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This study examines the roles of sports fan identity and political affiliation on the perceived accuracy of mediated information during a global pandemic, which adversely affected the sports world through national and international league stoppages and newly developed health and safety protocols. A 4 (news source) × 3 (pandemic term) experimental design was incorporated. 420 subjects read one of twelve factually accurate sports articles but with differing media outlets (MSNBC, Fox News, Associated Press, Bleacher Report) and pandemic terminology of differing anti-Asian sentiments (COVID-19, Chinese coronavirus, Wuhan Virus). Results demonstrated that manipulation of media source and pandemic term did not influence perceived information accuracy, but that one's social identification did alter results. Shifts in media accuracy depended on whether facts were incongruent with one's identity, while xenophobic language was more likely to be accepted if the information came from an acceptable and parallel media source. Ramifications for journalism ethics and media literacy are offered, highlighting the increased role one's identity has in information processing in modern media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed how depictions of White and Black recruits by ESPN network employees differs depending on athletic successes, failures, personality, and physicality. A total of 42 hr of ESPN college football National Signing Day (NSD) coverage (2015–2018) was analyzed with results indicating sportscasters who covered NSD largely did not differ in their depictions of athletes, with the majority of comments referring to recruits' physicality or their upbringing, regardless of race. In all, 98% of the comments about NSD were spoken by White sportscasters, and 86.4% of the comments were spoken about a Black athlete. The relatively meager differences could be framed in a fairly positive light, whereas the lack of non-White commentators within coverage indicates hiring practices are still problematic. Cultivation theory logics related to stereotype-formation-through-media are then applied to determine implications for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the manner in which Major League Baseball broadcasters describe players and whether such dialogues deviated by race of athlete. Audience to which the game was being broadcast (local or national) as well as the position of the player (pitcher vs. position player) was also assessed. A 30-game composite from the 2016 Major League Baseball season was analyzed, with results indicating that White players were more likely to be depicted as succeeding due to their intelligence, whereas non-White players were more likely to fail because of an attributed lack of intelligence or concentration. In terms of personality/physicality characteristics, non-White players were more frequently discussed in terms of their emotionality than their White counterparts. Local and national broadcasters differed in the ways in which they described players—particularly regarding speed attributions. Finally, broadcaster commentary did differ based on whether a position player or a pitcher was being discussed. Through the lens of cultivation theory, ramifications for describing players differently based on race are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The words of sportscasters—repeated hundreds, even thousands, of times by different announcers in similar ways—provide a conceptual frame for the sports experience, and that mental frame has particular importance because fans often apply it to nonathletic situations. Contrary to assertions by some critics, analysis of 1,156 descriptors in sportscaster commentary during 66 televised men's and women's college basketball games showed no significant difference between the proportions of commentary and proportions of participating Black and White men players, but showed some overemphasis in comments about White women players. Predictably, Black men players tended to be stereotyped as naturally athletic, quick, and powerful, while White men players continued to be touted for their hard work, effort, and mental skill. The same racial stereotypes also appeared in the commentary about women basketball players, but few gender stereotypes emerged. Thus, increases in the numbers of Black and women game announcers may have lent balance to quantities of coverage by race and gender, but traditional racial stereotypes continue to pervade sports commentary even when gender stereotypes appear to be diminishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]