Sports journalism with a scientific approach: a case study based on the experience of the LUN newspaper in Chile

Abstract

Over the years, sports journalism has had to find new and better ways to communicate with audiences increasingly in need of specialized and dynamic content. Reporting on how sports activities can offer an interesting scientific approach has become an ideal way to diversify traditional content in the field and attract new audiences. This article analyzes 83 sports news articles with a scientific focus published in 2023 by the Chilean newspaper LUN. The goal is to understand how this type of reporting is developing, uncover new content and formal resources in sports journalism, and identify sources while exploring how scientific content is integrated into these stories. Additionally, an interview with the sports sub-editor of the newspaper is conducted to gain insight into how scientific approaches related to sports are managed within the media outlet. The results demonstrate the potential for sports journalism to produce content that can appeal to a general audience through scientific dissemination. However, the coverage often replicates traditional sports journalism patterns, with a predominance of health-related articles and football. This study highlights the potential of sports journalism with a scientific approach to enrich or diversify news coverage, thereby expanding its reach to engage varied audiences.