The Impact of Media on Sports - Research Paper Example

The Impact of Media on Sports Table of Contents Introduction 3 Sports and the Media 4 Unifying Effects 6 Divisive Effects 7 Event or Sport Impact 9 Conclusion 11 References 11 Introduction Sports has developed as a significant aspect of popular culture throughout the world, ranging from cricket and soccer in England, gymnastics in Germany and other countries of German influence, to softball and football in the United States (Fog, 1999, pp. 229-230). Sport is a paradox, an event that can be defined as trivial and a form of entertainment, yet at the same time it is very serious, with the ability to both unify and divide people participating and viewing. Sport has a resonant effect throughout society, creating an environment where athletes and sporting enterprises are greatly revered, and have a significant effect on the environment around them. Sporting events are frequently played on the media, and celebrated through advertisements and sponsorship. The way that sports are perceived is also a cultural phenomenon and as such this varies significantly depending on what part of the world is being examined. For example, Britain is well-known for behavior known as soccer hooliganism, which consists of violence occurring between soccer fans (Dunning, 2000). Although violence between fans is observed with other sports, such as the beating of fans (CBS News, 2011) in football (Roberts & Benjamin, 2000), the way that this occurs with soccer fans is unique, and can result in behaviors such as mobs of fans rushing the field (Dunning, 2000). Because of these differences, this paper will focus on the four major sports within North America, hockey, basketball, football and baseball, rather than considering sports globally. Both popular culture and the media are subject to two distinct, contradictory pressures. The first of these is the dissatisfaction with current forms of entertainment, and a desire to find new focuses, or to access a broader market. The second pressure is where people seek out the forms of entertainment that interest them, while avoiding those that do not. Sports have the potential to impact the media in either way. They could act as a unifying force, bringing together people with a wide range of different viewpoints. Alternatively, the media could treat sports as being a niche interest that is only a relatively small number of people care about. The purpose of this essay is to examine what effect sports has on the media, whether the media responses to sports are unifying or diversifying and if this changes depending on the type of sport or sporting event that is being shown. Sports and the Media There is a substantial relationship between the media and sports within the United States, and the media has a significant influence on the way in which sports are presented and on how people perceive sports. There are many channels that focus on sports, and prominent newspapers devote a considerable amount of page space to reporting on the results of games. Sport is an interesting construct in this way because it is surrounded so strongly by hype and advertisement that people often do not look at the basic aspects, such as what sport truly represents and the (Eitzen, 2009, pp. 9-10). An example of this is that during the Olympic Games, the video coverage that is shown within the United States is strongly biased towards American teams, and the sports that Americans are the most interested in. Whether sports act as a divisive or unifying factor has been the subject of considerable debate by academics as well as those involved in the sports field. One argument is that within the United States sports act to divide the nation much more than it does unify it. Through sports competition, races are pitted against one another, as are different cities and classes. While sports are often perceived to be unifying, there is significant evidence that goes against this assumption. One example of this is that while a large number of young males feel that they will be able to become a professional athlete in later life, few do, and those that achieve this go are most often white and of a high social class (Eitzen, 2009, pp. 25-27). However, the alternative perspective is also true; sports have served to unite warring parts of a nation, to promote a sense of national pride and to bridge the diplomatic gap between nations (Eitzen, 2009, p. 21). These examples suggest that sports itself can act as both a unifying and a divisive force, While the media has the potential to impact the way that people view sports, the reverse is also true. The prevalence of sports broadcasting is an indication of this, as the large number of sports channels, websites, magazines and parts of newspapers could not be maintained if there was not significant interest in sports to begin with. The public’s interest in sporting events appears to be strong enough to maintain the need and funding for media coverage of the events, while in turn, it is likely that the media coverage, fanfare and hype surrounding the events also serves to increase the number of people interested in sports. As such, sports and the media are strongly related to one another, which makes determining the effects of each difficult. The most effective way of approaching this is to examine the unifying and divisive aspects individually and then consider the overall relationship between the media and sports. Unifying Effects One of the first places that people encounter sport directly is within high school, and sport is an important component of high school for many students and can act to create a school spirit, providing social occasions where people can freely network, and a common cause. This can act as a bonding factor, unifying people (Woods, 2011, p. 127). In this case, it is not