To say we get asked this question a lot would be a lie, because people either already know us individually, or because people just like the work that we do and don’t really care about the backstory of how we got to this point. While we’re flattered to have been included in a Raleigh & Co. feature on unaffiliated sports news outlets in North Carolina, especially among the tremendous company of blogs and websites mentioned in the article, there’s a need to correct the statement that defines us a sports news parody website. Again, we haven’t received many questions asking “who are you guys”, but we’ll offer up some proactive frequently asked questions to help explain.
Are you a TV station?
That depends on your definition of a TV station. A building with studios and a huge satellite dish out front? No, we’re not that. Is it a media outlet that produces entertaining and informative content that can be streamed on a TV set or computer? Then yes we are. Take our good friends at WRAL and WTVD for example … yes, they have buildings and satellite dishes, but they also produce streaming video, blogs, podcasts, and social content, just like we do. You can’t watch us over the air, but your grandparents probably have an iPad by now anyway.
Are you guys like The Onion?
Not at all. We don’t report fake news. Now we may report real news in ways that will make you laugh or see things from an unexpected perspective, but we don’t fabricate stories for the sake of commentary. We tell the same stories that you’ll find from one of our many excellent colleagues in sports media in newspapers, radio, or broadcast TV. We just complement those outlets by telling the story differently, like with our report on the national controversy of Cam Newton’s end zone dancing, or the controversial ending to the 2015 Duke/Miami football game.
So are you “traditional media” then?
We’re labeled as “non-traditional media”, but that definition probably needs some updating. Turn on local sports radio, for example, and you won’t find caller-driven programming laced with hot takes. Turn on your TV and you won’t find sports anchors reading scores or yelling catchphrases over highlights. Open a newspaper and you’re not going to read box scores or game summaries. If anyone is traditional media, you’re probably not paying attention to them anymore.
Do you cover games?
Absolutely. We’ll never break down match-ups or summarize the action, but we’ll use our brand of storytelling to make you feel like you’re there, or at least better equip you front like you were there the next day. We’ve been credentialed to ACC football and basketball media days, ACC regular season football games, and the ACC football championship game in our first official year as a network. Our staff has been credentialed to pretty much every sporting event you can think of in North Carolina for the past five years.
Interested in having the SC8 team cover your event as a sideline reporter, “man on the street” correspondent, or even as a pre-game/post-game show host like our “Gr8 Day, Greensboro!” coverage of the 2015 ACC Tournament? Contact us at [email protected].
Do you guys give back to the community?
That’s kind of a personal question, but yes we do.
Where else can I find you guys?
Twitter:
Corporate account: @SportsChannel8
Executive producer: @JoshWGoodson
News director: @TheBenSwain
Sports anchor: @DHPIV
Meteorologist/Art director: @WXMoose
Senior contributor: @BGeis_bird
Consultant: @RichardA1972
Other: