Challenging sports media practices, myth-making and racial topics

Opinionated veteran sports reporter Ryan Clark once again joins host Matt Gajtka for this week’s episode of the Sports Omnivore podcast.

Last week’s Manti Te’o hoax story brought increased scrutiny on the delicate balance between reporting and narrative. Should changes be in coming for sports media or is this an isolated incident? Are sports reporters too close to their subjects and sources to be trusted on the “big” stories?

Also, the Super Bowl hype machine is in full effect, but are fans disengaging when stories like Ray Lewis’ retirement or the Harbaughs’ coaching matchup are beaten into the ground across multiple platforms? Are consumers served when Lewis’ story is reduced to simple hagiography?

Finally, a tennis matchup Down Under and a Twitter dispute involving a prominent player’s wife both bring race back into the national sports discussion. How can we honestly discuss racial issues in sports?

Matt and Ryan will address these topics and more as they question the methods of media members and explore sensitive subjects.

Listen to internet radio with Matt Gajtka on Blog Talk Radio