Led by Professor Brian Wilson, this research project examines how violence, conflict and environmental issues are covered in sport-related media, with a particular emphasis on what might be considered peace-promoting and environmentally-sensitive journalism (or what our research group has termed ‘sport journalism for peace’, or SJP — and ‘environmental sport journalism‘, or ESJ) (see Wilson, 2012, Sport & Peace: A Sociological Perspective, chapter 9). The project is funded by a SSHRC Insight grant entitled “Fostering ‘Sport-for-Peace Journalism’ and a Role for Sociologists of Sport.” Research to date has focused on: (a) media coverage of activism and environmental issues around the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics, 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2010 Vancouver Olympics; (b) ‘what is possible in sport journalism’ — when it comes to writing about social and environmental issues; and (c) lessons offered in textbooks for sport journalists about how to cover socially-charged issues.
Outcomes to date on the project include:
Wilson, Brian & Van Luijk, Nicolien. (2019). Covering protest at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics: A peace journalism inspired analysis. Sociology of Sport Journal, 36(1), 32-47.
Yoon, Liv & Wilson, Brian. (2018, online first). Journalism, Environmental Issues, and Sport Mega-Events: A Study of South Korean Media Coverage of the Mount Gariwang Development for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games. Communication and Sport. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479518811381
Forde, Shawn & Wilson, Brian (2018). Radical Sports Journalism?: Reflections on ‘Alternative’ Approaches to Covering Sport-Related Social Issues. Sociology of Sport Journal, 35(1), 66-76.
Weedon, G., Wilson, B., Yoon, L., Lawson, S. (2018). Where’s all the ‘good’ sports journalism?: Sports media research, the sociology of sport, and the question of quality sports reporting. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 53(6), pp. 639 – 667.
Weedon, G. & Wilson, B. (2017) Textbook Journalism? Objectivity, Education and the Professionalization of Sports Reporting. Journalism. Published ‘Online First’, DOI: 10.1177/1464884917716503.
Wilson, B. (2017 – invited keynote). Sport and Environmental Journalism: Reflections on Media Coverage of Environmental Issues at Recent Sport Mega-Events. 4th International Conference on Sport Communication. Hosted by Chengdu Sport Institute, Chengdu Sport University. July 12-14.
Wilson, B. (2016). ‘Sport Journalism for Peace’: Reflections on a Research Project and an Argument for Taking Sport Journalism Seriously. Presented at the International Peace Research Association Meetings. Freetown, Sierra Leone. November 27-December 1.
Van Luijk, N., Waldman, D., & Wilson, B. (2015). Experiments in ‘Sport Journalism for Peace’ (SJP): Reflections on Coverage of the Vancouver and Sochi Olympics. Presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nov. 4-7.
Forde, S. & Wilson, B.. (2015). Radical Sport Journalism?: Reflections on ‘Alternative’ Approaches to Covering Sport-Related Issues. Presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nov. 4-7.
Weedon, G. and Wilson, B. (2015). Sociologists of Sport and ‘Best Practice’ Sport Journalism. Presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nov. 4-7.
Weedon, G., Lawson, S., Yoon, L., & Wilson, B. (2014). No news is good news?: Sport media research and the question of good journalism. Presented at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Conference in Portland, Oregon, Nov. 5-8.
Wilson, B. (2014, invited speaker). Sport Journalism for Peace: A proposal, a movement and baseline findings. University of Bath, UK, Physical Cultural Studies ‘International Festival of Ideas’, June 23.
Research on sport and media continues! See the current research page for more information.