Without access, favor or discretion: The gatekeeping practices of

Ph.D. STUDENT S.I. NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY FIFTH SUMMIT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND SPORT BRADLEY UNIVERSITY MARCH 30, 2012

BRIAN MORITZ

INTRODUCTION
Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenters anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and internets to bring you everything you need to know to start your day.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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GATEKEEPING
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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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WHY WERE HERE

Purpose statement

Identify the types of stories that appear on Deadspin. How those stories are framed by editors and contributors.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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THEORY
A look at Deadspin

Founded on Aug. 30, 2005, by Will Leitch. Top sports blog of 2000s Sports Illustrated.

1.9 million monthly readers. Most visited sports blog. Seen as an alternative news source to ESPN and other traditional media (Nolan, 2007).

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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THEORY

Deadspins greatest hits

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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THEORY
About Deadspin

One of the exciting things about Deadspin ... is that kind of wall used to be there. Now we (fans) decide what we want to know. We dont always need that wall anymore ... people react to sports as entertainment because thats what it is. Whatever fans nd entertaining is what counts. - Will Leitch (Sports Illustrated, 2008).

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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THEORY

GATEKEEPING
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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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THEORY

FRAMING

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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THEORY

JOURNALISTS ROLES
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HYPOTHESES
H1: Posts to Deadspin drawn from non-mainstream media sources are more likely to consist of off-eld news items than posts drawn from mainstream media sources. H2: Posts to Deadspin drawn from non-mainstream media sources are more likely to be negative in valance than posts drawn from mainstream media sources. H3: Posts to Deadspin drawn from non-mainstream media sources are more likely to be representative of a critical frame and a celebrity frame than posts drawn from mainstream sources.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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HOW WE DID IT
Methods

May, 2010 200

Month chosen for sample

Posts picked at random

SOURCE, TOPIC, FRAME, VALENCE

Codes

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RESULTS
Descriptive statistics

Of the 200 posts studied ...

102 129 78 negative valence Critical (72)

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from mainstream sources

off-eld stories

82 neutral

40 positive

Straightforward/Statistical (65)
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HYPOTHESIS 1 RESULTS

Posts to Deadspin drawn from non-mainstream media sources are more likely to consist of off -field news items than posts drawn from mainstream media sources.

BRIAN MORITZ

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

HYPOTHESIS 2 RESULTS

Posts to Deadspin drawn from non-mainstream media sources are more likely to be negative in valance than posts drawn from mainstream media sources.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

HYPOTHESIS 3 RESULTS

Posts to Deadspin drawn from non-mainstream media sources are more likely to be representative of a critical frame and a celebrity frame than posts drawn from mainstream sources.

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IF YOURE SCORING AT HOME

Hypothesis 1: Supported Hypothesis 2: Not supported, no signicant relationship Hypothesis 3: Not supported

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SO WHAT?

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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DISCUSSION

For all the hype, Deadspin is a fairly well-rounded blog.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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BY THE NUMBERS
Discussion section

129 81.6%

posts dealt with off-eld incidents

non-mainstream stories on off-eld incidents

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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DISCUSSION
Deadspin editors (and sometimes, the readers themselves) are reinterpreting the messages from mainstream media sources or, in some instances, finding new stories not covered by the more traditional media outlets.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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DEADSPIN IS NOT
Solely a source of sex, sleaze and sophomoric humor.

Completely the alternative source of sports news.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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DEADSPIN IS ...
A second-level gatekeeper. A prime example of second-guessing theory. A site that takes stories already are in the marketplace of ideas and reinterprets them in an entertaining way.

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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CONTACT

BRIAN MORITZ
Ph.D. STUDENT S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Syracuse University about.me/brianmoritz @bpmoritz 607.341.5029 bmoritz@syr.edu

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The gatekeeping practices of Deadspin

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