only the sport itself that acts as a unifying factor, but also the way in which it is promoted. There are many other ways that media becomes involved in sport in school, even though the games tend not to be televised. For example, some sportsmen and women are perceived as celebrities, which can produce similar ambitions in students. Schools often focus on the status of athletes, and use pep rallies and similar events to encourage the students to group together in support of the schools athletes. The strong focus on athletes within the school environment can serve to create an environment where students care about their school and about the successes of their sports teams, where otherwise they would not. Consequently, sports unifies the school in a way that few other approaches have been able to. Another event that serves as a unifying factor is the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the championship game that occurs as part of the National Football League (NFL), and is the final event of the football season. Super Bowl Sunday has become effectively a national holiday, hosting the most valuable commercial spots available on television, some of which more than a million dollars for the spot alone (Sweney, 2011). It is considered to be a ‘slice of American culture’, a day that is at the heart of being American (NBC Sports, 2007). The 2011 Super Bowl season was watched by approximately 111 million viewers, with around 163 million watching at least some of the game. This figure represents more than half of the United States’ population. Not only is the Super Bowl highly popular among sports fans, but many of the people that watch it are particularly interested in sports. The Olympic Games is another sporting event that has a wide appeal that goes beyond people who traditionally view sports. It is often considered to be a unifying event, as it brings athletes from throughout the world to compete with one another, where people throughout the world can watch the competitions. Through the Olympic Games, the host country has the ability to promote itself to the rest of the world, as do other countries through their athletes. Another aspect to this is that 2012 will be the first time that the Olympic Games have occurred in the presence of high levels of social network. This is likely to increase the amount of unity that is provided by the Olympic games (Pitsch, 2012). Divisive Effects However, while there are many examples of sports in the media creating a unifying effect, this does not always occur. In some cases, sports can have a diversifying effect, by placing fans or plays at odds with one another, or by alienating people who are not interested in sports. One example of this is within high school. While sports in high schools are often promoted because they act to unify people, they also have a significant diversifying effect on the social fabric of the school itself. This occurs because people who are involved in sport, tend to be admired by others, and spend a substantial amount of time with one another. The result of this is that people who are not involved in sports can become excluded, which generates feelings of envy and mistrust among the rest of the student body (Woods, 2011, p. 127). This diversifying effect of sports is largely related to the way that sports is portrayed in the media, and can make high school a difficult time for many teenagers. Another example of division that occurs as the result of sport in the media is the impact of the Super Bowl for immigrants to the United States. Rather than acting as a unifying force, the Super Bowl serves to increase the cultural divide, with those unfamiliar with the rules of football, are unable to understand the game, or who do not speak English well, feeling left out and distinct from the rest of the country. The division caused by the Super Bowl and other such sports events occurs between different types of people within the United States, and also between generations. For many immigrant families, the younger generation will be interested in watching the Super Bowl, and share the enthusiasm that is prevalent throughout the country. However, the older generation cannot understand the rules of the game, and feel alienated (Belkin, 2004). Sports in the media often place fans at odds with one another, particularly when two groups of fans are highly passionate about their respective teams. This rivalry is often friendly, such as fans wearing face paint and team colors during games, or carrying props when watching a game on television (Toney Jr, 1999) However, occasionally can become more intense, resulting in violence and criminal behavior, such as rioting and vandalism (Roberts & Benjamin, 2000). In this way, sports act to ignite differences between groups of people, rather than to bring them together, and can result in watching a game being a tense and potentially violent activity. Division also occurs in terms of the channels and media that are used for sports, and different types of sports. For example, there are many different television channels within the United States that focus primarily or exclusively on sports. The amount of channels is extensive, and includes ones such as the CBS Sports Network, ESPN, NFL Network and Fox Sports Net. The wide range of channels available means that they must compete with one another for the same audience and people must choose what channel or channels to follow. The same occurs with different sports, as there are often major games occur for multiple sports at the same time. Likewise, this happens with different leagues. Event or Sport Impact Perhaps the best example of the impact that a sports event has in the media is Super Bowl and even more specifically, Super Bowl Sunday. The day has grown from a simple competition between two teams, to an unofficial