scholarly journals The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Nationality in Sport: Media Representation of the Ogwumike Sisters

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel R. Zenquis ◽  
Munene F. Mwaniki
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
White Supremacy ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Sports Media ◽  
Black America ◽  
Black African ◽  
Sport Media

The diversity of Black America in general, and how it pertains to gender in particular, remains understudied in analyses of sports media. To get a better understanding of the Black female athlete in our society today, this project addresses the intersections of race, gender, and nationality/ethnicity in U.S. media. To do this, we use critical discourse analysis to examine the sports media representations of professional basketball players Nnemkadi and Chinenye Ogwumike. As relatively successful second-generation Black African female athletes, we find that the sisters represent a compelling site of analysis as a nexus of crisscrossing power relations. Our discussion focuses on the manipulations of foreign female Blackness to maintain White supremacy by media in the United States specifically, and the West more broadly.

Media Representations of Terrorism

2014 ◽  
pp. 61-79
Author(s):  
John Downing
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Middle Easterners ◽  
Public Critique ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Terrorist Events

This chapter begins with a comparative overview of violence against civilians in war, terrorist events, and torture. The comparisons are between the United States since the 9/11 attacks, Britain during the civil war in Northern Ireland 1969-2000, and France during and since the Algerian armed liberation struggle of 1954-1962. The discussion covers the general issues involved, and then summarizes existing research on British and French media representations of political violence. This chapter then proceeds to a critical-discourse analysis of the U.S. Fox Television channel's highly successful dramatic series, 24. The series is currently considered one of the most extended televisual reflections on the implications of 9/11. Political violence, counter-terrorism, racism, and torture are central themes demonstrated in this television series. It is argued that the show constructs a strangely binary imaginary of extremist and moderate “Middle Easterners” while simultaneously projecting a weirdly post-racist America. In particular, the series articulates very forcefully an ongoing scenario of instantaneous decision-making, under dire impending menace to public safety, which serves to insulate the U.S. counter-terrorist philosophy and practice from an urgently needed rigorous public critique.

Analyzing Media Representations of Sportswomen—Expanding the Conceptual Boundaries Using a Postfeminist Sensibility

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Toffoletti
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Female Athlete ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Third Wave Feminism ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
Women In Sport ◽  
Media Institutions ◽  
Media Research

This article seeks to expand the conceptual boundaries of sport media research by investigating the utility of a postfeminist sensibility for analyzing depictions of women in sport. Rosalind Gill’s (2007) notion of a postfeminist sensibility is situated within UK-led feminist critiques of gendered neoliberalism in popular culture and offers a conceptual lens through which sports scholars might interrogate the complex and contradictory media landscape that often simultaneously marginalizes and empowers sportswomen. In highlighting postfeminism as a sensibility, this article makes visible the ways in which depictions of sportswomen as sexy and strong reorients responsibility for the sexualization of female athletes away from media institutions and toward the female athlete themselves. It also explains how a postfeminist sensibility differs from third wave feminism—a related framework popular among sports feminists seeking to respond to ambivalent and complex renderings of contemporary sporting femininity.

scholarly journals “Her Winning Personality”: Critical Discourse Analysis of Media Portrayals of Females in Sport

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Esford
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Sports Media ◽  
Gender Expectations ◽  
Gender Hierarchy ◽  
Gender Hierarchies ◽  
And Gender

At the intersection of fourth-wave feminism and third-wave sports media research, this critical discourse analysis will focus on the ways in which gender hierarchy and gender expectations are manifested in articles on ESPN.com. Through the investigation of sports media framing techniques, the ESPN articles in examination construct an idealized female identity within sports through the language used. This narrow view of female athletes allows for the power and influence that sports media has to construct gender hierarchies in the media landscape. Using Fairclough’s (1989) method of conducting a critical discourse analysis, the prevalent sports media sentiments about Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, and Serena Williams will illustrate the sexist, racist, and homophobic language used. Through applying the Televised Sports Manhood Formula (Messner et. al, 2000) as a foundational discourse in sports media to journalism, the hierarchy of sports media results in the use of character framing techniques for sportswomen. When aspects like ambivalence and non-sports related information are emphasized, these strategies uphold the masculine hegemony of sports media. Keywords: Sports media sentiment, gender, gender hierarchy, critical discourse analysis, Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams.

scholarly journals “Her Winning Personality”: Critical Discourse Analysis of Media Portrayals of Females in Sport

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Esford
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Sports Media ◽  
Gender Expectations ◽  
Gender Hierarchy ◽  
Gender Hierarchies ◽  
And Gender

