The Journal of Sports Media seeks to fill a need today for an academic/research outlet for the growing field of sports media. To many mainstream academicians the topic of ‘sports media’ is looked down upon as frivolous, inconsequential and extraneous compared to research on ‘serious’ media issues. Perhaps this is why no journal dedicated to the topic has been developed to this point. However, this view is changing as more colleges and universities have developed programs geared around sports journalism. One of the reasons for this change has been the realization that sports media and its ancillary issues cross every boundary of academic research and touch almost every individual, whether he or she has an interest in sports or not. For example, the controversy over Janet Jackson’s performance at the Super Bowl raised several issues related to sports media, including regulation, economics, culture and public relations. The Journal of Sports Media seeks to explore these many issues through a variety of scientific approaches and journalistic disciplines.
The Journal of Sports Media is edited and produced through the Journalism Department at the University of Mississippi, and published by University of Nebraska Press. It also has a blog site, in which sports media researchers are encouraged to discuss important current issues.
