Objectives
„
Sports and the Media
„
KIN 385
Daniel Frankl, Ph.D.
Discuss the nature of
the media
Discuss the relationship
between the media and
sports
http://plato.acadiau.ca/courses/kine/rpitter/KI
NE2253/1243_media_06W.ppt
Areas of Interest in the Study
of Sport and the Media
„
„
„
„
Characteristics of the Media
Sports’ Relationship with the Media
Images and Messages in Media Sports
The Characteristics of Sports Journalism
Media Characteristics
„
Coakley and Donnelly stress the
following about the media:
„ The media are bridges between us
and the rest of the world directing our
attention to selected items of
information, experience, images and
ideas.
Media Characteristics
„
Coakley and Donnelly stress the following
about the media:
„
The media provide three things, sometimes
providing all three at one time:
„ Information about events and people
„ Interpretations of what is going on around
the world
„ Numerous forms of entertainment
Media Interests I
„
The re-presentation of reality emerges
from decisions that are motivated by the
media’s interest in:
„
„
„
„
„
Making profits
Shaping values
Providing public service
Building their own reputations
Expressing themselves in technical artistic
forms
1
Media Interests II
„
Decisions about media content are also
influenced by power relations and society
as a whole.
„
Media Interests II
Decisions about media content are also
influenced by power relations and society
as a whole.
„
Media consumers rarely have direct control
over media content because the media often
serve the interest of those with power and
wealth
„
Unfortunately, most people believe that when
they see a sport event on television they are
seeing sport "the way it is" when in fact
television coverage gives us only one of many
possible sets of images and messages
related to a sport event.
Sports and The Media: A Twoway Relationship I
Discussion
One of the paradoxes associated with
the media coverage of sports is that the
media open up new opportunities for
spectators to view sports, but they also
limit and define the experiences of
spectators. Using at least two examples
of each from the textbook, explain how
the media can do both these things
simultaneously.
„
„
Many sports forms do not depend upon
the media, but commercial sports
organizations do--for their existence and
success.
Sports are not primarily shaped by the
media; however, because of their profit
making goals, commercial sports have
been open to changing to accommodate
the media whenever it is profitable to do
so.
Sports and Media: A Two-way
Relationship II
Discussion Question
A few television companies around the world
have paid massive amounts of money for the
rights to cover certain sport events, even when
they don't anticipate that the ratings will be as
high as they are for prime time programming.
Why would television companies be so eager to
cover sports in light of the fact that they seldom
attract massive audiences, except in the case of
a limited number of special events?
„
Newspapers and television are the mass
mediums that have become most
dependent on sports.
„
Newspapers
„
„
„
Most major American newspapers give more daily
coverage to sports than to any other single topic
The sports section is the most widely read section
Many depend on the sports section to attract
advertising revenues and for general subscription
and sales
2
Sports and Media: A Two-way
Relationship II
„
Newspapers and television are the mass
mediums that have become most
dependent on sports.
„
Coakley and Donnelly make the point
that mediated sports are symbolic
constructions, just as Hollywood films
and television soap operas are
symbolic constructions. What is meant
by this point, and what is involved in
the media construction of sports?
Television
„
„
Some companies have developed a dependence
on sports for programming content and advertising,
especially cable and satellite stations.
Some networks even sponsor events that they
then promote and televise.
How the Media
Construct Sports
„
Discussion Question
How the Media Construct Sports
„
Media sports tend to emphasize
„
Media provide a selective version of
sports. Where media are privately owned
and depend on monetary profits, sports
are selected for coverage based on
entertainment value.
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Themes of Underlying Images and
Messages in Mediated Sports I
Discussion Question
Coakley and Donnelly state that the
coverage of sports in North American media
has probably had a major impact on how
people in Canada and the U.S. think about
masculinity, femininity, and gender relations
as a whole. Use material and examples from
the chapter and from your personal
experience to either agree or disagree with
this statement.
