The Power of the Mic: Investigating the Influence of Local Sportscasters’ Biases on National Team Athletes' Identities

This study explored the impact of media biases in local sportscasting on athletes' identity formation. Utilizing Berger and Thomas’s (۱۹۶۶) social constructionism theory and Mullet’s (۲۰۱۸) critical discourse analysis model, the research analyzed transcripts from the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team's sportscasting coverage during the FIBA Basketball World Cup ۲۰۲۳. Corpus analysis identified media biases in Filipino sportscasting, and critical discourse analysis examined how dominant perspectives and power dynamics contribute to biased discourse. Meanwhile, interviews with five sportscasters and two linguists assessed how sportscasters' language influences sports fans' perceptions of athletes and teams. The findings indicate that local sportscasters’ biases shape athletes' identities by emphasizing cultural values like resilience, patriotism, and teamwork. The study also revealed that nationalism in sports media frames national team players as symbols of national pride, and that media biases influence athletes' public image by highlighting their strengths or weaknesses. This impacts public opinion and athletes' self-perception, underscoring sports media's role in shaping societal values and norms.

کلیدواژه ها:

Sportscasting ، media biases ، identity construction ، Critical Discourse Analysis