Sports and society have a close relationship because they have elements of popularudentertainment and leisure. Media is capable of translating popular sportsudinformation through the content of sports column. Most of newspapers inudMalaysia have its own sport sections. Newspaper industry views sport space as audstrategy and value added in' the newspaper setting for improving readership andudcirculation of their publications. Thus, the study shows the practice of sportsudjournalism is very important to give strength to the newspaper sports column inudMalaysia. This study focuses on sports journalism, print media in the Malayudlanguage in Malaysia with a focus on the sports content profile, the perception ofudsports editor, sports journalism practices, as well as factors and the importance ofudthe publication of the newspaper sports column. Content analysis method wasudused to study the newspaper sports column from the two leading mediaudorganizations, namely Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian. Media economicudtheory is used as the framework of study. The results show the prevailingudimbalance of information published in the newspaper sports column. The news ofudinternational sports and overseas athletes are given more space than locals' localudnews in the Malaysian newspaper sports section. Advertisements are also foundudto have considerable influence on the newspaper sports section. The element ofudcontiguity or proximity (events that occur close to the reader) is not a priorityudelement in sports news. The study also found that in order to ensure the survivaludof newspapers through newspaper advertising revenues, the media would giveudpriority to advertising space. The results reveal that sports section need to sacrificeudspace to advertisements, and this creates constraints on the sports news andudinformation for publication. Qualitative findings showed that sports editors andudjournalists in Malaysia do not have an ethical sports journalism guidelines orudcodes of practice as being practiced in the West. Thus, the daily practice of ethicsudand practice are based on their own judgments and their 'professionalism as audmedia reporter. The study found that all newspaper editors believed that a sportsudsection is a must in a newspaper due to its attraction and followers, which isudcapable of generating advertising revenue and increasing newspaper circulation.udThis study also shows that placement of news and articles of sport in the sportudsections is based on the media economic fundamentals which focuses onud. newspaper market and advertising revenue. Newspapers sport section has alsoudsuccumbed to the modem theory of journalism as a result of the competition ofudthe sports information through the advent of the new media.'
展开▼
