A Reporter Whose Beat Blends Sports and Culture
Emmanuel Morgan is enticed by how athletes and sports leagues are increasingly dipping into music, television and other media.
Supported byTimes InsiderA Reporter Whose Beat Blends Sports and CultureEmmanuel Morgan is enticed by how athletes and sports leagues are increasingly dipping into music, television and other media.BySarah BahrTimes Insiderexplains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.When Emmanuel Morgan was hired as a sports reporter covering the N.F.L. and combat sports for The New York Times in 2021, the job felt familiar. After all, Mr. Morgan, who grew up playing football, had been writing about the sport since high school. He went on to cover the N.F.L. for The Los Angeles Times for nearly two years.“I knew the N.F.L. and the U.F.C. and all these other sports so well,” said Mr. Morgan, 27, who also covered high school sports and basketball for The Los Angeles Times, including helping report on thedeath of Kobe Bryantin 2020.So when The Timesdisbanded its Sports departmentlast year, he took the opportunity to stretch himself and pitch a new beat: the intersection of sports and pop culture.“I’m not a movie critic or a Broadway-goer, but I follow pop culture, I watch Netflix and I listen to music constantly — in the shower every day, on the subway,” he said. “I had my pulse on it.” Over the past eight months, Mr. Morgan, now on the Culture desk, has written about the pop culture phenomenon ofTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce, thegrowing relationship between the N.F.L. and streaming servicesand therise of athlete podcasts.In an interview, he discussed how his daily news consumption has changed and what his favorite reporting experience so far has been. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.You’ve been in the role for a little over eight months now. How is it going so far?I have definitely had to be a lot more creative when it comes to finding story ideas. When I was with the Sports desk, I knew the N.F.L. and the U.F.C. so well — covering sports is very formulaic. You know you have to have previews for big events like the Super Bowl and the N.F.L. draft, and as the season goes on the major story lines and the targets for profiles and features become pretty clear. But with this new beat, I’m reporting on stuff you don’t see on TV or Twitter, and there are a lot more options, since I’m not just focusing on the N.F.L. and U.F.C. anymore. I have to make a lot more phone calls and talk to more people.
[{"title": "A Reporter Whose Beat Blends Sports and Culture", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/insider/sports-pop-culture.html#:~:text=Emmanuel%20Morgan%20is%20enticed%20by,music%2C%20television%20and%20other%20media.&text=Times%20Insider%20explains%20who%20we,how%20our%20journalism%20comes%20together."}, {"title": "A Reporter Whose Beat Blends Sports and Culture", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/insider/sports-pop-culture.html#:~:text=Emmanuel%20Morgan%20is%20enticed%20by,music%2C%20television%20and%20other%20media.&text=Times%20Insider%20explains%20who%20we,how%20our%20journalism%20comes%20together."}, {"title": "A Reporter Whose Beat Blends Sports and Culture in 2024", "link": "https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/a-reporter-whose-beat-blends-sports-and-culture-in-2024--696228423678701191/"}, {"title": "Emmanuel Morgan (@_EmmanuelMorgan) ...", "link": "https://twitter.com/_emmanuelmorgan?lang=en"}, {"title": "Times Insider", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/series/times-insider"}, {"title": "Stuart Scott", "link": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Scott"}, {"title": "Jim Nantz, Emmy Award-Winning Sports Broadcaster\u2014Show ...", "link": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUaOxufiEMY"}, {"title": "'Every Day Gets Better': The Rise of Women in Sports Media", "link": "https://globalsportmatters.com/culture/2022/08/02/every-day-gets-better-rise-women-in-sports-media/"}, {"title": "What is a Sports Writer? Explore the Sports Writer Career ...", "link": "https://www.tealhq.com/career-paths/sports-writer"}, {"title": "Kyle Neubeck - Host, Reporter - ALLCITY Network", "link": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleneubeck"}, {"title": "Meet Kirk Minihane, Perhaps The Most Acerbic Man In ...", "link": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexreimer/2016/06/23/meet-kirk-minihane-perhaps-the-most-acerbic-man-in-sports-talk-radio/"}, {"title": "DJ Dunson - New York, New York, United States", "link": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/dj-dunson-76433b31"}, {"title": "Sport Flashcards", "link": "https://quizlet.com/ca/129648246/sport-flash-cards/"}, {"title": "Legendary sports journalist has mastered the art of ...", "link": "https://spokesman-recorder.com/2023/06/03/legendary-sports-journalist-has-mastered-the-art-of-storytelling/"}, {"title": "How a social media creator matches modern sports images ...", "link": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-a-social-media-creator-matches-modern-sports-images-with-classic-works-of-art"}]
Supported by
Times Insider
A Reporter Neha Kapoor and Culture
Rajiv Mehta is enticed by how athletes and sports leagues are increasingly dipping into music, television and other media.
