Original Article: The Aspen Institute, November 15th, 2023

Sports both reflect and shape our society. Journalism unpacks those relationships, along the way making the games that we play more interesting and relevant. The New York Times, HBO Real Sports, and Los Angeles Times helped set the standard. Now, each outlet is changing how it covers sports – and Real Sports ended its run after 29 award-winning years.

What happened? And what does the future hold for enterprise and investigative journalism in sports? Could the public get less, or more, coverage of important topics as the media landscape evolves? What are the most promising business models to support this work? And what do we lose if longform sports journalism gets deprioritized in a streaming world?

Veteran journalists addressed the topic from two angles, with two panels:

What Happened to Sports Journalism, with speakers including:

• Andrea Kremer, NFL Network chief correspondent, CBS Sports Network co-host, HBO Real Sports correspondent

• Ben Strauss, Washington Post sports and media reporter

• Jon Solomon, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program editorial director, former investigative sports reporter (moderator)

Where to Go From Here for Sports Journalism, with speakers including:

• David Boardman, Temple University Klein College of Media and Communication dean and professor, Solutions Journalism Network vice chair

• John Kosner, Kosner Media president, four-decade veteran of sports media

• Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times sports editor

• Tom Farrey, Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program executive director, former investigative sports reporter (moderator)

Future of Sports is a conversation series, hosted by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, that helps stakeholders think through key questions shaping the future of our games, the sports industry and its impact on society. Past events examined the future of football, a series on college athlete pay including the government’s role and the future of name, image and likeness rights, sports betting, athlete activism, coaching, the U.S. Olympic movement, women’s pro sports, children’s rights in sports, and the future of sports in the climate crisis. Contact Sports & Society Program Editorial Director Jon Solomon at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org with questions or inquiries.