Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
79
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
79-84
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
This article analyzes the forms of sports journalism that have emerged as a result of the specialization of journalism
and the transformation of genres in traditional journalism.
KEYWORDS
Specialization process, sports journalism, journalistic education, traditional journalism, online journalism.
INTRODUCTION
Today, sports are observed not only as recreational
activities or means of promoting health but also as a
propaganda machine aimed at deeply and effectively
embedding ideas and perspectives in a global context.
Such phenomena are vividly manifested in the
implementation of a country’s traditions and missions
during prestigious championships or competitions.
This promotional work is inevitably enhanced by the
involvement of journalists, bloggers, and influencers,
who are masters of the audiovisual communication
network. Sports journalists play a crucial role as the
locomotives of this network, demonstrating an
unbiased journalistic perspective while showing
neutrality towards any idea or viewpoint
—
this
requires great courage. As specialists covering the
sports field, sports journalists must prioritize the trust
placed in them above any personal interests. They
should take on all necessary responsibilities for the
development of the field, approaching their work in a
way that sets a professional example for the younger
Research Article
THE PRESSING ISSUES IN TRAINING SPORTS JOURNALISTS
Submission Date:
October 03, 2024,
Accepted Date:
October 08, 2024,
Published Date:
October 13, 2024
Crossref doi
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajps/Volume04Issue10-12
Ergash Boborajabov
Doctor of Philosophy in Philology (PhD), Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajps
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
80
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
79-84
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
generation of specialists following in their footsteps.
This is the highest expectation placed upon them.
Sports Journalism in the Digital Age
Since the beginning of the current millennium, the
circulation and advertising figures for print
publications have steadily declined. The rise of online
and digital sports journalism has contributed to the
downturn of print sports journalism. ESPN, an
American cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc.,
launched its first website in 1995, marking the
beginning of a new era in digital sports journalism.
Three key characteristics that distinguish online media
from traditional media are:
1. Interactivity
–
The ability to engage in rapid,
intensive, and two-way communication with the
audience.
2. Multimedia
–
The ability to simultaneously utilize
various formats for presenting information, providing
readers and journalists with an almost limitless arsenal
to effectively convey their creative ideas.
3. Hypertext
–
The availability of hyperlinks that allow
for instant transitions from one text to another and the
possibility of creating an infinite text structure.
Due to the specialization of journalism, sports
journalism itself is increasingly feeling the need for
internal specialization within the field. Depending on
the types and forms of sports, the media outlets, online
resources, websites, pages, and blogs that cover them
are also undergoing a transformation process. The
emergence of such processes is undoubtedly a natural
and commendable phenomenon. Once, sports news
allocated just a few minutes or seconds at the end of
information programs on television and radio was
merely entertainment for many, allowing fans to know
the statistics of their teams. Today, dedicated sports
channels are improving due to the innovations and
changes occurring in the field. They are undergoing a
process of specialization, organizing continuous
broadcasts based on audience demands. These
developments necessitate the establishment of
qualified specialists in every area, particularly
experienced sports journalists specializing in specific
fields.
The founder of the Uzbek football commentary school,
a dedicated advocate for Uzbek football, a prominent
representative of national sports journalism, a
republic-level referee, and a holder of the "Shuhrat"
medal, Axbor Imomxo‘jayev, is approaching his 80th
birthday. In an interview with Fazliddin Sattorov, a
correspondent for "News Arena," he was asked the
following question (News Arena, 2016.):
“In one of your interviews, you mentioned, ‘Today’s
journalists are satisfied with narrow specialization. For
example, if they specialize in football, they pay little
attention to other sports. A sports journalist should be
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
81
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
79-84
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
knowledgeable in all areas of sports. They should be
aware of information regarding world championships,
Olympic games, and regular competitions.’ How
feasible is it to implement this today? Because when we
talk about specialization, many people understand it to
mean focusing on a specific sport.
While it is possible to have an in-depth understanding
of one sport, that doesn’t mean one should be ignorant
of others. For example, a fan who knows you might see
you on the street and ask, ‘Did you hear that the
Sindarovs are world champions in chess?’ If you
respond that you are not interested in anything but
football, you are indicating your limitations as a
journalist. A person should continuously strive to
improve their skills. It’s true that knowing all sports is
impossible. However, in today’s information age,
keeping track of other news will not be in vain.”
(Stadion.uz, 2023)
Starting this year, Uzbekistan is introducing for the first
time a national and sector-specific specialization
system, professional standards for professions and
specialties, as well as a tiered education standard and
programs. This, in turn, will facilitate the integration of
the labor market with the education sector.
(Professional education system and international
dimensions, 2023)
When this integration is successfully implemented, it
will provide a significant boost to the development of
structural activities and will systematize the process of
sectoral specialization. This system will eliminate
previously ambiguous misunderstandings between
workers and employers in the labor market. Employers
will clearly know which specialist they are ordering,
and workers will understand where they will be
working in advance. This is crucial for the faster and
more strategic development of the sector.
Qualification, also referred to as specialization in the
international education market, encompasses the set
of requirements and responsibilities imposed by the
employer on the employee (whether a hired worker,
job applicant, or participant in the selection for vacant
positions). Qualification embodies the responsibility of
the
employee's
work
activities,
professional
experience, skills, and motivation. The qualification
requirements set by the employer for specialists and
employees must be reflected in professional education
standards. Otherwise, the continuity between
education and production, the qualifications of
graduates, and employer expectations will be lost.
