In his Reuters column this week, Jack Shafer looks at the connection between political reporters and sports reporters. Both, he said, have to determine who’s winning and who’s losing. And they both have to “get inside the heads of the participants; decode the relevant strategies and tactics; and find a way to convert reader interest into sustainable enthusiasm.”
Shafer interviews journalists who say sports television has become a template for political reporting, and he points out that sports reporters and political reporters both benefit from their home team or “home candidate” winning.
In a live chat, Shafer talked more about the connection between sports and politics, and responded to chat participants’ opinions on the connection — or lack thereof. He also shared thoughts on the Iowa caucus coverage and answered related questions.
You can replay the chat here:
We have made it easy to comment on posts, however we require civility and encourage full names to that end (first initial, last name is OK). Please read our guidelines here before commenting.