Media's Role in Supporting Sports

This essay examines the multifaceted relationship between media and sports in the 21st century. It explores how media platforms, particularly social media, have significantly impacted the reach and influence of sports, creating opportunities for athletes and organizations to connect with fans globally. However, the essay also highlights the negative aspects, such as the prevalence of doping and corruption, and their impact on the integrity of sports. The essay further discusses the mental health challenges faced by athletes and the importance of athletes serving as positive role models for younger generations. The author uses examples from various sports and countries to illustrate the points made, emphasizing the need for ethical conduct and responsible media coverage to maintain the integrity and positive image of sports.

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HOW MEDIA HAVE PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE TO SUPPORT SPORTS
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How media have played a critical role to support sports
Media and sports have gained a stand in the last couple of years as a result of the various
evolution elements that have called for concentration. In 21st century, the media plays a critical
role in ensuring that sports become part of the society that we live in. The sports have not only
benefitted the players but also the community at large. Technology used in media have been a
tool that enhances sports since there are upcoming sports men and women who solely depend on
technology to reach levels of prosperity. There have been many stories that have been told
regarding athletes using twitter and social media to communicate their agendas to the people
(Kim 2016). Also, there have been organizations that are behind professional sports leagues, and
the media have been in the forefront to cover them. There are also organizations that deriver their
desire in sports through media such as social media without losing their entertainment properties.
Despite the advantages that are attributed to sports, there are vices that affect those involved in
one way or another. In the course of this discussion, three questions will be answered in regard to
media and sports. The questions include why athletes battle mental problems, Doping in Russian
Athletes and why the athletes should be role models.
Athletes and their coaches, representatives, media analysts and staff members pose a threat
to the sports status quo. The media provides opportunities to both the players and teams since
they stand at a neutral ground. Those that do benefit are the fans as they get the value of the
community heritage as well as their teams and the athletes. Groups and competitors require each
different dependably, and online networking is the same, groups that grasp and urge their players
to utilize web-based social networking see more prominent engagement and fulfillment with fans
associated with their group (Beck 2017). Similarly, players who utilize online networking

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admirably will be advanced by their group some of the time past their aptitude level on the
group.
One of the roles that media platforms plays include creating an opportunity to share
content locally and internationally. The basic social media platforms that are used in the world
today include Facebook, YouTube, and twitter. In this platforms, participants are also given a
chance to form online communities which are important in enhances performing of a wide range
of activities that are associated with the sports. The adoption and use of social media is a
representation of how online among other telecommunication technologies are transforming the
world. There is an influence that has been created which lies between products and services
offered by various organizations. Many at times there are communities that are linked to
particular sports activities which in the long run influence the way a particular community
respond to particular influence. For example, there are communities that are far much into the
belief that a certain sports activity is theirs and organizations are looking for all possible means
to utilize that opportunity. The companies that are in a particular line of production, they tend to
use such related platforms to market their goods and services which affect the rate of acceptance.
Why athletes suffer mental Problems
Since the time of memorial, there are various issues that are emerging positively and
negatively affecting the performance of the sports men and women. Also, the perception of a
certain game is greatly influenced by conduct which frequently occurs in the course of
performing a particular activity. There have been bodies that have been created to oversee the
activities by players as well as managers of specific games since there are some that have long-
term impacts which affect the reputation of the involved community. The major issues that have
cropped in the sports activities and that are not discussed in the media since there are those who

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sit behind and watch what is wrong happening and others lack the knowhow on how they can
handle issues. The major issues that are experienced in the world of sport and are related to
media advancements include doping and corruption.
a. Doping
According to research conducted by Aljazeera in April 2017, sports doping have turned
out to be an endless chase between the bodies that have been established and the sports men and
women. Doping does not only affect the persons involved but also plays a crucial role in the
financial, ethical and political arenas of a state. Doping involves using of illegal substances to
improve the performance of the persons involved in a particular sports activity. Many countries
treat doping as a crime while others are reluctant is determining whether it is a crime or not due
to constitutional limitations that govern sports a particular country. For instance, in 2014, there
was a couple who had decided to go public on matters related to doping as they considered it as a
scandal though the people in power who were supposed to back them up were not in a position to
do so due to lack of funds. Russia and Russian participants have been identified to one of the
countries where doping have unstoppable roots which have extended to international
competitions.
Athletics is one of the sports activities that are greatly impacted by doping. In 2014, the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) which is a global organization that
deals with cases of doping had to suspend about four thousand athletes which made the
government respond by saying that though the matter was that disgusting, the legal steps were to
be taken to control the situation (Galily 2014). Apart from Russia, other countries of the world
have been greatly affected by the cases of doping. Athletic records show that in every year, about
three thousand athletes globally are associated with doping which leaves the industry unclean.