nationwide holiday, a time where a third or more of the population is actively watching the day, while there are many parties and large amounts of food consumption going on throughout the country. Super Bowl Sunday is much more than a game, it is a nationwide event, highly advertised, and highly participated in (Wertheim, 2012). The use of fanfare is prominent in the Super Bowl, with aspects such as the halftime show featuring celebrity performances, as well the specially developed ads (Sweney, 2011). The way that the media presents events is determined by a range of factors, and the examples of the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games are two cases where the media is attempting to generate interest and hype for the sports events. The result of this is that these events are much more than simply sports events, but they have a range of associated attraction that appeals even to people who are not interested in the sports itself. This strong suggests that it is the medias presentation and interpretation of sports events that acts as a unifying factor, rather than the events themselves. Fanfare is not a unique aspect of the Super Bowl. Many sporting events make use of similar approaches, such as the Olympic Games, which has an elaborate opening ceremony. This is estimated to cost £27 million (more than $40 million United States dollars) for the London, 2012 Olympic Games. Sports mega-events, such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics often provide a way for a country to be involved in symbolic politics, such as the promotion of specific national messages or narratives (Black, 2007). The presence of fanfare and display is not unique to mega-events; instead it is an important aspect of most sports games. Examples of this include the way that mascots are used for sports games, and how there is often the use of costumes and props. However, there is currently not enough research available to show where aspects such as the advertising and fanfare associated with large events like the Super Bowl are truly the cause of the cultural phenomenon or whether they are actually the result of it. For example, it would be reasonable to argue that the Super Bowl would be popular regardless of the media input, but simply because it is the cumulating game in a nationwide competition. Under this argument, the use of media and advertising to promote games is simply a side effect of the money being available or the interest already being present. Conclusion The presence of such strong media coverage and focus on sports events has the potential to significantly impact the way that people view sports, and whether sports act as a divisive or unifying factor. Sports have a significant effect on the amount that people view media, as can be seen through the large amounts of people that view the Olympic Games and the Super Bowl. The media tends to portray sports as being unifying and promoting national messages, yet despite this, there is a significant underlying divisive nature to sports including within their promotion in the media. As such, sports within the media is both a uniting and a divisive force, that serves to bring people together, while at the same time excluding some and creating a charged, competitive environment. Research concerning how division and unity are achieved through sports is still limited, and it is unclear whether some of these effects are driven by the sports themselves, or the way that they are promoted. As such, future research needs to examine this question in detail and determine what it is that drives the way that people view sports. References Belkin, D. (2004, January 29). Super Bowl understores cultural divide: For many immigrants, thrill is not there Retrieved July 18, 2012, from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/01/29/super_bowl_underscores_cultural_divide/ Black, D. (2007). The symbolic politics of sport mega-events: 2010 in comparitive perspective. South African Journal of Political Studies, 34(3), 261-276. CBS News. (2011, April 5). Giants Fan Beaten at Dodger Game Likely Suffered Brain Damage. CBS San Francisco Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/04/05/giants-fan-beaten-at-dodger-game-suffers-likely-brain-damage/ Dunning, E. (2000). Towards a sociological understanding of football hooliganism as a world phenomenon. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 8(2), 141-162. Eitzen, D. S. (2009). Fair and Foul: Beyond the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport (4th ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. . Fog, A. (1999). Cultural Selection. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers NBC Sports. (2007, February 4). Lets make Super Bowl an official holiday Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/16865062 Pitsch, V. (2012, July 4). London 2012 - The first social games Retrieved July 19, 2012, from http://www.sturmunddrang.de/en/agenda/foresights/london-2012-first-social-games Roberts, J., & Benjamin, C. (2000). Spectator violence in sports: a North American perspective. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 8(2), 163-181. Sweney, M. (2011, February 8). Super Bowl 2011 draws highest ever audience for US TV show Retrieved July 19, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/08/super-bowl-highest-ever-audience Toney Jr, D. R. (1999). Sporting events, fan violence, and the courts of the future: Make way for a new player, the legal eagle. Sports Law Journal, 6, 147. Wertheim, J. (2012, February 3). How the Super Bowl grew into an American cultural phenomenon Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://www.indystar.com/article/20120203/NEWS11/202030387/How-Super-Bowl-grew-into-an-American-cultural-phenomenon Woods, R. B. (2011). Social issues in sport (2nd ed.): Human Kinetics. Read More