Sport and the media have both always had a wavering relationship over many years for a variety of reasons. This is partly because of high profile stories breaking out about different sporting stars private lives. In this article we will look at what connects both sport and the media and how their relationship has changed over the years.
The Sporting World
The sporting world is a closely scrutinised and highly competitive area in which there are tens of millions of athletes and professionals participating from around the world. Sports have made up an important part of our societies for centuries and is something that connects many communities.
Across the sporting world increasingly more and more sports are being widely covered by the media, and with greater coverage comes increased pressure and scrutiny. This means that many athletes within the sporting world have to deal with increased media activity around them when they are performing in large events.
The Media
The media is different from the sporting world in many different ways. However it still has a a significant overall effect on the sporting world and the people participating in sport.
One of the main functions of the media is to ensure that there is wide ranging and extensive coverage of different events. In order to ensure this often media organisations will have large numbers of staff at sporting events to broadcast the sports being showcased.
As well as the broadcast of sports and sporting entertainment , many media outlets often run sporting related news and stories about organisations such as football clubs or managers from different sports.
How Does The Media Affect/Influence Sports?
There are a variety of ways in which the media affects and influences sports overall. One of the main ways in which the media affects sports is publishing stories about athletes. Unfortunately , many athletes have reported that they have felt under greatly increased pressure as a result of increased media activity and scrutiny.
This has led to many athletes and sports people reporting that they don’t feel as well mentally as they could be due to increased pressure and public attention. Clearly this practice needs to change as athletes can be badly affected by pressure and should not be under this sort of pressure prior to participating in an event for their chosen sport.
What Changes Should Be Made?
In order to remedy this issue there should be a wide range of issues addressed. One of the first issues that should be addressed is the media’s contact with athletes. Clear boundaries should be set to ensure that athletes can take a break from media stories and interviews etc.
Furthermore athletes should be in contact with psychologists who can keep track of their overall mental health and well being to ensure that they are looked after. Ultimately whilst the media does have the freedom to interview and film sportspeople , there should be regulation to ensure that the overall health and well being of athletes can be protected. These changes should be phased in over time.