At the intersection of fourth-wave feminism and third-wave sports media research, this critical discourse analysis will focus on the ways in which gender hierarchy and gender expectations are manifested in articles on ESPN.com. Through the investigation of sports media framing techniques, the ESPN articles in examination construct an idealized female identity within sports through the language used. This narrow view of female athletes allows for the power and influence that sports media has to construct gender hierarchies in the media landscape. Using Fairclough’s (1989) method of conducting a critical discourse analysis, the prevalent sports media sentiments about Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, and Serena Williams will illustrate the sexist, racist, and homophobic language used. Through applying the Televised Sports Manhood Formula (Messner et. al, 2000) as a foundational discourse in sports media to journalism, the hierarchy of sports media results in the use of character framing techniques for sportswomen. When aspects like ambivalence and non-sports related information are emphasized, these strategies uphold the masculine hegemony of sports media. Keywords: Sports media sentiment, gender, gender hierarchy, critical discourse analysis, Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams.

The Status of Women in Sport-Talk Radio: A Survey of Directors

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Hardin ◽  
Dunja Antunovic ◽  
Steve Bien-Aimé ◽  
Ruobing Li
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Talk Radio ◽  
Women's Sport ◽  
Sports Media ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
Women In Sport ◽  
The Status ◽  
Employment Of Women ◽  
Token Status ◽  
The Impact

Sport-talk radio has been recognized, along with other forms of sports media, as a masculine space where women’s value as athletes and fans is diminished. Little is known, however, about the gendered dynamics of sport-talk-radio production. This study used a survey of programming directors from across the United States to explore issues around the employment of women and coverage of women’s sport by local stations. Results suggest that many stations do not employ any women, although more than half do. Still, leadership positions belong primarily to men. Programming directors see little value in women’s sport for their listeners and make decisions that reinforce their vision of an audience that also sees little value in women’s sport. Using a feminist lens, the authors speculate on the impact that women in positions of power could have on programming if their representation moved beyond token status, while acknowledging the realities of the sport-media workplace.

scholarly journals Strong is beautiful(?): A multimodal analysis of strength and beauty in female and male sports commercials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Ihnat
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Research Paper ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Television Commercial ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
Multimodal Analysis ◽  
Beauty Myth ◽  
Representations Of Women

Taking inspiration from Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth, this major research paper examines the ways in which strength and beauty are constructed in female and male sports commercials. Building off of themes such as the sport-media complex, encoding and decoding models of communication, media representations of women and post-feminism, this paper is concerned with exposing the disparities between media representations of female and male athletes. Using the Women’s Tennis Association’s “Strong is Beautiful” ad campaign in tandem with AT&T’s “Paul George Strong” ad, the questions that guide this major research paper are: • How does strength act as a reductive concept? • How is the word “beautiful” encoded in the “Strong is Beautiful” ad campaign? • At what level (i.e. connotative or denotative) do the words “strong” and “beautiful” operate in the “Strong is Beautiful” television commercial? • At what level does the word “strong” operate in the “Paul George Strong” television commercial? And finally, what does the “Strong is Beautiful” television commercial and the “Paul George Strong” television commercial communicate about the beauty myth in sport? What do these commercials say about post-feminism in sport? Employing social semiotic theory and multimodal analysis, this paper concludes that strength is applied universally to the female athletes in the “Strong is Beautiful” commercial which solidifies the term as a male standard. As a result, the term has an oppressive connotation when used to describe female athletes thereby contradicting the very notion of what a female athlete should be: empowered.

Women's Sports

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Schultz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Title Ix ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Sex Discrimination ◽  
The United States ◽  
Women's Sports ◽  
Sports Media ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
Women’S Sports ◽  
News Networks

Although girls and women account for approximately 40 percent of all athletes in the United States, they receive only 4 percent of the total sport media coverage. SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship program, dedicates less than 2 percent of its airtime to women. Local news networks devote less than 5 percent of their programming to women’s sports. Excluding Sports Illustrated’s annual "Swimsuit Issue," women appear on just 4.9 percent of the magazine’s covers. Media is a powerful indication of the culture surrounding sport in the United States. Why are women underrepresented in sports media? Sports Illustrated journalist Andy Benoit infamously remarked that women’s sports "are not worth watching." Although he later apologized, Benoit’s comment points to more general lack of awareness. Consider, for example, the confusion surrounding Title IX, the U.S. Law that prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program that receives federal financial assistance. Is Title IX to blame when administrators drop men’s athletic programs? Is it lack of interest or lack of opportunity that causes girls and women to participate in sport at lower rates than boys and men? In Women’s Sports, Jaime Schultz tackles these questions, along with many others, to upend the misunderstandings that plague women’s sports. Using historical, contemporary, scholarly, and popular sources, Schultz traces the progress and pitfalls of women’s involvement in sport. In the signature question-and-answer format of the What Everyone Needs to Know® series, this short and accessible book clarifies misconceptions that dog women’s athletics and offers much needed context and history to illuminate the struggles and inequalities sportswomen continue to face. By exploring issues such as gender, sexuality, sex segregation, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, media coverage, and the sport-health connection, Schultz shows why women’s sports are not just worth watching, but worth playing, supporting, and fighting for.

