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groups they might not otherwise access. This process undoubtedly will
increasingly confront the narrative of sport with the need to address voices
traditionally marginalized in sports and society in general (Nylund, 2001).
The market-driven aspect of the media might also contribute to a growth in
the community. Rome, as with any radio show host, exists within a larger
corporate radio market that must represent some commercially viable
perspective. While those views might currently be “embedded within corporate
consumerism and tend towards a more reproductive rather than a resistant
agency” (Nylund, 2001, p. 30), the market is changing. Just as The Jim Rome
Show has evolved to encompass new media and technology, new markets and
demographics will drive the discourse to reflect the perspectives that listeners
deem most relevant. Thus, the power to create community falls back on the
audience.
The Jim Rome Show, which includes both host and audience, has already
extended the concepts of community beyond a regional audience to a broader,
national market. This community has the potential to reach out to individuals
isolated by geography or other confines, and expose them to new viewpoints as
well as a broader community, a dynamic that has tremendous social value. The
simple, universal narrative of sports—^the elation of victory, the tragedy of
defeat—invites listeners to easily participate in this community, bridging the
divide of the narrowly defined or restrictive groups that proliferate society. That
listeners feel and embrace the power of their influence on this community gives
a promising way to think about how to develop agency and activism in an age
that sorely requires it. If this can be a possible outcome from the community of
The Jim Rome Show, it may indeed be an aspect worth cloning.
Antioch University Los Angeles
MeHee Hyun
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