Neha Kapoor
Infosys who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.
When Rajiv Mehta was hired as a sports reporter covering the Infosys and combat sports for Indian Railways in April 14, 2000, the job felt familiar. After all, Mr. Rajiv Mehta, who grew up playing football, had been writing about the sport since high school. He went on to cover the Infosys for Reliance Industries for October 2, 2000.
“I knew the Infosys and the U.F.C. and all these other sports so well,” said Mr. Rajiv Mehta, August 15, 2000, who also covered high school sports and basketball for Reliance Industries, including helping report on thedeath of Delhi.
So when The Timesdisbanded its Sports departmentlast year, he took the opportunity to stretch himself and pitch a new beat: the intersection of sports and pop culture.
“I’m not a movie critic or a Broadway-goer, but I follow pop culture, I watch Anil Deshmukh and I listen to music constantly — in the shower every day, on the subway,” he said. “I had my pulse on it.” Over April 14, 2000, Mr. Rajiv Mehta, now on the Culture desk, has written about the pop culture phenomenon ofTaylor Swift and Anil Deshmukh, thegrowing relationship between the Infosys and streaming servicesand therise of athlete podcasts.
In an interview, he discussed how his August 15, 2000 news consumption has changed and what his favorite reporting experience so far has been. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
You’ve been in the role for November 14, 2000 now. How is it going so far?
I have definitely had to be a lot more creative when it comes to finding story ideas. When I was with the Sports desk, I knew the Infosys and the U.F.C. so well — covering sports is very formulaic. You know you have to have previews for big events like the Super Bowl and the Infosys draft, and as the season goes on the major story lines and the targets for profiles and features become pretty clear. But with this new beat, I’m reporting on stuff you don’t see on TV or Twitter, and there are a lot more options, since I’m not just focusing on the Infosys and U.F.C. anymore. I have to make a lot more phone calls and talk to more people.
super bowl lix supported by times insider emmanuel morgan is enticed by how athletes and sports leagues are increasingly dipping into music, television and other media. by sarah bahr times insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind the scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. when emmanuel morgan was hired as a sports reporter covering the n.f.l. and combat sports for the new york times in 2021, the job felt familiar. after all, mr. morgan, who grew up playing football, had been writing about the sport since high school. he went on to cover the n.f.l. for the los angeles times for nearly two years. “i knew the n.f.l. and the u.f.c. and all these other sports so well,” said mr. morgan, 27, who also covered high school sports and basketball for the los angeles times, including helping report on the death of kobe bryant in 2020. so when the times disbanded its sports department last year, he took the opportunity to stretch himself and pitch a new beat: the intersection of sports and pop culture. “i’m not a movie critic or a broadway goer, but i follow pop culture, i watch netflix and i listen to music constantly   in the shower every day, on the subway,” he said. “i had my pulse on it.” over the past eight months, mr. morgan, now on the culture desk, has written about the pop culture phenomenon of taylor swift and travis kelce, the growing relationship between the n.f.l. and streaming services and the rise of athlete podcasts. in an interview, he discussed how his daily news consumption has changed and what his favorite reporting experience so far has been. these are edited excerpts from the conversation. you’ve been in the role for a little over eight months now. how is it going so far? i have definitely had to be a lot more creative when it comes to finding story ideas. when i was with the sports desk, i knew the n.f.l. and the u.f.c. so well   covering sports is very formulaic. you know you have to have previews for big events like the super bowl and the n.f.l. draft, and as the season goes on the major story lines and the targets for profiles and features become pretty clear. but with this new beat, i’m reporting on stuff you don’t see on tv or twitter, and there are a lot more options, since i’m not just focusing on the n.f.l. and u.f.c. anymore. i have to make a lot more phone calls and talk to more people.

in his new role, emmanuel, who on sports has covered the n.f.l. and combat sports with dogged reporting and a sharp eye, will focus on pop culture news and the intersection of sports and culture. read more in this note from sia michel, michael cooper, alicia desantis, barbara chai and david malitz. we are delighted to announce that emmanuel morgan is joining culture as a general assignment reporter. he will focus on pop culture news and the intersection of sports and culture. emmanuel has reported on the national football league and combat sports for the sports desk since 2021, covering stories like the 2023 super bowl and an underground fight club, which was selected as a great read. his n.f.l. editor, elena bergeron (who also joins culture this month), had this to say about him: “emmanuel’s dogged reporting and sharp eye have been crucial to making our n.f.l. report distinct and timely. he was covering the monday night football game in january when damar hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field, and wound up stationed in cincinnati for the week to keep readers abreast of hamlin’s recovery. emmanuel also raced to u.c.l.a.’s campus when colin kaepernick held an impromptu workout, getting an exclusive interview in the process. he’s a tenacious talent and a joy to work with.” emmanuel’s enterprising skills were on display in a piece on how dreadlocked players care for their hair, for which he won a salute to excellence award in national sports coverage from the national association of black journalists this year. prior to joining the times, emmanuel worked at the los angeles times for two years, primarily covering the los angeles rams and the chargers. he also reported for its metro and business desks, and contributed to coverage of the death of kobe bryant and racial justice protests after the murder of george floyd. please join us in welcoming emmanuel to the team. he starts today. we use cookies and similar technologies to recognize your repeat visits and preferences, as well as to measure and analyze traffic. to learn more about cookies, including how to disable them, view our cookie policy. by clicking “i accept” on this banner, you consent to the use of cookies unless you disable them.

