Manifesto of Misrepresented Sports in the Media

The issues of race, class, and gender each have their own unique place in how they are portrayed in the world of sports. From the difference in which gender’s sport is shown and talked about more on sports channels, to the social class and ethnic backgrounds of athletes, and even to how race is talked about in sports reports and shows, each has a particular bias. Furthermore, the biases created by the portrayals of race, class, and gender work to give a certain representation to a sport in how it is received. Sports could be labeled based on these issues, which can often lead to a sport being misrepresented by the media. Our blog, “Misrepresented Sports in the Media” explores how race, class, and gender are used by the media to frame a sport in a certain light, and further examines these factors to show that a sport can be more diverse that what the media frames.

These issues are very applicable to sports in that they can be linked to the athletes, fans, and general demographics of the viewing audience that a sport may attract. Variables such as ethnic background, occupation/income, and even education are related to those who watch as well as those who participate. Class, as well as race and gender, is critical in that it can shape the representation of a sport in the media. Our blog discusses class in examining a sport that was once thought to not have much class at all, now known as Mixed Martial Arts. Though the sport has been portrayed as brutal since its early introduction in the United States, and is often thought to solely be oriented towards the interests of young men, the sport is more diverse than mainstream coverage would have one believe. There is a great variety of class in the demographics of the fans and audience as large percentages of men and women both attend or watch events. The sport attracts a large portion of the middle class as well. The ethnic backgrounds of those who fight in these events are very diverse as fighters come from countries all over the globe. Contrary to media depictions of the sports, many fighters are not thuggish-street brawlers, but accomplished athletes who seek a new form of competition that allows different styles of fighting, such as boxing and wrestling being utilized during a match. The fighters are also revealed to be well educated in that many have college degrees. Women also participate in the sport as fighters, and there are a number of accomplished female fighters although the media has not given them much attention.

“Misrepresented Sports in the Media” was created with the intent of examining sports more thoroughly than they are on the television stations. In doing so, our group aims to try to reach sports fans in our entries with the hope of further educating them beyond what mainstream media markets. The message we are trying to get across to sports fans is that sports are portrayed in a biased fashion based on what the media shows to the audience. Because of this bias portrayal, the true nature of a sport may not be revealed or acknowledged, and thus a sport is subjected to being stereotyped.