Athletes as Journalists

Cincinnati Bengals football star Chad Ochocinco is currently in the process of creating his own social media news network on Twitter. He plans on partnering with Motorola phones to create his own news network: Ochocinco News Network (OCNN). According to an article on Bleacher Report, Ochocinco’s plan “is to use Motorola's new line of phones and player contacts from around the league to provide ‘breaking news’ on NFL teams and players.” His tagline is “If I break it, you might as well believe it.”

Ochocinco is trying to “eliminate the middle man.” He is attempting to make it so that other major news organizations actually become second-hand news sources. They will be forced to retweet the NFL news that Ochocinco and his band of players put out.

If it works, I think this is the future of news. The job of journalists is to report the news accurately, honestly and in a timely fashion, but they are only middle men. Receiving the news from a first-hand account seems so much more pure and untainted. Players’ accounts of what’s going on in the NFL would be instant, raw and unclouded by an outsider’s perspective.

If these athletes can create a legitimate news source they will truly be able to forge more personal and meaningful relationships with NFL fans. This is something the NFL shouldn’t shy away from. As a sports fan, I would definitely feel more connected to an organization or team if I felt I was getting the inside scoop.

This is undoubtedly the next opportunity for Twitter and sports organizations alike. Although the NFL will try to place guidelines on athletes who create their own news network, they should consider what it means for the potential hoard of fans who fill feel loyal to a brand that keeps them in the know.