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The culprits of doping are banned from the sports for a particular duration of time and then come
back to practice.
Besides athletics, bodybuilding American football, baseball, boxing, weightlifting, cycling
and wrestling among other field games are being affected by doping with the aim of enhancing
performance. In countries where there are strict rules that are against the use of drugs, the
criminals are handled with seriousness while others just respond to defend their sportsmen and
women.
World Anti-doping agency (WADA) has been established which is a collaboration of the
various organizations who are against the doping. WADA in the course of ensuring doping is
limited in the communities of the world through Eduardo De Rose, an executive committee
member, defines it as “any method or substance that enhances performance that damages health
or is contrary to the values of the sport." Despite their attempts to make sure that there is order in
the way individuals conduct themselves, there have been limitations from different sources as
there are those who are looking to famous (Thieme 2009). The athletes are required to be tested
locally if they are victims of doping, but due to incompetence in those countries such as Russia,
they end up falsifying the documents to make sure the participants are accepted.
b. Corruption
Corruption is one of the significant challenges that is taking place in countries all over the
world particularly in countries where there is weak governance of the sports department.
Corruption has been considered a threat since it does not only affect the persons involved but
also plays a crucial role in the financial, ethical and political status of a country. Financial
aspects of corruption include rewarding individuals who are not legit which at the end creates

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conflict in a particular organization. Considering the problem of doping which is killing the
confidence in a particular sport, the management gets paid by the sports men and women to write
a report that does not represent the actual status of the potential of a person. When the impunity
is extended to the management levels, the means that there is a culture that is cultivated that do
not necessarily show the represent the competitiveness of a particular sport.
Corruption in athletics can be attributed to the amount of money that is paid to the
athletes. The high remuneration of the sports men and women gives room to corruption. The
managers in a particular line of sporting are paid a little amount of money which makes them
being tempted to receive money from players for them to them a favor (Covell 2013). To solve
the problem, the employees who are a charge of the sports should be well paid to ensure that they
are not tempted to receive the payments from the individuals who are under them.
Corruption has extended to the other games such as football where betting is involved.
Betting organizations are looking for all possible means to fetch money from the fans of
particular teams who place their stakes on their favorable teams. Match-fixing has become an
order of the day as organizations try to dictate the way matches are played to ensure they
continue to uplifting the levels of their profit (Hill 2010). The managers and the players are
poorly paid and whenever they get a chance to get a chance to utilize some extra cash they do it
appropriately. If the federations that deal with sporting activities are involved in ensuring that
those who conduct the vices are punished accordingly, it will reduce the chances of greediness
with the individuals. If the matter is not controlled, it implies that the business that supports the
governments inform of taxes as well as individuals who are the players will have nowhere to lean
on.
Why modern Sporting stars should be role models

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It is evident modern sporting stars have a critical role that they play in the arena of
sporting as they are representing the will of the people in a particular community. Sports from
the traditional era have served as a way of showing a community is made up of and what it can
do best. There are incidences that have been experienced in the culture where participants have
used sports to advance criminal activities. The case of corruption and doping have been the
major activities that impact negatively the community.
It should be understood that doping makes no one a unique person in a particular field.
When an individual is poor in a particular sport, is not possible to make the improvements unless
one does practice to furnish the skills. Doping aims at ensuring that one does not get tired but not
necessarily improvements of skills. Corruption, on the other hand, reduces the credibility of a
particular sports organization which means no one will have a chance to believe what they do.
For instance when a country is known to engage in corruption or to dope the number of fans and
those who fund the activities will automatically reduce which translates to bankruptcy.
There are incidences where athletes have learned their way of doing things from the media
such as online videos. In the case where the persons are involved in activities that are unethical,
it becomes a culture that is transferred from one generation to another. It should make sure that
only that is ethical and acceptable not only in particular community but all over the world is
embraced (Smart 2005). When ethical conduct is inculcated in the minds of the upcoming sports
men and women, there is a likelihood that it will be seen in the future days. Being a role model
means that one is a representation of a particular community and failure to consider what other
perceive about them, it is a failure to the community. It should be understood that young sports
men and women are in a class that should have a mentor who is not biased. When biases is not
fought from the roots, the impact has a future that is rotting.

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Bibliography
Beck, Daniel. 2017. "Media Representation: Sports." The International Encyclopedia of Media
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Covell, Daniel, and Sharianne Walker. 2013. Managing Sport Organizations: responsibility for
performance. Routledge.
Galily, Y. 2014. "Special Issue: Media and sports culture after World Cup 2014." Television &
New Media 15, no. 8 699-776.
Hill, Declan. 2010. "A critical mass of corruption: why some football leagues have more match-
fixing than others." International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship 11, no. 3
38-52.
Kim, Daewook, Soo-Yeon Kim, and Myung-Il Choi. 2016. "Why Young People use Social
Media for Sports: A Uses and Gratifications Perspective." Indian Journal of Science and
Technology 9, no. 26.
Smart, Barry. 2005. The sport star: Modern sport and the cultural economy of sporting celebrity.
Sage.
Thieme, Detlef, and Peter Hemmersbach, eds. 2009. Doping in sports. Vol. 195. Springer
Science & Business Media.