Challenges faced by sports news journalists in China’s new media environment

In the context of China’s rapidly evolving new media environment, sports journalism is undergoing significant transformation. Platforms such as Douyin, WeChat, and Weibo have reshaped how sports news is produced, distributed, and consumed, creating new demands for speed, engagement, and digital fluency. This study investigates the major professional challenges faced by Chinese sports journalists in adapting to this environment. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 experienced journalists across diverse digital outlets. Thematic analysis identified five interrelated challenges: timeliness and accuracy, credibility and trustworthiness, economic pressures and resource constraints, balancing niche and mainstream content, and digital content production and innovation. These challenges reflect broader tensions between journalistic values and the algorithmic, commercial, and institutional forces that define today’s new media landscape. The study highlights the structural marginalization of niche sports content and adds new perspectives to existing scholarship on platformization, digital labor, and media professionalism in non-Western contexts. Future research could incorporate regional comparisons or audience perspectives to further examine how credibility, visibility, and content diversity are shaped by evolving journalist– platform dynamics.