Action
Competition
Final scores
Performance statistics
Records
Elite athletes and events
Aggression
Heroic action
Athletes’ emotions and personalities
„
Success themes
„
„
US media sports tend to emphasize success
themes more than sport media in other countries
such as Britain where strategy and the flow of the
game are emphasized.
Masculinity and femininity themes
„
Overwhelming evidence supports the position that
mediated sports promote the idea that women's
sports are less important than men's sports.
3
Themes of Underlying Images and
Messages in Mediated Sports II
„
Race themes
„ Some research has shown that
announcers often unwittingly
engage in distinctive
commentaries when describing
whites and blacks.
„
Other ideological themes in mediated
sports
„
„
„
„
„
For example?
Media Impact on Sport-Related
Behaviours I
„
Themes of Underlying Images and
Messages in Mediated Sports II
Active participation in sports
„ Coakley and Donnelly argue
that sports media have no net
positive or negative influence
on sport participation.
„
Media Impact on Sport-Related
Behaviours I
„
Attendance at sports events
„ Coakley and Donnelly argue game
attendance is positively related to media
coverage; however, this conclusion should
be qualified in two ways:
„ attendance may be limited by ticket price
increases in areas where people have
the option of watching local games on
television
„ The media’s focus on elite sport might
undermine attendance at less elite
events
Media Impact on Sport-Related
Behaviours II
„
Gambling on sports
„ The media do make it
easier for gambling to
occur, but this does not
necessarily cause
gambling.
Nationalism and national unity
Competitive individualism
Teamwork
Aggression
Consumerism
Media Impact on Sport-Related
Behaviours II
„
Audience experiences with media
sports
„
People use media coverage of sports for
different things:
„
„
„
„
developing and maintaining social identities
feeling a personal sense of significance
engaging in social interaction
maintaining social relationships
http://www.amazon.com/Can-You-Win-Gambling-Lotteries/dp/images/0716721554
4
The Profession of Sports in
Journalism
„
Ethics and sports in journalism
„
„
„
„
„
Break up the monopolies
Strengthen the scrutiny of press
councils and CRTC
Make all broadcasting contracts
transparent
Kidd’s (2005) Recommendations:
For Journalists
„
„
„
„
Sport reporters seem to have ethical
standards that differ from other reporters
The relationship between journalist and
their principle source is complex
Sport journalists encounter several perils
that may hinder their credibility
Kidd’s (2005) Recommendations:
For Public Policy
„
The Profession of Sports in
Journalism
Don’t cover every game
Cover the entire landscape of
Canadian sports
Pursue careers that span sports
and other ‘beats’
Sports writers and sports announcers
use different approaches (Koppet,
1994)
„
„
Writers woo readers with reliable and
thorough stories
Announcers try to dazzle and fascinate
audiences
Kidd’s (2005) Recommendations:
For Public Policy
„
„
„
„
Require public broadcasters to cover a
proportional amount of women’s sports
Strengthen the preparation of journalists
Develop and sharpen critical distance
Break the habit of depending upon
handouts from teams/institutions
Kidd’s (2005) Recommendations:
For students
„
„
„
Contribute to the critical examination of
the production, distribution and
meaning of sports coverage through
essays and research
Challenge (through press councils and
CRTC) the most outrageous examples
of biased coverage
Challenge the vested interests of the
sports community in uncritical coverage
5
Discussion Question
„
Is the success of female athletes
being promoted more in the
media based on sex appeal as
opposed to physical ability?
Discussion Question
What if television did not exist? Describe
what commercial sports would be like today
if there had never been television coverage
of sports over the past 45 years. Use
examples from sports at all levels of
organization (high school, university,
amateur, and professional) as you create
your description. Would the sports
themselves be different? Would the
spectator experience be different?
Discussion Question
You're a new editor at Sports Illustrated. At your
first editorial meeting the major item on the agenda
is a debate about the February swimsuit issue. It
is decided that it would be economically unwise to
drop the swimsuit issue. But it is also decided that
if the swimsuit issue is continued, there must be
other changes in the magazine to present a fair
image of women in sports. You are called on to
suggest some changes. How would you respond?
Conclusion:
Can sports and media live
without each other?
6