Sports Illustrated major media crisis: Quality, shared ownership, and hidden AI

Olivia Dunne's LSU Tigers win sparks debate over intentional underscoring in gymnastics, leading to Sports Illustrated's staff layoffs.

The recent victory of the LSU Tigers, led by Olivia Dunne, in gymnastics has sparked a discussion about intentional underscoring. This has been a topic of conversation in Sports Illustrated, a leading sports magazine in the United States. The magazine has recently announced the dismissal of a significant portion of its staff, marking a potential final step in the crisis facing the publication.

Sports Illustrated has faced a tumultuous few years, with changes in ownership and management. Since 2019, the publication has been owned by Authentics Brand Group, which acquired it from Meredith Corporation for 110 million dollars. However, the management of Sports Illustrated was licensed to The Arena Group, which recently failed to make a payment of 3.75 million dollars, resulting in the layoffs.

This development is just the latest in a series of challenges for Sports Illustrated. Once known for its quality reporting and comprehensive coverage of sports, the publication has struggled to adapt to the digital evolution. Multiple acquisitions by different companies have led to the dilution of the brand, and readers have expressed dissatisfaction with the loss of quality and the use of clickbait on social media.

The crisis reached a tipping point in November 2023 when it was revealed that the publication was generating information created by Artificial Intelligence without informing its readers. This information was sometimes inconsistent and was signed by fictitious editors with nonexistent biographies. The Arena Group dismissed the magazine's executive editor, Ross Levinshon, and attributed the reports to an external company, AdVon.

The future of Sports Illustrated is uncertain, and it remains to be seen whether ABG will seek a new manager for the publication or if these recent developments will mark the end of the magazine. The SI workers' union has issued a statement calling on ABG to guarantee the publication's future and allow it to continue serving its audience as it has for nearly 70 years.

In addition to the recent developments at Sports Illustrated, it's important to recognize the achievements of athletes who have been honored by the magazine over the years. From Roger Bannister's historic mile run in 1954 to Deion Sanders' leadership in NCAA sports in 2023, Sports Illustrated has celebrated the accomplishments of athletes from a wide range of sports.

The future of Sports Illustrated may be uncertain, but its legacy of honoring athletic achievement and providing comprehensive sports coverage will continue to be remembered.