Sports media and identity: a theory-practice network

The sports media is a compelling site of cultural negotiation which brings into sharp relief specific forms of gender as they are articulated through intersections with other distinct social categories, in particular: race, sexuality and dis/ability. Academic work showing cultural prejudice against women and minority groups articulated within the sports media is well established. This is predicated on the particular significance afforded to such social hierarchies in the sporting arena, which is one of the most high-profile areas of modern society in which segregation on the basis of gender and/or dis/ability is deemed acceptable. The issues of racism, homophobia and trans rights are also areas of contestation which cannot be overlooked. Although the 'colour line' barring black athletes from competing with and against white athletes no longer exists, colourism remains within sports media representations of athletes. While athletes are not excluded from competition on the basis of their sexuality, it remains the case that, for example, there is no openly homosexual professional male footballer in England. Debates about the participation of trans women athletes in women's sports continue to be hotly contested. These factors are a reflection of, and further contextualised by, contemporary debates about minority rights and identity politics of which social movements and associated campaigns, for example #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, are a visible part. Thus, as Cairns argues, it is vital that sports journalists are equipped to handle such complex and challenging issues.
At the same time there is a pressing need to ensure that research is both informed by, but also relevant to, professional practice. It is vital for scholars concerned with the narratives constructed around social identities by and within sports media to actively translate their research for non-academic audiences. Sport media scholars can only adequately drive future research into intersectional representation in sports media, shape its values, and give it the direction it needs to remain relevant by building strong networks with appropriate media, sport and leisure policy makers and practitioners. By working with members of organizations such as the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Sports Journalists' Association (SJA), the network will facilitate not only research-informed pedagogy in the field of sports media studies and related academic areas but also produce recommendations for sports journalism courses both within and outside the academy.
The network's main activity will be a series of working papers produced focused on the intersection of gender with race, disability and LGBTQ+ issues. The working documents will identify the three to four most pressing issues effecting sports media in the relevant area as agreed through workshop discussions involving the attending academic and non-academic participants. In turn, these working papers will facilitate the production of a final report that will provide recommendations and guidance for current professional practice in the area. The report will also provide recommendations to facilitate research-informed teaching, therefore impacting upon pedagogical practice and giving those entering the profession in forthcoming years the insight and skills to navigate the issues addressed in the report. Thus, the network seeks to shape the content of future sports media outputs by changing both the content of current sports media practice and the pedagogical practice of current sports journalism trainers (and thus future sports media practice).