Covering a Complicated Legacy with a Sledgehammer

Metajournalistic and Audience Discourse After Kobe Bryant’s Death

Bibliographic Data

ID12658779
AuthorsCarolina Velloso (0000-0002-7674-6015, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA, corresponding author), LI Wei-ping (0000-0001-5814-9914, University of Maryland, College Park), Wei-Ping Li (0009-0009-1724-6115, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA), Shannon Scovel (0000-0002-4991-1011, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA), Nohely Alvarez (0009-0008-8308-2895, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA), Md Mahfuzul Haque (0000-0001-5773-1435, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA), Linda Steiner (0000-0002-8429-6317, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA)
Year2021
Volume23
Issue2
Pages187-206
Publication date2021-12-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-670X • E-ISSN: 1469-9699
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1461670x.2021.2015422
OpenAlexW4200222257
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited28

This research analyzes journalists’ and audiences’ responses to a critical incident: the coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death, including whether it included accusations against Bryant, and of the Washington Post’s brief suspension of reporter Felicia Sonmez, who, at his death, retweeted an old storey about rape charges filed against Bryant. Findings are that journalists focused on the complexity of Bryant’s legacy and emphasized the journalistic values of professionalism and truth. Moreover, while journalists engaged in some boundary setting, this research suggests the value of seeing audiences as press critics not unlike professional journalists. Audiences acknowledged and endorsed journalistic principles but noted the importance of social norms; their expectations for good journalism suggest ways to rebuild trust in journalism

Journalism · Media studies · Political science · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Law · Literature, Film, and Journalism Analysis · Media Studies and Communication · Rhetoric and Communication Studies

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