Introduction
The media has progressively become a vital platform for the public to see the growing importance of sports. In such cases, critical discourse analysis (CDA) will be used to analyze the contexts. CDA is a theoretical framework for dissecting media texts to uncover hidden ideological signals.
This essay will employ critical discourse analysis to examine two sports-media texts, investigating how this method can be used to critique the ideological themes conveyed by mainstream media in the context of sports. The texts will be compared using an image from The New York Times (Text 1) and a news item from The New York Post (Text 2), emphasizing media function, real-world CDA application, and essential CDA components.
On June 5, 2020, an image depicted the resurrection of the Black Lives Matter movement in the aftermath of George Floyd’s terrible death (Streeter, 2020). Text 1 investigates the National Football League’s response to ongoing protests and the impact of athletes such as Colin Kaepernick in increasing awareness of racial inequality and police brutality. The image in Text 1 illustrates the sports world’s engagement with and response to political and social issues, sparking discussions about players’ influence on public opinion and their role as activists.
Text 2 is a March 6, 2023, piece from the New York Post about Ja Morant, a professional basketball player whose career is winding down and facing legal issues (Janoski, 2023). The article explores the consequences for Morant’s professional and personal life, as well as the impact of athletes’ off-field behavior on their reputations and careers. The piece examines how the private lives of professional athletes can impact their public image and the pressure to maintain a specific identity. This essay demonstrates how critical discourse analysis can foster a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of sports.
Theoretical Framework
The close connection, especially to sports, can be better understood through CDA. Analysis of language, framing, and visual elements is central to CDA, which can be successfully applied to the two texts under consideration. By examining how language shapes meaning and expresses particular perspectives, CDA enables researchers to explore the ideological messages that mainstream media generate about sports (Rowe, 2004; Whannel, 2010).
Text 1 can be analyzed with CDA to determine how the language surrounding players’ kneeling during the national anthem relates to more significant social issues and athlete activism (Bruce, 2013; Mauro, 2020). A more nuanced understanding of the role of athletes as change agents and influencers in society can be achieved by applying critical discourse analysis to the framing strategies and language choices in Text 1 (Palmer, 2001; Reid, 2010).
In Text 2, CDA can be used to probe how Ja Morant and his legal woes are portrayed (Boyle, 2006; Hundley & Billings, 2010). This can be useful in identifying hidden biases or perspectives that impact the story and influence public perception. Implicit ideological messages and power dynamics in the media’s portrayal of the athlete can be decoded by examining Text 2’s linguistic and framing choices. By analyzing how the media has covered Morant’s personal life, CDA can shed light on the challenges athletes face in maintaining a public and private persona, as well as the potential repercussions of intrusive reporting on their well-being and careers (Lenskyj, 2012; Rantanen, 2005).
By applying CDA to these two sports texts, scholars can gain a deeper understanding of how the media influences public opinion and debate on sports and social issues (Boyle, 2009; Rowe, McKay, and Miller, 1998). Scholars can critique the effectiveness of ideological messages in sports media by analyzing the three central components of CDA: language use, framing techniques, and visual elements (Leipold et al., 2019; Sengul, 2019). By disintegrating these elements, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of how sports media conveys and, perhaps, reinforces particular ideologies and views.
Text Selection
Two Media-Sport Texts That Will Be Analyzed
Role of Media and Application of CDA
Both works highlight the media’s role in shaping public opinion and the conversation surrounding sports, race, and other social issues. With the help of CDA, one can examine how these texts contribute to the formation of meaning and the representation of the topics involved (Sengul, 2019). The photograph in Text 1 does an excellent job of conveying the demonstration’s message. However, how it was framed and placed within the larger media story may reinforce racial stereotypes and belittle the athletes who participated in the protest (Whannel, 2010). Because most of the kneeling players are black, this may cause people to associate protesting and dissenting with being black, which in turn may reinforce existing racial biases (Hundley & Billings, 2010).
The news article in Text 2 portrays Ja Morant as a gifted athlete whose off-field antics have landed him in legal trouble and may have ended his career. The use of words such as ‘jeopardized’ and ‘escalating legal issues in the media’ highlights the potential consequences of Morant’s actions (Bruce, 2013). The media’s scrutiny of Morant’s personal life and professional success underscores the pressures placed on athletes to maintain a specific public image.
