Evolution of the sport image provided by two online Spanish and U.S. newspapers (2004 vs 2014)

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the evolution of the sport image provided to Western societies by online newspapers in a period of ten years (2004 vs. 2014). A total of 1816 articles with athletic content published in usatoday.com and 1135 articles with athletic content in elmundo.es were studied. The analyzed articles were collected during four periods of time: two weeks in October (2003 and 2013) and two weeks in February (2004 and 2014). The fourth period of analysis coincided with the 2014 winter Olympic Games. The registered variables included: type of news, appropriateness, competition level, gender, and sport. A descriptive and inferential analysis (Chi-Square test and contingency table) was carried out. The evolution of the type of news in these online newspapers showed less diversity in the articles and the sports represented, a higher number of less appropriate articles, and an imbalance between articles about females and males. The sport image provided by these two online newspapers is focused on elite performance, is male-dominant, and focuses on few sports.