SportsManias Digital Media Summit Gathers Most Accomplished Journalists And Executives To Discuss How Digital Media Is Changing The Sports Industry
MIAMI, Aug. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The SportsManias Digital Media Summit, a one-day forum focusing on how digital media is changing the sports industry, takes place this Friday at The Conrad Miami, bringing together sports journalists, tech leaders and industry executives. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is investing $50,000 to support the conference.
The forum will host conversations around the ways that traditional journalism is merging with social media to engage avid communities of sports fans in new and innovative ways. Panelists will discuss important issues, emerging trends and opportunities in sports media and technology.
The SportsManias Digital Media Summit aims to build community among journalists, technology leaders and industry executives throughout the sports industry. Over 100 participants from across the country are expected to be in attendance.
Rick Horrow, "The Sports Professor" and CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures, will host the SportsManias Digital Media Summit.
Sessions will feature over 30 renowned writers, editors, entrepreneurs and executives from the sports media space, including:
Pete Vlastelica, executive vice president of Fox Sports Digital Media; Woody Paige, sports columnist for The Denver Post and regular panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn; Gerry Ahern, vice president of content for USA TODAY Sports Media Group; Jemele Hill, co-host of ESPN2's "His & Hers"; Mitch Gelman, vice president of product at Gannett Co.; Noreen Gillespie, deputy managing editor of the Associated Press; Jeffrey Gerttula, senior vice president/GM of CBS Sports Digital; Bob Ryan, 2015 APSE Red Smith Award winner from the Boston Globe/ESPN; Robert Shaw, head of Global Sports Media for Facebook.
The sessions will cover six pressing topics in the sports media world:
- Social missteps, mistakes and must-dos: Highlighting case studies of sports journalism do's and don'ts on social media.
- The blog effect: Exploring how edgy blogs and other non-traditional outlets have changed the discourse and direction of sports media.
- The sportswriter of yesterday, today and tomorrow: Examining how tools and career paths continue to evolve for sports journalists, and the challenges sports journalists face.
- Tomorrow's audience today: Discussing ways to attract millennials to sports journalism both as content consumers and creators—and to keep them.
- The sports digital landscape: Exploring the shift to mobile, trends in social media and how industry leaders are thinking about the future of digital sports content.
- Forecasting fantasy: Where we're headed with the explosion of interest and in fantasy sports.
"The Digital Media Summit is a unique opportunity to promote the digital distribution of sports journalism," said Vicente J. Fernandez, chief content officer and co-founder of SportsManias. "We are all part of a single ecosystem that strives to provide high-quality news, entertainment and experiences for sports fans, and we can accomplish this more effectively if we exchange ideas and collaborate. We're excited to rally the sports community around opportunities in digital media."
"SportsManias is helping to advance the evolution of sports journalism and creating new opportunities for innovation in an area that is ripe for audience engagement," said Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation vice president for journalism.
"Adding to Miami's momentum for ideas, the SportManias Digital Media Summit will forge new connections between leaders in the sports journalism industry and entrepreneurs working to bring new innovations in media to wide audiences," said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation program director for Miami.
The SportsManias Digital Media Summit is an invitation-only event designed for innovators and leaders in the sports media space. Panels will run from 8:50 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, followed by a closing reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The event will be streamed live for free and open to the public at knightfoundation.org/live.
To find out more about the Summit, visit the event website at sportsmanias.com/digitalmediasummit. Join the conversation around the Summit on Twitter using the hashtag #sportsmaniasdigital.
About SportsManias
SportsManias is the real-time team news source for the avid sports fan. The web and mobile platform curates all of the best sports content on Twitter into customized, real-time feeds for the diehard. Featuring team feeds for every NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer team, SportsManias delivers top sports journalism personalized to the fan's interest. It gives fans the news they want, how they want it, when they want it, eliminating their search for team-specific news. A new fantasy feature provides diehards personalized feeds on all of their fantasy players, delivered by fantasy football experts. Straight from the guys who get it, SportsManias gets it to you. Visit SportsManias.com and download the free five-star rated app. @sportsmanias
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.
SOURCE SportsManias
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