Effectiveness of CDA in Practice
Critical discourse analysis can effectively dissect the power relations and hidden ideologies within texts. One may see how media portrayals of social issues such as racism, sexism, and inequality are constructed using CDA in these texts (Rowe, 2004). Furthermore, CDA enables the examination of a wide range of themes and issues within the texts, including but not limited to celebrity, cultural diversity, and human rights (Mauro, 2020).
CDA’s capacity to shed light on how language is subtly employed to uphold or undermine established authority is one of its greatest assets (Sengul, 2019). Text 1’s use of visual imagery, such as that which depicts the athletes’ protest against racial injustice, is one example that may be analyzed using CDA. Text 2 may contribute to racial stereotyping because it portrays Morant as a threat to his team and career because of his legal problems.
Moreover, CDA can be used to examine the intertextuality and interdiscursivity of media texts (Reid, 2010). This means that CDA can be used to better comprehend the context of particular media representations within larger discourses by revealing linkages and relationships between texts. With CDA, one can, for instance, investigate how larger media discourses on race, sports, and social issues inform and are informed by the depiction of athletes in Texts 1 and 2. Moreover, CDA can be used in various media, including written, spoken, and visual texts (Boyle, 2006; Bruce, 2013). Adaptability: CDA may be applied to analyze various sports media texts, making it a crucial resource for scholars seeking to deconstruct the complex and multifaceted nature of sports media discourse.
Potential Improvements to CDA
However, several restrictions exist when using CDA to analyze sports media texts. Given that visual communication can substantially affect meaning-making (Lien et al., 2022), using more specific ways to assess visual features could be an advantage. In addition, CDA could gain from an interdisciplinary approach, one that draws on ideas and techniques from subjects, for instance sociology, psychology, and cultural studies, to create a more nuanced comprehension of the interconnected web that is media, sports, and society (Palmer, 2001; Rantanen, 2005).Due to the powerful influence that visual communication can have on meaning-making, it would be beneficial to incorporate more specific techniques to assess visual features. (Lien et al., 2022). While CDA has historically concentrated on language and discourse, the growing prominence of visual aspects in media, especially sports media, calls for a more in-depth examination of visual communication.
To better understand the role that images and visuals play in forming meaning in sports media texts, it may be helpful to employ visual semiotics or other visual analysis approaches (Hundley & Billings, 2010). The intricate relationships among media, sport, and society could be better understood if CDA took an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on theories and methodology from sociology, psychology, and cultural studies (Palmer, 2001; Rantanen, 2005). By combining the findings of these distinct fields, CDA can better account for the complex nature of sports media communication, which includes linguistic and discursive aspects and psychological contexts in which these texts are situated.
Comparative Analysis of Texts
When the two texts on sports media are compared and contrasted, several vital themes become apparent. These works illustrate the media’s power to mold public discourse and generate social problems.Text 1, with its emphasis on demonstrations and racial injustice, brings to light the importance of the media in amplifying the voices of the underrepresented and fostering social change (Rowe et al., 1998). However, as was stated previously, the fact that the photograph has several Black players might also contribute to the perpetuation of racial prejudices (Whannel, 2005).
Text 2 is an example of how the media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes that can be detrimental to the reputations of Black athletes (David, 1999). The story may have contributed to Black athletes’ stigmatization by emphasizing Morant’s legal difficulties and using language that constructed him as a hazardous figure.
These publications highlight the significance of conducting an in-depth analysis of how the media portrays athletes and societal concerns. Thanks to the application of CDA, one can evaluate the impact these texts have had on public discourse and perception, which allows us to detect the power dynamics and ideologies encoded in these texts (Sveinson, Hoeber, and Heffernan, 2021). Hence, the analysis findings have demonstrated that both works produce meaning and portray social concerns such as race, gender, and inequality.
Theoretical Analysis
Ideological Messages Produced by Mainstream Media Around Sport
Athletes kneeling while playing the national anthem in Text 1 convey an ideological statement about fighting against racial injustice and using one’s voice for positive social change (Rowe et al., 1998). The photo depicts a group of sportsmen standing together to promote the message that public figures from the sports world can be effective catalysts for social change. The implicit racial biases that may be reinforced by depicting Black athletes as inherently political or aggressive must also be considered (Whannel, 2005).
