485: The Boston Globe’s Tara Sullivan on Covering the Patriots and the State of Sports Journalism

Live from Super Bowl Media Row, Joe Favorito and Scott Rosner welcome Tara Sullivan, Sports Columnist for The Boston Globe, for a conversation on the business of sports journalism and what it takes to cover an NFL franchise. Sullivan walks through her career path from the Bergen Record to the Boston Globe, explaining the shift from traditional beat reporting to column writing and how the Globe’s deep connection to its local readership continues to shape its coverage. She discusses the Globe’s investment in multimedia storytelling, including video, audio, newsletters, and subscriber-focused journalism, and why chasing paid subscribers, not clicks, has been central to the outlet’s strategy. The conversation also dives into the current Patriots moment, from the post–Bill Belichick transition to the emergence of Drake Maye and a re-energized fan base, as well as how major sporting events create lasting storylines beyond the final score. Sullivan shares her perspective on the Washington Post’s recent turmoil, the importance of ownership and reinvestment in journalism, and why women’s sports represent one of the most important growth opportunities for media coverage.Connect with Tara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-sullivan-500bb23/The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR) and produced by Sam Henry (@s_henry11), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with social media efforts led by Lissa Ruiz. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com