Sport in Society:

Issues and Controversies

Chapter 12
Sports and the Media:
Could They Survive
Without Each Other?

Characteristics of the Media

Print media: words & images on paper
Newspapers, magazines & fanzines,
books, catalogues, event programs,
trading cards

Electronic media: words, commentary,

& images transmitted by audio and/or
video devices and technologies
Radio, television, film, video games, the
Internet and online publications

The Media Provide

Information
Interpretation
Entertainment

Media Content
Media content is always edited and
re-presented by those who control
media organizations

Editing decisions are based on one or more

of these goals:
Making profits
Shaping values
Providing a public service
Building artistic and technical reputations
Expressing self

Figure
12.1

Media
representatio
ns of sports
are carefully
edited to
highlight
dramatic
action

Media and Power

The media often serve the interests of
those with power and wealth in society
As corporate control of media has become
more concentrated, media content highlights
Consumerism
Individualism
Competition
Class inequality

as natural and necessary in society

What If . . .
All TV documentaries were sponsored by
environmental groups, labor organizations
womens groups?

Wouldnt we ask questions about the content of

those programs, and ask why we see what we
see and why we hear what we hear?

99% of all sports programming in the media

was sponsored by capitalist corporations?

Shouldnt we ask questions about the content of

that programming, whose interests it serves,
and why we see and hear what we do?

Characteristics of the Internet

The Internet
Extends and radically changes (potentially)
our connections with the world
Is not limited to sequential programming
Enables each of us to be the editors of
our own media experiences, if we wish
Gives us the potential to create our own
sport realities and experiences as
spectators and virtual athletes

Video Games & Virtual Sports

Research is needed to
help answer questions such as:
What are the dynamics of playing video sport

games and virtual sports, and how do they

differ from other sport-related experiences?
How are video sport game experiences linked
with other sport experiences?
What ideological themes are structured into
the images and actions in video sport games?
Will virtual sports compliment or replace sports
as we know them today?

Fantasy Sports
How has the emergence of fantasy football,
baseball, etc. contributed to an increase in
sport media consumption?

Video Games as Simulated Sports

The graphics and images in video games now come
close to matching images in televised sports
TV producers now use special filters to make the
action in televised games look like video games
Some athletes use video sport games to train
Some children today are introduced to sports
through video games
Being good at playing video sport games is a
source of status among many young people
Playing sport video games provides regular social
occasions for many people, especially young males

Video games as simulated

sports
The graphics and images in video games now come close to
matching images in televised sports.
TV producers now use special filters to make the action in
televised games look like video games.
Some athletes use video sport games to train.
Some children today are introduced to sports through
video games.
Being good at playing video sport games is a source of
status among many young people.
Playing sport video games provides regular social
occasions for many people, especially young males

Do Sports Depend on the Media?

No, not when they are organized by
and for the players themselves
Yes, when they are organized as
forms of commercial entertainment
Media coverage attracts attention to

sports and provides news of results

Television coverage remains a key factor
in the growth and expansion of
commercial sports

Have Sports Sold Out to the Media?

Probably not for two reasons:
Sports are not shaped primarily by the
media in general or TV in particular
Sports are social constructions that emerge in
connection with many social relationships

The media, including TV, do not operate in

a political and economic vacuum
Media are regulated by government and market

factors, which influence and set limits on media

coverage & content

Do the Media Depend on Sports?

Most media do not depend on sports for
content or sales
Daily newspapers have depended on sports
sections to increase circulation and
advertising revenues
Many television companies have depended
on sports to fill programming schedules,
attract male viewers and the sponsors that
want to reach them
Many sport events have media audiences with
clearly identifiable demographics

Trends in Televised Sports

Rights fees have escalated rapidly since
the 1960s
Sports programming has increased
dramatically
As more events are covered, ratings for
some particular events have decreased
Audience fragmentation has occurred

Television companies use sports events to

promote other programming
Television companies are parts of
conglomerates that now own teams, sport
events, and other businesses

Global Economic Factors in the

Sports-Media Relationship
Global economic factors have intensified the
sport-media relationship because
transnational corporations need vehicles for
developing
Global name recognition
Global cultural legitimacy
Global product familiarity
Global ideological support for a way of life
based on consumption, competition,
individual achievement, and a focus on
social status and material possessions

Figure 12.3 Executives decisions in global media companies

influence what sports we see and read about in the media

Alcohol & Tobacco Sponsorships

Corporations that sell alcohol and
tobacco see sports as key vehicles
for promoting their products in
connection with activities that people
define as healthy
If these corporations cannot sponsor
televised events, they put signage on
people, equipment, and facilities that
are viewed during television coverage.

Corporate Sponsorships
and Gender Ideology
Decision-making power in large media corporations
rests with many male executives who love sports
The values and experiences of men are deeply
embedded in the cultures of these corporations
When sports emphasize competition, domination,
and achievement, many male executives feel that
these are crucial factors in their companies
This means they will pay large fees to hire
coaches and athletes as motivational speakers
in their companies

Images and Messages

in Media Sports (I)
Media coverage is constructed around
specific themes and messages:
Success themes
Emphasis on winners, losers, and final
scores
Emphasis on big plays, big hits, and
sacrificing self for team success

(continued)

Images and Messages

in Media Sports (II)
Media coverage is constructed around
specific themes and messages:
Masculinity and femininity themes
Coverage privileges men over women
Heterosexuality is assumed;
homosexuality is erased and ignored
Coverage reproduces dominant ideas
about manhood, but may challenge ideas
about femininity
(continued)

Images and Messages

in Media Sports (III)
Race and ethnicity themes

Racial ideology has influenced coverage of black

athletes, especially males
Whiteness is erased in coverage; it is assumed
as the standard

Nationalism is emphasized

We - They distinctions are common

Individualism is highlighted
Aggression is glorified; athletes are
presented as warriors

Figure 12.4

Media sports
present reallife violence.
Should sport
programs be
rated for
violence?

Media Impact on
Sport-Related Behaviors
Active participation in sports
Some negative, some positive effects
Attendance at sport events
Media generally increase attendance at
elite events, but may decrease
attendance at local events

Gambling on sports
Media are indirectly linked to gambling
Internet may change this to direct link

Audience Experiences
With Media Sports
Research shows that
Watching television sports is not a major
activity in the lives of most adults
Football widows and men who just sit in
front of the TV watching sports are not as
common as many people think.
Men and women who live together often share
the experience of watching sports
Most partners in couples accommodate each
others viewing habits over time

The Profession of
Sports Journalism
The work of sports journalists does matter
when it comes to cultural ideology and
public consciousness
Tensions between players and sportswriters
has intensified as differences in their
salaries and backgrounds have become more
pronounced
Ethical issues have become increasingly
important in sports journalism because the
stakes are so high for teams, athletes,
coaches, owners, etc.

Figure 12.5

If it bleeds, it
leads in the
local news and
in sports.

Comparison of
Sportswriters and Announcers
Sportswriters
Work behind scenes
Seldom recognized
Low salaries; paid by
publications
Low regulation by
sport management
Job focuses on
providing information

Announcers
Celebrity status
Public recognition
High salaries; often
paid by management
Comments regulated
by management
Job focuses on
selling the sport

Comparison of
Print and Broadcast Media
Print Media

News & information

Summaries of past events
Concrete information
Success based on
preserving credibility
Highlights behind-thescenes stories
Provides more critical
coverage

Broadcast Media

Entertainment
Play-by-play coverage
Real-time action
Success based on
generating hype
Highlights action and
heroic displays
Provides more supportive
coverage