Sports Media and Athlete Health
On Sunday, September 14, 2025, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow, tore his tendon, ligament, and capsule in his foot after being sacked in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The heartbreaking injury struck fans as the media began to report on Joe Burrow’s injury. Athlete health coverage in the media is essential to modern sports because the media is the primary way fans are informed about their favorite athletes’ injuries. The media is also essential in covering the wellness of athletes as well as their return to the game when they undergo an injury.
The media plays a large role in the coverage of athletes’ health. Traditional coverage of injuries in sport includes injury reports, return timelines, and press conferences. The media would report on press conferences and post-game interviews so the public could be informed about a player’s condition. Newspapers and television stations report on an athlete’s status after their condition has been confirmed. In the sports world today, coverage of an athlete’s health and injury condition has transformed into a 24/7 cycle. Fans are able to receive constant updates from social media posts and sports apps.
The round-the-clock updates have been increasingly beneficial in the sports media world. The reporting shows just how difficult it can be to be a professional athlete and put your body on the line week in and week out. The media also emphasizes the importance of proper treatment and recovery after an injury. For example, the NFL concussion crisis has had an increasing amount of support and awareness due to the media’s constant reports on the issue.
Although today’s sports media has been able to bring awareness to certain sports issues, not all coverage benefits the athletes themselves. Constant media attention and pressure from fans can make the athletes feel like they need to return sooner to the game, despite safety concerns. The decision to rest and recover is sometimes perceived as a weakness in the media. The culture that has been created affects how fans view athletes and how athletes view themselves.
An increasingly new feature of sports media in today’s world is the fact that athletes have begun to share their side of the story and how they feel about their own injuries. Through social media apps such as Instagram and Twitter, athletes are able to speak directly to fans without the media’s reporting and input. For example, after Joe Burrow’s injury, he posted on his Instagram and said “This game will break your heart. See you soon.” The players’ personal input causes sympathy from the public because they actually begin to understand the feelings behind an injury.
In conclusion, the powerful influence of sports media influences how injuries are perceived in professional sports. The benefits of sports media and athlete health coverage include awareness of health issues that promote positive change. The negative aspects of the media include intense pressure and unrealistic expectations on the athletes after they have been injured. When sports media supports the recovery and health of professional athletes, a culture is created in which well-being is prioritized over performance.
