry fans vent to you after a team loss? Not fun!) — it’s that social media has affected the way journalists break news, as well as the way we treat accuracy and responsibility in our profession. When we first started using Twitter at the Union-Tribune, we had many conversations about how to prioritize social networking. (“Do we break news on Twitter first? What about time stamps? What about the viability of our print product?”) And now, Twitter trumps all. In fact, there’s a running joke that nothing is official unless placed on Twitter or Facebook. 
And with that freedom comes responsibility. How much credence do we give fans? How much do we engage? How much personal information should an athlete give out? Then there’s the matter of accuracy. We’ve chased down viral tweets before, only to find out they were rumors that other journalists were reporting as fact.
It was fascinating to listen to Kirk Morrison explain how athletes use Twitter to build their brand and to connect with fans. For fans, there is something so personal about social networking. I’ve had fans tell me it makes their day to get a reply or retweet from an athlete they adore. There’s a likability to it — fans feel like athletes are their “friends” — that would have never been experienced 10 years ago.
It’s amazing (and scary, haha!) to think about where we might be in the next ten years.
