The media is very important part of society today. According to Todd Nesbitt, the lecturer of and chief Communication and Mass Media department at UNYP, sport media is 30% of the whole media industry, which is no doubt, significant part.
Sport is a business today. But it has been changed significantly since money came to sport. The purpose of any kind of sports and Olympism is the aspiration to perfection, improvement of own physical opportunities and skills, and uniting people and creating frindship atmosphere. Money changed sport and made it worse. As it was said by UEFA president and very popular football player Michael Platini: "20 years ago people went in for sports to keep healthy and today also to earn money."
But not only sportsmen have opportunity to earn big money, but also sports managers and the media make huge money. It is possible to say that sportsmen and sports clubs are slaveries of the media and absolutely depend on it. Today the main purpose of sport is achievement of as highest performance as possible and making money from that and sometimes it looks unethical. For example, famous French football player Thierry Henry was involved into big scandal because he had scored a goal by hand (see more on the photo) and did not confess in it immediately. He did it because of big money influence. Moreover, it is important to highlight, that FIFA did not punish him or French football federation strictly, because qualification to World Cup by France benefits more than qualification by Ireland. French team is more popular and therefore more people will look at the World Cup 2010 all around the world and, therefore, broadcast revenues will be higher with French team as a member of World Cup than without it. Also French tourist and funs are more than Irish and, without any doubts, they will spend more money in South Africa during World Cup that Irish would.
The media also depict positive or negative image of sportsmen. The vivid examples of the significant role of the media in creation of the image are famous players such as Carlos Tevez and Luis Figo, who transferred from one club to thier primary concurents. For example, "Sir Alex Ferguson has accused Carlos Tevez of betraying Manchester United by indulging in a deal with Manchester City" (Top News In) and the media support critics, but if banker transfers from one bank to another one, does employee become an enemy for majority of his/her ex-colleagues? The question will be “No”. But in the case with sportsmen the media created negative image of these players because “hot” news sell better, it helps to catch and maintain interest. The media use marketing and advertising instruments in order to increase revenues.
It is also important to mention dishormony among types of sport. For example, hockey, basketball, baseball and football are very popular and therefore has higher profitability than judo or voleyball. For example, David Douillet is less popular than John Terry who has never won nothing except English Premiere League. This happens because football is more popular than judo and the media influence.
The next point of critics about the modern sport is advertising. It not is a secret that companies pay significant amounts of money to be promoted on the sports clubs production, but sometimes as in the case when BWIN and AC Milan partnership, sports clubs do not think about negative consequences of this kind of cooperation. Why? Because BWIN offers more money than other companies and the club which have to be competitive and fully depends on money had to chose money rather than ethics.
In conclusion, the media should change its vision on sport in order to play more positive role in society. The media should not only pursue a sensation and give something "hot" and to be focus on making money as the media do it today, but the media should really care about ethics, help to develope "Fair Play" principles, make people healthier, and contribute more significant efforts into making the world a better place to live.
References:
Nesbitt Todd, lecturers
Olympic Charter, http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf, p.11, 14
Nagpal Sahil, "Ferguson accuses Tevez of betrayng Man U", Top News In, 14 July 2009, http://www.topnews.in/ferguson-accuses-tevez-betraying-man-u-2189088
This is a valuable article about todays sport, however I have to criticize the fact about media creating a particular sport more attractive than the others. As it goes for Judo it was never more attractive than soccer or hockey. But for instance hockey is not that attractive in England, but cricket is and cricket is not at all attractive in Slovakia. I do not think that media changes the attractiveness of a sport but only gives the hot news, what I on the other hand believe is very important. Twenty years ago as you said it was not about money an media, but there were not that many fans and it was not that world wide. The media makes sport to be everywhere and people to be aware of it.
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