scholarly journals Strong is beautiful(?): A multimodal analysis of strength and beauty in female and male sports commercials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Ihnat
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Research Paper ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Television Commercial ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
Multimodal Analysis ◽  
Beauty Myth ◽  
Representations Of Women

Taking inspiration from Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth, this major research paper examines the ways in which strength and beauty are constructed in female and male sports commercials. Building off of themes such as the sport-media complex, encoding and decoding models of communication, media representations of women and post-feminism, this paper is concerned with exposing the disparities between media representations of female and male athletes. Using the Women’s Tennis Association’s “Strong is Beautiful” ad campaign in tandem with AT&T’s “Paul George Strong” ad, the questions that guide this major research paper are: • How does strength act as a reductive concept? • How is the word “beautiful” encoded in the “Strong is Beautiful” ad campaign? • At what level (i.e. connotative or denotative) do the words “strong” and “beautiful” operate in the “Strong is Beautiful” television commercial? • At what level does the word “strong” operate in the “Paul George Strong” television commercial? And finally, what does the “Strong is Beautiful” television commercial and the “Paul George Strong” television commercial communicate about the beauty myth in sport? What do these commercials say about post-feminism in sport? Employing social semiotic theory and multimodal analysis, this paper concludes that strength is applied universally to the female athletes in the “Strong is Beautiful” commercial which solidifies the term as a male standard. As a result, the term has an oppressive connotation when used to describe female athletes thereby contradicting the very notion of what a female athlete should be: empowered.

scholarly journals Sports media professionals reflect on racial stereotypes and ethnic diversity in the organization

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
Jacco van Sterkenburg ◽  
Matthias de Heer ◽  
Palesa Mashigo
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Racial Stereotypes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sports Media ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
Media Organizations ◽  
Media Professionals ◽  
Racial Ethnic

PurposeThe aim of this article is to examine how professionals within Dutch sports media give meaning to racial/ethnic diversity in the organization and reflect on the use of racial stereotypes in sports reporting.Design/methodology/approachTen in-depth interviews with Dutch sports media professionals have been conducted to obtain the data. Respondents had a variety of responsibilities within different media organizations in the Netherlands. The authors used thematic analysis supplemented with insights from critical discourse analysis to examine how sports media professionals give meaning to racial/ethnic diversity and the use of racial/ethnic stereotypes.FindingsThe following main themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: (1) routines within the production process, (2) reflections on lack of diversity on the work floor and (3) racial/ethnic stereotyping not seen as an issue. Generally, journalists showed paradoxical views on the issue of racial/ethnic diversity within sport media production dismissing it as a non-issue on the one hand while also acknowledging there is a lack of racial diversity within sport media organizations. Results will be placed and discussed in a wider societal and theoretical perspective.Originality/valueBy focussing on the under-researched social group of sport media professionals in relation to meanings given to race and ethnicity in the production process, this research provides new insights into the role of sports media organizations in (re)producing discourses surrounding race/ethnicity in multi-ethnic society and the operation of whiteness in sports media.

The Liancourt Rocks: Media Dynamics and National Identities at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Yan ◽  
Nicholas M. Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
National Identities ◽  
World War ◽  
Sport Media ◽  
South Korean ◽  
History Of ◽  
Soccer Team

After the South Korean men’s soccer team beat its Japanese counterpart in the bronze-medal match at the 2012 London Olympics, South Korean player Park Jung-Woo celebrated with a banner that displayed Dokdo is our land. Dokdo is called the Liancourt Rocks in English, the sovereignty over which has been an ongoing point of contention between South Korea and Japan. This study conducts a critical discourse analysis to examine media representations of Park’s banner celebration, as well as the ensuing discussion in major Korean and Japanese newspapers. The analysis reveals a contrastive picture: The Korean media vocally approached Park’s behavior as an emotional response of self-righteous indignation and quickly enacted memories of Korea’s victimhood in World War II to make justifications, whereas the Japanese media participated in a relatively disengaged absence. Japan’s silence disclosed a glimpse into its rich postwar history of social conflict and political resistance. Such contrast is also indicative of how sport media can be engaged in nuanced social contexts, generating representations that serve nation-state regimes situated in different political dynamics.

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