Bret Levinson

Convergence

10/20/15

Blog Proposal

Bret Levinson

Convergence

10/18/15

Blog Summary UPDATE

            The topic of my article will be the culture on athletes today and how it has been hidden in the past. Moreover, how social media today is exposing the culture of the athlete that’s really been around forever we just never had tools like instagram, twitter, Facebook to have these athletes exposing their own self, furthermore journalists on twitter quickly relaying an incident an athlete was involved in.

            The research I will be doing will be how athletes were covered back in the day from Joe Namath’s flashy, irresponsible, rock star lifestyle in New York for the Jets, to even back to Mickey Mantle’s alcoholic days in Major League Baseball for the Yankees where he was constantly drunk and always dating a new actress or model. Obviously these athletes were covered enough to exploit the actions they have been caught doing, but today we don’t always need reporters, and journalist to catch these athletes through investigation. These athletes are exposing their self via social media and they are too stupid to even realize.

            That leads to the bulk of the article/issue. Social media has brought out the culture that these athletes are pretty much exposed to from such a young age that they are bred to be like these athletes. Your taught when you are young you are the best. If you were an athlete ever in high school you got away with more stuff just because you were an athlete. If you have ever been blessed enough to play college ball you could get away with murder just to dress up and play for your respected school. Then the professional level where your whole life has been built on the actions that these professionals display. Greediness, thinking you are invincible, doing what you want without getting in trouble. Then you open a twitter or snap chat account and you are forced to show what you have and what you do. It’s the culture that today’s society is used to today. Now these athletes are pros they have money, so what do they do, they show everything they've got. They snap their daily life; they post stuff that they shouldn’t now because they are “ held at a higher standard”. That is where my story tries to show the people reading. That in today’s culture, social media has brought out the true athletes colors by the athletes now having access to show us what they really do and how they really act. Something that athletes in the past could not do because they didn’t have any social media in the past.

            I plan to have my article published in the Rutgers Newark Observer under the sports section. It will involve my audience by causing a thinking engagement where students will talk or think about how they view athletes in today’s day. I intend to make a change by writing about in my opinion how todays athletes are pretty much doomed to fail if they take about social media in a bad manner; and how back in the day athletes weren’t getting exposed as much as they should have because they didn’t have social media to exploit themselves, much of what is going on in today’s day.

            I am in the process of compiling all of the information that will assist me in writing the article. While reading numerous articles about athletes and social media I am gaining knowledge on what athletes are getting in trouble for and what’s different then athletes in previous times.

I interviewed the head of communications for athletes here at Rutgers Newark, a basketball coach, players, and students. Did a lot of research on athletes and crimes dating back to early 1920's and grasped a full understanding of the athlete today. My article is done and i am refining it to be published. 

           

            http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2011/05/16/Social-media-and-sports-a-growing-dilemma/stories/201105160177

          http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/03/15-college-athletes-who-got-in-trouble-using-twitter/john-bohannon

        Athletes who tweet: Difference in audience perceived credibility between journalists and athletes' twitter accounts By: Christine Foster