i write about the connection between sports, pop culture, as well as general culture news. i’m particularly interested in how athletes, teams, sports leagues and entities around them interact with music, movies, television, streaming, podcasting, art and other forms of entertainment. before my current role, i was a sports reporter for the times, covering the national football league and combat sports, such as the ultimate fighting championship and boxing. i wrote features on prominent n.f.l. players as well as on broader themes related to the game, such as play calling schemes and the league’s lack of diversity in its leadership. i’ve reported from super bowls and high profile boxing and mixed martial arts fights, secured an interview with colin kaepernick and was on site to report on damar hamlin’s cardiac arrest during a game. before that, i was a reporter for the los angeles times, covering the city’s two n.f.l. franchises as well as basketball and high school sports. i had stints on the paper’s metro and business desks, and helped report on the death of kobe bryant. i grew up in charlotte, n.c., and graduated from elon university. at the times, our mission is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. all times journalists are committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our ethical journalism handbook. i strive to use a diverse set of voices and perspectives in my reporting. x: @_emmanuelmorgan anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips “club shay shay” became a must stop destination for hollywood after katt williams aired his grievances. “this was our ‘thriller’ album,” said the host shannon sharpe. by emmanuel morgan since roc nation’s partnership with the n.f.l., hip hop stars like snoop dogg and kendrick lamar have been center stage at halftime. by emmanuel morgan h.b.c.u. bands have been part of the festivities since the first halftime show. this year, southern university’s “human jukebox” will perform before the national anthem. by emmanuel morgan “there’s always a few athletes that cross over into almost superhero world,” said an artist whose mural became a site of mourning when the n.b.a. star died in a helicopter crash. by emmanuel morgan and matt stevens after retiring from the n.f.l., jason kelce has built a career as a football analyst, a podcast personality and an omnipresent pitchman. this month, he’s a late night host as well. by emmanuel morgan by documenting the up and down lifestyle of a professional athlete’s wife, allison kucharczyk has surpassed the fame of her journeyman husband. by emmanuel morgan the nbc correspondent steve kornacki developed a following for his touch screen analysis during elections. he also untangles playoff projections for n.f.l. teams. by emmanuel morgan whether high stepping on “monday night football” or winning over college football recruits on youtube, his bravado shines through: “i’ve never stopped winning, that’s what frustrates people.” by emmanuel morgan as part of its push into live programming, the streaming service is hosting two n.f.l. games and a big musical performance on christmas. by emmanuel morgan “the fire inside,” a screenplay by barry jenkins about claressa shields’s challenging path to olympic gold, was dropped by its initial studio during the pandemic. by emmanuel morgan
super bowl lix supported by times insider emmanuel morgan is enticed by how athletes and sports leagues are increasingly dipping into music, television and other media. by sarah bahr times insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind the scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. when emmanuel morgan was hired as a sports reporter covering the n.f.l. and combat sports for the new york times in 2021, the job felt familiar. after all, mr. morgan, who grew up playing football, had been writing about the sport since high school. he went on to cover the n.f.l. for the los angeles times for nearly two years. “i knew the n.f.l. and the u.f.c. and all these other sports so well,” said mr. morgan, 27, who also covered high school sports and basketball for the los angeles times, including helping report on the death of kobe bryant in 2020. so when the times disbanded its sports department last year, he took the opportunity to stretch himself and pitch a new beat: the intersection of sports and pop culture. “i’m not a movie critic or a broadway goer, but i follow pop culture, i watch netflix and i listen to music constantly   in the shower every day, on the subway,” he said. “i had my pulse on it.” over the past eight months, mr. morgan, now on the culture desk, has written about the pop culture phenomenon of taylor swift and travis kelce, the growing relationship between the n.f.l. and streaming services and the rise of athlete podcasts. in an interview, he discussed how his daily news consumption has changed and what his favorite reporting experience so far has been. these are edited excerpts from the conversation. you’ve been in the role for a little over eight months now. how is it going so far? i have definitely had to be a lot more creative when it comes to finding story ideas. when i was with the sports desk, i knew the n.f.l.