Abstract
This chapter commenced by discussing the historical anxiety that the media have 'taken over' sport and reduced its quality for players and spectators alike. Conversely, sport has insinuated itself into an increasing range of media organisations, practices and texts. This 'sportification' of the media involves not only their heavy reliance on sport's capacity to assemble large audiences" especially in a digital, multi-channel, multi-platform environment. It is also demonstrated by the proliferation of 'sport-like' characteristics of media genres, such a competitive 'reality' and 'talent' television shows with uncertain outcomes (score-keeping and live/mediated audiences), news and current affairs constructed around a contest framework that closely resembles sports encounters (a striking example being scoring who 'won' the 2012 Obama-Romney US presidential election debates) and the ubiquitous use of sport iconography and metaphors in advertising with liberal invocations of 'races', 'hurdles' and 'finishing lines' (Jackson and Andrews 2005). The media sports cultural complex, hen continues to repay close, systematic attention for all who are interested in the socio-cultural ramifications of popular media and communication.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Media & Communications in Australia |
| Editors | Stuart Cunningham, Sue Turnbull |
| Place of Publication | Crows Nest, N.S.W. |
| Publisher | Allen & Unwin |
| Pages | 315-319 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Edition | Fourth Edition |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781743311639 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- mass media and sports
- mass media
- sports