Rick Saleeby Advocates for Human-Centered Storytelling in Sports Media

Veteran sports journalist and senior producer Rick Saleeby is raising awareness around the growing need for more human-centered storytelling in sports media. Drawing from more than 20 years in broadcast journalism, Saleeby is advocating for coverage that prioritizes people, emotion, and context over constant numbers and highlights. Recent data supports his view. According to the Pew Research Center, 65% of sports fans say they prefer behind-the-scenes and personal stories, while Nielsen reports that emotion-driven sports features hold viewer attention up to 40% longer than traditional highlight segments. Yet much of today's coverage remains focused on analytics-heavy recaps.

Saleeby points to moments from his own career as proof of impact. At a Giants training camp, he asked a veteran player not about the season ahead, but about the first night he tried to run again after injury. The player described sneaking onto a high school track, struggling through one painful lap, and sitting in the grass afterward, unsure if his career was over. He has also seen how small, off-camera moments can define a story. After a high school baseball game, he noticed a silent hug between a pitcher and his father, recently returned from military service. Saleeby believes this approach isn't just for professionals. He encourages fans, creators, and young journalists to practice storytelling in everyday ways by paying attention to reactions, not just results, asking specific questions that invite real answers, listening longer before responding, and sharing stories that highlight effort, struggle, and growth.

Saleeby encourages anyone who watches, writes about, or talks about sports to slow down and notice what happens between the plays. Whether sharing a post, having a conversation, or creating content, focus on the human side that often goes unseen. For more information on media trends, visit Pew Research Center and for audience measurement data, refer to Nielsen. This shift toward human-centered storytelling represents a significant evolution in sports media, moving beyond transactional reporting of scores and statistics to capture the deeper narratives that connect audiences to the emotional core of athletic competition.