Relaying Rio Through an Australian Gaze: Australian Nationalistic Broadcast Focus in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scott, Olan; Billings, Andrew; Xu, Qingru; Sharpe, Stirling; Lewis, Melvin
• Is Part Of: Communication & sport. Volume 7:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 198
• Page End: 220
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: media -- Australia -- nationality -- content analysis -- Olympic Games; Communication in sports -- Periodicals; Mass media and sports -- Periodicals; 306.48305
• DOI: 10.1177/2167479517753117
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2167-4795

Abstract

This study explored how potential national biases unfolded within the Australian broadcast of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Applying social identity theory and self-categorization theory, this study content analyzed a total of 45 prime time broadcast hours of Australia's Seven Network's coverage of the Rio Games. Although the majority of top 20 most-mentioned athletes were Australian, non-Australian athletes were mentioned more frequently regarding total name mentions. Moreover, Australian athletes and non-Australian athletes were described in significantly different manners when ascribing reasons for athletic success and failure. This study contributed to the literature by uncovering how in-group members were portrayed in the Australian sports context while also providing insight into how consumers' media consumption could potentially affect how the network broadcast the Olympics from a nationally partisan perspective.