"Sports journalism helps shape the image of a nation"
Sports journalists tend to perpetuate stereotypes about a nation, says media scholar Daniel Beck.
The media emotions surrounding the
Barrage soccer match Turkey-Switzerland last Wednesday went high.
In addition to the joy of qualifying for the World Cup, the unpleasant
Riots after the match a topic in all the media. "Turks were like
in a bloodlust", was the headline of the Blick on Friday; "Everyone had to fight for their
run for his life," wrote the Tages-Anzeiger online on Thursday; "Huggel
as Barnetta's avenger" was reported by around ten newspapers.
What
What does science say about the uproar surrounding the events in Istanbul? "In
In recent years, it has been noticeable in sports journalism that the focus
increasingly away from the playing field to the events around it
will be," explains Daniel Beck, senior assistant in the Department of Media and
Communication Science at the University of Fribourg. He has a
Doctoral thesis on the development of sports journalism in Switzerland.
daily newspapers. "In addition, there is much more personalization, so
specifically reported on individual players and coaches." The fact that the
It is common for sports reporting to become very emotional. Sport
After all, it is entertainment material, the fans take it with heart and soul.
share. This is also reflected in the reporting.
"Events off the pitch during the second barrage match were probably
but reported in a particularly dramatized way," says Beck. This is not without
Consequences: The image of a country is relatively strongly
sports reporting. It is also not unusual that
the behavior of a nation on the pitch to political contexts
is transmitted. Sports journalists would therefore have some influence
and therefore also responsibility. "It is clear that sports journalists
like to cultivate stereotypical ideas about a nation. They write
and what the public expects from them - or at least,
what they think the public wants to read," explains the
Media scientist. An intensely personalized and emotional
For some time now, reporting has not only been
tabloids, but also "in the so-called serious newspapers".
Media".
However, Beck expects that the journalistic
excitement over the riots in Turkey will soon subside.
"Of course, it depends on what circles the incident still draws and
how severe any penalties imposed by Fifa will be, the events of
last Wednesday will probably soon be removed from the front pages.
disappear." The incidents may be warmed up when the
Swiss and Turkish national teams next time
"In sports journalism, people tend to write chronicles of past events.
events or statistics on the encounters."
Carole Scheidegger
Barrage soccer match Turkey-Switzerland last Wednesday went high.
In addition to the joy of qualifying for the World Cup, the unpleasant
Riots after the match a topic in all the media. "Turks were like
in a bloodlust", was the headline of the Blick on Friday; "Everyone had to fight for their
run for his life," wrote the Tages-Anzeiger online on Thursday; "Huggel
as Barnetta's avenger" was reported by around ten newspapers.
What
What does science say about the uproar surrounding the events in Istanbul? "In
In recent years, it has been noticeable in sports journalism that the focus
increasingly away from the playing field to the events around it
will be," explains Daniel Beck, senior assistant in the Department of Media and
Communication Science at the University of Fribourg. He has a
Doctoral thesis on the development of sports journalism in Switzerland.
daily newspapers. "In addition, there is much more personalization, so
specifically reported on individual players and coaches." The fact that the
It is common for sports reporting to become very emotional. Sport
After all, it is entertainment material, the fans take it with heart and soul.
share. This is also reflected in the reporting.
"Events off the pitch during the second barrage match were probably
but reported in a particularly dramatized way," says Beck. This is not without
Consequences: The image of a country is relatively strongly
sports reporting. It is also not unusual that
the behavior of a nation on the pitch to political contexts
is transmitted. Sports journalists would therefore have some influence
and therefore also responsibility. "It is clear that sports journalists
like to cultivate stereotypical ideas about a nation. They write
and what the public expects from them - or at least,
what they think the public wants to read," explains the
Media scientist. An intensely personalized and emotional
For some time now, reporting has not only been
tabloids, but also "in the so-called serious newspapers".
Media".
However, Beck expects that the journalistic
excitement over the riots in Turkey will soon subside.
"Of course, it depends on what circles the incident still draws and
how severe any penalties imposed by Fifa will be, the events of
last Wednesday will probably soon be removed from the front pages.
disappear." The incidents may be warmed up when the
Swiss and Turkish national teams next time
"In sports journalism, people tend to write chronicles of past events.
events or statistics on the encounters."
Carole Scheidegger
