Is Social Media Good for Boxing?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 20 Mar 2021
With mainstream media reeling at the impact of modern electronic media, particularly internet and feeling the economic pinch of the current pandemic, it appears that social media vloggers are ready to replace the traditional setup of editors and reporters/writers, including in sports.
One vlogger even had the gumption to recently post in his site an invitation for promoters, managers, trainers and even boxers themselves to provide him audio video and other materials and he will post them for free as a way of helping promote boxing.
We know for a fact that vloggers or so called social media influencers earn from advertisement support depending on the number of their so called subscribers and frequency of views. That is why, the claim of free promotion and publicity is not entirely true.
I don't even know why some boxers have to dabble in social media, even into TikTok, when they better spend their time honing their physique and boxing skills and let their fists do the talking for them atop the ring.
There was still no social media in the time of Muhammad Ali and when Manny Pacquiao started his rise. Truth.
Well anyway, as one believing in the power of social media, I toss the invitation vlog to my fellows at the GAB media circle or discussion group.
Expectedly, I got lukewarm response.
GAB Chair Abraham Mitra even says, "Andiyan naman kayo, e."
The main beef aside from the false free promotion and publicity claim, is that vloggers are good at what they do in front of the cameras but are they more knowledgeable and authoritative that sports scribes who spent years covering the beat?
For another, who will supervise them in what they do with materials gathered in the absence of an editor?
Who will regulate their operation if such will lead to self promotion by hyping of certain popular boxers as complained recently about by promising boxer Carl Jammes Martin who was honest and modest enough to admit that he was still far from being world class as is being bruited about in many boxing vlog sites.
Martin said "Reality does not match or meet expectation. Fans maybe in for frustration and let down."
Equally disturbing is the tendency of some vloggers to fire up some imaginary rivalries among boxers or romantically linking a certain popular boxer with an equally popular sex nymphet who is also into social media obviously for her own self interest. What have those got to do with the blood and gut crass nature of the sport? Why distract Johnriel Casimero with Ivana Alawi?
Social media through the numerous boxing vlogsites indeed has the potential to advance and promote local boxing but only in support of legitimate mainstream media which exercises vetting and other confirmatory procedures with what they put out as items or stories.
And nothing can beat or replace long years of experience, careful studies and actual following of the sports which serve as veritable guide in putting stories and items in their proper context.
Accuracy can only be obtained by exercising diligence and lots of patience.
Such cannot be expected in social media vlogs which put too much premium on just popularity or prominence. And what currently is in vogue.
Mainstream media despite the pressure of deadlines also is very well aware and conscious of their responsibility to the reading or listening and viewing public.
I have nothing against social media but it should always suborn itself with the mainstream media.
Or we may end up with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. contemplating another so called boxing comeback fighting a Youtube boxer.
That's gross. But who knows, It may sell.
One is born every minute, as PT Barnum once said.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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