• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Saturday, September 23, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

From a sportswriter’s notebook — robots taking over!

by Charles Hallman
July 13, 2016
48
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

 

(stock photo)
(stock photo)

We recently found this Associated Press (AP) post-game story:

“STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Dylan Tice was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded with one out in the 11th inning, giving the State College Spikes a 9-8 victory over the Brooklyn Cyclones…”

This is part of AP’s new minor league baseball coverage, but with a catch — “automated stories generated by algorithms.” The story was written not from an in-person human account, but by a computer using Automated Insights, a North Carolina-based firm “that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) to analyze big data and transform it into stories,” wrote Paul Sawers for Venture Beat.com.

In other words, it’s Hal the computer from the movie 2001 who’s now covering sports as opposed to flying spaceships.

Sawers continues on AP’s use of Automated Insights: “It can instead generate countless stories and articles in the time it would take a person to write just one.” He quoted CEO Robbie Allen: “The Associated Press proved the value of automated journalism…to cover types of news that simply couldn’t be done without automation.”

- ADVERTISEMENT -

We must now as a result ask whenever reading a game account, “Is it human, or is it good ol’ A.I.?” Machine-written articles, which also are now used by other industries, “are here to stay,” says Sawers.

I’m afraid I saw this coming for some time now in unimaginative beat writers who no longer compete for solid storylines but rather chum it up like Lucy and Ethel, filing virtually identical post-game accounts with team-supplied quotes. Given the diminishing numbers of Blacks and other people of color employed in sports media both locally and nationally, especially in print journalism, the AP’s use of computer-generated stories is a concern no matter their insistence “that this is about expanding coverage rather than replacing existing staff,” in Sawers’ words.

Automated journalism? It’s just a matter of time before A.I., A.J., or whatever they call it reaches the major leagues. We all know that when it comes to economics, Blacks and people of color historically are causalities in such matters.

What’s cheaper, machine oil or the wages, health benefits, and other human protections that a media company would be responsible for if hiring humans? A computer doing the job of many — what a concept!

Now we have impersonal machines along with Whites to compete with for the few media jobs out there these days. Rather, this is “Danger, Danger” as the old robot in Lost In Space would frantically say to warn the Robinsons that something was amiss.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

This isn’t Chicken Little talk but a stone cold reality.

 

Baseball, July 4 fireworks…and no Black folk

Scarborough Sports Marketing’s latest research found that 23 percent of Generation Y (age 18-29) baseball fans are more likely to be Black. However, we didn’t find this to be the case when we took in our own baseball doubleheader on America’s birthday. We caught the Twins in the early afternoon, then hopped on the Green Line for downtown St. Paul and took in the St. Paul Saints that evening.

Our diversity sweep through two stadiums that day found only a handful of Blacks watching the games, and they didn’t look like Gen Y’ers.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“The only Blacks [that] are here are workers,” declared Mr. B., who’s in his second year with his barber chair cutting hair at the St. Paul ballpark. His regular shop is in the same Lowertown neighborhood where the second-year park is located.

“I don’t think Blacks are as interested in baseball as they are in football and basketball,” he opined.

 

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

I finally understand the phrase ‘Be safe’

Next Post

Musician’s lyrical activism can’t be stopped despite government ban

Charles Hallman

Charles Hallman is a contributing reporter and award-winning sports columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

You Might Also Like

60th anniversary of Birmingham church bombing unites families of victims and perpetrators
Opinion

Four Little Girls

Blue Line extension planning moves forward after two key votes
Local

Blue Line extension planning moves forward after two key votes

Compton's Finest
Arts & Culture

Fall into new jazz releases

Black Business Spotlight: Thoroughbred Moving and Installation
Black Business Spotlight

Black Business Spotlight: Thoroughbred Moving and Installation

Comcast donates free WiFi access to four Twin Cities nonprofits to increase digital opportunities in the region
Local

Comcast donates free WiFi access to four Twin Cities nonprofits to increase digital opportunities in the region

Two new early vote centers open in Minneapolis
Local

Early voting begins Sept. 22 for local elections

Next Post
Musician’s lyrical activism can’t be stopped despite government ban

Musician’s lyrical activism can’t be stopped despite government ban

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Sep 22
September 22 @ 5:00 pm-September 23 @ 8:30 pm

9th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration at Lakewood Cemetery

Sep 23
10:00 am-1:00 pm

Expanding Diversity Career Fair

Sep 23
7:30 pm-9:00 pm Recurring

Michhil Amra | We Are The Procession

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: