As social media grew, its effects on sports journalism were felt. Prior to social media, a breaking news story was a great get for a journalist. A unique scoop might tell the world that one guy on the beat was just a little better than the others covering a team for another publication. But social media altered the landscape for “breaking news”.
If for example ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared with the world first that Eric DeCosta (a friend of Schefter’s) just traded for Chase Young and Ian Rapoport reported it moments later, fans don’t care who reported it first.