Sep
18
Wait… Chris Cooley’s what?
Filed Under Multimedia journalism
Right now you’re probably wondering what Chris Cooley’s Shorts is all about. Take a look at the photo to the right – you don’t find those shorts blog-worthy? Fine, you got me. Though I considered it, this blog isn’t all about the fashion statements of the Washington Redskins tight end. But I am not joking when I say the subject of this blog is all in the name.
Now you think I’m crazy. I see. Let me try again. As you may or may not have already surmised given the URL, I’m Kate Yanchulis. A University of Maryland journalism student and, more importantly, a fanatical follower of the Redskins since birth, I have dedicated this blog to the frenzy of online coverage and multimedia journalism that surrounds the team. And I find no better example than Chris Cooley’s shorts.
You can find Cooley’s shorts here. And here. And here. These three stories mark three straight years (2007, 2008 and 2009) that Cooley’s shorts, in various reincarnations, have set the blogosphere alight. And that’s just the beginning. Google Chris Cooley’s shorts and you will get 131,000 results. I find that amount staggering and I actually read this stuff.
Who provides this news and news like it? Who reads it and what do they get from it? That’s what I want to discuss with this blog. I will of course look at the coverage of the Redskins by major media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Washington Times, ESPN and of course by the Redskins themselves. No blog on Redskins multimedia journalism would be complete without them. But I want to focus particularly on news produced and spread by blogs, fan communities, social networking media such as Twitter and YouTube and even by – especially by – the players themselves. (See Cooley’s own blog at ChrisCooley47.blogspot.com.) Alternative news sources play a vital role in the world of Redskins multimedia journalism. If not for their fascination with a certain piece of clothing, this very site would not exist.
So come back to www.KateYanchulis.com and continue to share in the wonder of Chris Cooley’s Shorts.
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2 Responses to “Wait… Chris Cooley’s what?”
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This is awesome. The pseudo-celebrity culture surrounding athletes is interesting enough, but combine it with the Internet’s penchant for obsessing over the irrelevant? (ESPECIALLY when this obsessing is being done by the athletes’ FANS?) What a great theme for a blog.
And thank you for providing so many links to Chris Cooley’s shorts. I didn’t even know about them before I read this blog, but now, I just can’t get enough.
Awesome! Good idea, but will this really work?