When sports journalists become podcasters, does the editorial process follow?

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“Hot take: Most sports journalists get worse at analysis when they stop writing and go full podcast/video mode,” wrote Yahoo! Sports newsletter editor Kendall Baker on X Wednesday. “And it makes sense why. Writing forces you to slow down and organize your thoughts. Writing is where you pressure-test your ideas. Podcasts let you just… say stuff.”

Hot take: Most sports journalists get worse at analysis when they stop writing and go full podcast/video mode.

And it makes sense why.

Writing forces you to slow down and organize your thoughts. Writing is where you pressure-test your ideas. Podcasts let you just… say stuff.

— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) March 25, 2026

Baker’s unprompted take struck a nerve in the sports media world and set off a cascade of quote posts that agreed or offered further thoughts.

Good take. I think it’s possible to stop writing and still prepare really well for podcasts. But not everyone does that. Writing *forces* deep research in a way podcasting doesn’t. https://t.co/0VO3ceR7sd

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) March 25, 2026

I’m biased here but I think a video essay is the best of both worlds. Written Script + Video elements https://t.co/YMYvf7D3dg

— kofie.substack.com (@Kofie) March 25, 2026

I think there is some significant truth here but there are some talents who are truly gifted at multiple platforms.

At my places, Tom Verducci and Michael Farber were the personification of this.

But something that doesn’t get mentioned:

At places that have invested in… https://t.co/OSxFKwwosP

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) March 25, 2026

Obvs biased, but I do think a good podcast/good podcasting comes with doing preparation and organizing your thoughts in ways that are similar to writing. Being able to convey your thoughts in written and audio form is the real sweet spot https://t.co/Ej0lqGb8tS

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) March 25, 2026

Don’t disagree with your premise, but I do think the industry has devalued the written word to a point where people have had to look for supplementation. That being said the research still has to be there as if you were writing. Going to games, calling people, etc.

— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) March 25, 2026

Everyone needs an editor regardless of medium https://t.co/UUDJXvBSqF

— Kavitha A. Davidson (@kavithadavidson) March 25, 2026

It makes sense why so many people in sports media reacted. What Baker’s talking about is an all-too-common career path these days for so many sportswriters and reporters building their brands and attempting to stay relevant in an industry that often seems to be actively working against them.

As media giants crumble, layoffs become the norm, AI comes for jobs, and conglomerates eat one another, sacrificing journalism and integrity in the name of shareholder value, so many sports media members have to become one-person bands, stretching their brands across multiple platforms, to keep doing what they love.

And so often, writers become writers for very specific reasons and with specific skill sets that don’t translate to other media. But the algorithm demands video, podcasts, and #CONTENT, so you need to feed it, even if it’s not your strong suit. Which is where things end up as Baker describes them above.

What was most interesting about the responses to the post was the different examples sports media folks offered about the space between, showcasing how there is no perfect answer to solve for what Baker’s saying (except maybe to have a producer you can trust), only the opportunity for journalists to find the solution that works for them.