The mainstream media is crucial in disseminating diverse perspectives on sports and athletes. A critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach can comprehensively evaluate the efficacy or inefficacy of media texts. This discussion examines the ideological messages in two sports texts: a photograph from The New York Times (Text 1) and a news article from The New York Post (Text 2). It considers the significant implications for mainstream sports coverage.
By employing critical discourse analysis to critique ideological messages in sports media texts, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the broader implications of mainstream media coverage of sports. For instance, CDA can assist in identifying media portrayals of athletes that are biased, stereotypical, or overly simplistic and contribute to the perpetuation of harmful narratives or impede productive discussions of social issues (Rowe et al., 1998).Due to this study, future media coverage of sports and athletes may be more balanced, nuanced, and accountable.
New Thoughts and Inferences Based on the Analysis
Text 1’s CDA shows how athletes can be powerful agents of social change and advocate for greater public understanding of important issues. This understanding can spark new inquiry into the outcomes of athlete activism and the subsequent effects on sports, the media, and public discourse. Text 2’s CDA discusses the difficulty athletes have in keeping their personal and professional lives separate.This investigation can prompt a rethinking of the media’s coverage of athletes’ private lives and the potential repercussions of such coverage on their professional endeavors.
Implications and Recommendations
The intricate connection between sports, the media, and society is illuminated through the CDA analysis of the two media-sport texts (Rowe, 2004). These results imply that media portrayals of sports individuals and events can have wider social and cultural ramifications, highlighting the need for a critical analysis of sports media texts to fully comprehend their influence on public opinion and societal issues. The findings suggest numerous changes that could be made to sports coverage in the media. To show sports and athletes in a more inclusive and balanced light, media outlets should include various views and viewpoints, particularly those of marginalized and underrepresented groups, in their coverage of sports (Bruce, 2013).The media should not primarily focus on bad or controversial parts of the industry to create a more balanced representation of sports figures.
Critical Discourse Analysis’ Role in Balancing and Nuanced Sport Views
By allowing scholars, journalists, and consumers to critically explore the underlying power dynamics, ideologies, and social issues buried within sports media texts, critical discourse analysis (CDA) can play a significant role in creating more nuanced and rounded perspectives on sports (Sveinson et al., 2021). By applying critical discourse analysis to sports media texts, stakeholders can gain insight into the power dynamics by uncovering how language, imagery, and context generate meaning and reflect social issues (Leipold et al., 2019). A more nuanced and well-rounded view of sports and their place in society can result from such critical interaction with sports media texts, leading to more responsible and truthful reporting and encouraging consumers to consume sports media content with a critical eye.
Using the theories of critical discourse analysis, the essay stresses the necessity of analyzing sports media for its latent biases, prejudices, and power systems. The text also provides examples of how critical discourse analysis may be used in various settings, including discussions of environmental policy and the construction of sports identities in the media. This is in keeping with the theory’s generalizability (Rantane, 2005). Along with the theory’s emphasis on the confluence of language, culture, and power, the work also illustrates how critical discourse analysis can expose how prevalent cultural norms and values impact representations of sports and the language used to describe them (Rantane, 2005).The theories of critical discourse analysis and the text offer a framework for analyzing and comprehending sports media narratives.
Conclusion
Text 1 from The New York Times and Text 2 from The New York Post were subjected to CDA, which revealed the underlying ideologies and power dynamics that shape the representation of athletes and social issues in sports media. Successful and unsuccessful ideological messages in these texts can be thoroughly criticized thanks to CDA’s ability to facilitate a nuanced understanding of language use, framing techniques, and visual elements. Through analysis of the two texts, CDA’s efficacy in shedding light on the myriad ways athletes contribute to and benefit society, the value of responsible media reporting, the necessity of critical media consumption, and the impact of commercial interests on sports media coverage were all revealed.CDA has also highlighted the value of athletes having open lines of communication with the general public, acknowledging the power of athlete activism to effect positive social change, and reassessing the equilibrium between athletes’ public and private sectors.
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