Becoming European Through Football Media? Representations of Europe in German Football News Coverage

Biel, Jonas ; Finger, Tobias ; Reinke, Vincent ; Amann, Jennifer ; Niemann, Arne und Jungblut, Marc (2023): Becoming European Through Football Media? Representations of Europe in German Football News Coverage. In: International Journal of Sport Communication, Bd. 16, Nr. 2: S. 202-214

Abstract

In recent decades, the administrative and competitive structures of men’s elite club football in Europe have undergone a profound transformation toward Europeanization. As a result, football fans are increasingly exposed to European influences. These dynamics shape fans’ perceptions of and orientations toward Europe and contribute to constructions of collective identities. Because football is a highly mediatized sport, fans’ exposure to European influences and their constructions of identity are highly dependent on the representation of Europe in football media. To analyze this, we conducted a quantitative analysis of text-based online news media. Using selected German media outlets, we examined the extent and the patterned variation of media representation of Europe in football news articles. Our results indicate a highly selective media environment focused on a limited set of countries with high sporting relevance and a presence of German national-team players, while other countries rarely enter the media discourse.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Sozialwissenschaften > Kommunikationswissenschaft
• Themengebiete: 300 Sozialwissenschaften > 300 Sozialwissenschaft, Soziologie ; 300 Sozialwissenschaften > 380 Handel, Kommunikation, Verkehr
• ISSN: 1936-3915
• Sprache: Englisch