Emotions in Sports Coverage
Sports evoke strong feelings. They revolve around people. Yet, in 2026, it seems basic human empathy is fading quickly in the U.S. Is it somehow unprofessional for a journalist to show kindness to a head coach whose team has just been knocked out of the playoffs?
Recently, Adam Schefter highlighted moments from Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen’s postgame press conference after their defeat to the Buffalo Bills during Wild Card Weekend. The question came from Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones-Turpin, a veteran journalist well-versed in covering the game for Duval’s black newspaper.
The reaction to this exchange was quite overblown. Spending a brief twenty seconds being kind doesn’t prevent anyone from getting their stories. The Jaguars made a remarkable comeback this season, and it’s acknowledged that experiencing hardships is perfectly fine for a first-time head coach. I’ve lost track of how many press conferences I’ve attended where male reporters have interrupted my questions or repeated others without considering what women reporters are asking. It just seems wasteful. Why create such a fuss over a tiny moment of grace?
Interestingly, a similar interaction occurred in Cleveland last week but flew under the radar. It’s not surprising that a man was involved instead of a black woman in this instance.
What often gets missed amid all this is that fans are the audience. Recognizing how your audience thinks can contribute to more engaging and impactful reporting.
Being a fan of a team and having respect for players, coaches, and staff doesn’t make objective reporting impossible. Fandom and objectivity can coexist, and the landscape of sports media has evolved. If you’re after pure, emotionless analysis, that’s out there, too. Just peek at the Tweets referencing Schefter’s post, and you’ll find numerous traditional media sources to follow.
However, that doesn’t imply Jones-Turpin’s method was wrong or problematic. And I think she deserves to have the final say here.
“Support black journalism. Call me fake all you want, honey. I’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Jones-Turpin.
