The media-sport relationship through time has also expanded beyond the mere reporting of games to an institution employed in the construction of debate on issues of identity, race, gender, and social justice. Games and matches, which were initially just games, have now come to re-fashion themselves as sites upon which sportsmen engage issues and demand change. To the media’s eye, issues like racism, gender equality, and identity have emerged from the margins and onto centre stage, and sport more than ever is a stage on which to make social issues count.
The Evolution of Sport and Media
Sport was once entertainment, a break from the monotony of everyday life. TV coverage was determined by what was happening out on the pitch with no care for the wider stories that were taking place off the pitch. Look at today and the media influence on sport is far greater. Social media has given athletes voices through which to speak directly to fans without the approval of traditional gatekeepers of information. Sport has therefore become society in miniature, with discussion of race, gender, and politics being heard as frequently as match predictions and transfer gossip.
The tide began to shift for many athletes and fans when social causes stopped being held in abeyance, and players started using their profiles to advocate for something. Some of the most powerful statements of this phenomenon were Colin Kaepernick’s, the retired NFL quarterback, kneeling during national anthem protests against police brutality. His protest launched a national and global conversation about police brutality, racial injustice, and the role of athletes in activism. In the media, Kaepernick’s act of defiance became a symbol of resistance, and sports fans found themselves caught up in controversy that involved politics, race, and sports.
Race and Identity in Football
Football has been at the forefront with a number of its superstars using their fame to talk about race and identity issues. Marcus Rashford is an example. The Manchester United celebrity turned vocal activist on child food poverty in the UK used his social media presence to pressure the government into providing free school meals for poor children. His campaign, which was given media coverage, had real-world, tangible effects in the sense that the government ended up reversing its decision to cut funding.
Social issues within sport are not always so straightforward as a call for social change. Issues like racism persist in football, despite the very high-visibility campaigns like Kick It Out and Black Lives Matter. In 2021, England’s footballers took the knee before matches in support of anti-racism demonstrations, only to be condemned by some supporters. This is one instance of a difficult dilemma for sports media: while most supporters embrace the activism, there is still opposition from others who see political messages as out of place in their entertainment.
Gender Equality in Sport
Women’s sport has for decades been given a lower priority, with female sport receiving vastly less media coverage and fan following. Women’s sportswomen were given comparatively little coverage back then compared to the men’s sportswomen, and even their achievements would be overshadowed. This situation is now undergoing a change with increased media publicity, sponsorship, and more supporter following women’s sport.
Perhaps the most obvious example of progress is the Women’s World Cup for soccer. Since the early 1990s, the competition has had increasingly larger audiences, and in 2019 the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in France set a global record for viewership with an audience of over 1 billion people. Media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have also performed very well in highlighting the profiles of women’s sports so that women players can reach out to their own fan bases directly and show their own experiences.
Despite this, there is still a lot to be achieved. Women’s sports continue to receive fewer media timeouts than men’s, and women athletes are generally paid significantly lower than the men even in sports with equivalent audiences. The U.S. Women’s National football team has fought for equal pay and respect, but the divide continues. The contribution made by media in favour of promoting gender equality has come a long way in bringing issues into limelight and making heard the voices of sporting women, who expect respect and equal opportunity.
The Dark Side: The Media’s Role in Amplifying Controversy
As good as the role of the media has been in pushing social agendas through sports, it’s not entirely positive. The same platforms that allow athletes to make their voices heard are the same that subject them to vicious criticism and hate speech. When athletes take strong stands on something they feel, they are subject to online rants, often because their stances are in opposition to popular opinion.
Take the example of Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid’s former star player who became the victim of online insults after having openly spoken about political matters. What he has endured highlights how in the sporting world, the media can be a double-edged sword—giving sportsmen the platform to make an impact while also exposing them to derogatory comments.
The Future
In the years to come, it is safe to predict that the marriage of sport and media will only be stronger. Through online media, sports enthusiasts now have more channels of accessing the causes that thrill them today than ever before. Social media will continue to be a battlefield upon which players struggle to effect change, and mass media outlets will have to balance coverage of the game with a sense of duty to cover the off-field problems that are motivating their players.
Ultimately, sport is less about the sport—it’s about the people, the problems, and the narratives in it. The athletes themselves who take a stand are defining what it means to be a hero in sport. And as we look ahead and observe the convergence of sport and media continue to grow and evolve, we can anticipate social causes, identity, and activism to be at the forefront of the conversation.
Citations
“The Role of the Media in Promoting Gender Equality in Sport.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues.
Sullivan, M. (2021). “Why Are Female Athletes Still Paid Less Than Men?” BBC Sport.
The Guardian (2016). “Colin Kaepernick: The NFL Player Who Kneels for Justice.”
FIFA (2019). FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 Viewership Statistics.
BBC News (2020). Rashford Campaign for Free School Meals.
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