Original scientific paper
Đorđe Obradović
; Sveučilište u Dubrovniku
Abstract
Through analysis of newspaper articles, which covered specifi c Croatian
soccer matches, this paper shows journalists’ creation of pseudo-events that misled
readers about incidents, especially those concerning violence.
The paper, through qualitative and content analyses, provides evidence that
the news media abused their positions by creating these pseudo-events, therefore,
misleading the public through their stories and photos. The study’s fi ndings show
defects in sports journalism—faults already noticed in similar studies as long as seventy
years ago; problems include distortion, exaggeration, and misinterpretation of facts.
Balanced and unbiased reporting is sorely missing. Also noted is the poor
reporting about troublemakers at the matches; these spectators were given more
coverage than deserved, which is both a sensational and harmful practice. The study
concludes that the above behaviors by journalists create a negative, instead of positive,
role in society.
Keywords
newspapers; violence; football; etics; pseudoevent
Hrčak ID:
41344
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2007.
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