(Education, 2023) In this regard, if the offerings do not
align with the demand, the expected results will not be
achieved. There are several educational institutions
around the world that specialize in preparing
journalists and sports journalists, contributing to the
development of sports journalism as a distinct field
today. Below are some countries with educational
institutions specifically training specialists in this area:
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
82
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
79-84
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
In the Russian Federation, more than 20 universities
are preparing sports journalists, including the Faculty
of Journalism at M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State
University, the undergraduate program in "Sports
Journalism and Media Relations" at Moscow State
Pedagogical University, and the Faculty of Sports
Journalism at Saint Petersburg State University.
Additionally, in the United States, there are 46
educational institutions specializing in journalism and
sports journalism. (Journalism, 2023) In European
countries, there are currently 593 educational
institutions that prepare journalists and sports
journalists. All of these institutions admit applicants
throughout the year, directing trained specialists for
the development of the field. (Journalism Coursers,
2023) In the aforementioned countries, there are
several higher education institutions specializing in the
field of sports journalism, and the specialists they train
are actively working with a professional approach,
ranging from sports websites on the internet to small
sports pages on social media. In neighboring
Kazakhstan, sports journalism has not yet reached the
level of development seen in our country. However, it
is gaining attention as a new field. Sports journalism is
not only a new specialty at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian
National University but also represents a fresh area of
focus for the entire country. Now is the right time to
introduce this direction, as sports are developing in the
country, which, in turn, is creating a demand for sports
journalists. (News, 2023) Today, journalism and its
branch of sports journalism are taught as a profession
in approximately 700-800 higher education institutions
worldwide. We have taken notice of how this process
is being carried out in our country and have subjected
it to analysis. Currently, journalistic practice stands at a
crossroads of significant changes. The advancement of
the internet and digital technologies, along with the
globalization of the information age and information
technologies, is driving the development of mass
communication. As a result, new sectors have
emerged, such as online journalism, blogging, citizen
journalism, media design, and social media marketing,
along with new forms of activity. There is a
transformation of genres within traditional journalism.
Both
the
processes
of
universalization
and
specialization are observed in the work of journalists.
All these processes necessitate a fundamental renewal
of journalistic education and the introduction of
innovative
educational
models
that
meet
contemporary demands. (Dadaxonov, (2019).)
The
University
of
Journalism
and
Mass
Communications of Uzbekistan, recognized as the
leading higher education institution for training sports
journalists, graduated its first 13 students in the field of
sports journalism during the 2021
–
2022 academic year.
(In the 2022
–
2023 academic year, the Uzbekistan State
Institute of Physical Education and Sport allocated 2
budgetary places and 4 contract-based spots for the
"Sports Journalist" master's program, totaling 6
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
83
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
79-84
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
quotas; however, there were no enrollments in this
field for that academic year.) This marked the
beginning of a national base of highly educated
specialists in Uzbekistan's sports journalism history.
Notably, we can observe that graduates of this
program have achieved a 100% employment rate.
During our research, we were interested in the
subsequent activities of these graduates and
investigated the fields in which they are engaged. Four
of the graduates are working as photographers,
reporters,
and
journalists
for
CA
(https://championat.asia), the Central Asia football
news website with the largest audience among
Uzbekistan's sports websites. Three graduates are
employed as first-class editors and reporters at the
"SPORT" television and radio channel. Two graduates
work as reporters for the "O‘zbekiston24" television
channel, one as a reporter for the "Daryo" internet
publication, one as a host at "Oriyat-dono" radio, one
as the editor-in-chief of the "Payariq hayoti"
newspaper, and one holds the position of head of the
press service at the Nishon district administration in
Qashqadaryo region.
From this analysis, it is evident that 11 out of 13
graduates are actively working as sports journalists in
their specialized field. From the analysis, it is evident
that only four out of the eleven graduates are
specifically working at sports websites. This indicates
that a total of 30.7% of graduates from the sports
journalism program at the University of Journalism and
Mass Communications of Uzbekistan are employed at
online sports sites, while the remaining 72.3% are
working in other sectors. In the 2022
–
2023 academic
year, an additional 27 students are expected to
graduate from the sports journalism program, which
will significantly contribute to the development of
sports journalism in the country. Currently, the
university has 136 students enrolled in daytime
education for sports specialization, 25 in evening
education, and 25 in part-time education. Additionally,
there are 6 students in the master's program and
another 6 in the sports commentator specialization. In
total, over the next three years, 198 specialists with
higher education in sports journalism will enter the
workforce, becoming true owners of the field and
initiating a new phase in the development of sports
journalism in Uzbekistan.
During this phase, we can also observe the process of
specialization in various sports on sports websites. We
hope that the process that begins today will generate
significant resonance in the coming three years.
REFERENCES
1.
Dadaxonov, A. ((2019).). Automated Journalism:
The Future of Education and Practice in the Field. .
"Foreign Languages in Uzbekistan" Scientific and
Methodological Electronic Journal, , 6. .
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
84
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
79-84
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
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https://yuz.uz/news/professional-talim-
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ilk-marotaba-xalqaro-yuridik-firmalarda-stajirovka-
otaydi
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