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Constructing Images and Interpreting Realities

The Case of the Black Soccer Player on Television

Brunel University, UK

R. L. Jones

University of Bath, UK

P. Potrac

University of Otago, New Zealand

Through its interpretation of events, and subsequent creation of social reality, mediated sport is often seen to be presented within certain ideological discourses which reflect existing power structures. The aim of this study was to investigate this phenomenon through an analysis of the images constructed of the Black soccer player in the UK by television commentators. The methodology employed was two-fold. First, 100 hours of football footage was scrutinized, with the descriptors used to portray both Black and White players being coded into one of the following categories: (a) players and their performance, (b) the physical characteristics of players, and (c) the psychological characteristics of players. Second, through the subsequent use of same-race focus groups, the influence of the images portrayed on differing racial groups was also examined. Results demonstrated that the Black groups clearly identified the existence of media sport racial stereotypes, which were fed and reaffirmed through commentator discourse. The White groups, on the other hand, were much less certain of such phenomena, with, in particular, only a small discursive space being apparent between an awareness of the Black athletic stereotype and acceptance of that stereotype.

Key Words: football • media • racism • stereotypes

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