Eesti Suusaliidu ja Eesti Kergejõustikuliidu representeerimine trükimeedias 2005 ja 2007

Date

2008

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Tartu Ülikool

Abstract

Description

People receive most of their knowledge regarding today’s events and happenings through media, so their view of the world and society is developed as linked with media influences. Choices made by journalists are often essential or sometimes determinative in representation of events and processes, as gathering of information, its selection and forwarding to public is done in accordance with the relevant principles of the journalist. The representation of events and processes in the society to the public is dependant of the subjectivity of the choices made by journalist. Paavo Kivine has said that sport journalist can never understand sport to the very core as the athlete is inside the sport, but the journalist stays outside (Kivine 1999). The present work looks into representation of EKJL and ESL in printed media throughout 2007 and compares it with representation in 2005. I chose quality dailies Postimees and Eesti Päevaleht, weekly Spordileht that has been published since 2006 as part of Eesti Päevaleht and tabloid daily SL Õhtuleht to serve as basis of my work. I used combined contents analyses and expert interviews to conclude my research. The main purpose of the work was to identify how two successful and big sports associations are represented and if the representations have significant differences, if different publications represent sports associations essentially differently and how objective is their representation. The research identified that Estonian Ski Association is represented as the association for cross-country skiing and other winter sports that belong under ESL (ski jumping, snow-boarding, Nordic combined, Alpine skiing) are not represented in media. Most issues relevant in connection with Estonian Ski Association are represented both in 2005 and 2007 through head coach Mati Alaver, who is key figure in Ski Association. Top sports and athletic results were essential issues in both periods in connection with Estonian Ski Association. Estonian cross-country skiing has been really successful in the last years, so media sets higher and higher goals for ESL and these goals are not easy, if not impossible to fulfil. As the expectations rise there has also been some criticism regarding our heroes, but this on the other hand shows the independence of our sports journalism. Estonian Athletic Association is mainly represented through the president of the association, that both in 2005 and 2007, although the association was managed by different people in these years. The representation of the Estonian Athletic Association has relevantly changed. In 2005 the central issues were money and management and also conflicts of personalities, but in 2007 there was a total change of issues and it’s almost impossible to find any criticism from media regarding Estonian Athletic Association. In 2007 the association has been depicted as future orientated and looking after its athletes. Estonian track and field has not been nearly as successful as Estonian cross-country skiing and thus media (and society through media) does not have such high expectations from Estonian Athletic Association. Main difference in two reviewed periods was major decrease of media analyses and valuations. In 2005 journalism was emotional and future orientated, but in 2007 it was more about stating facts and barely giving any analyses. It was especially surprising conclusion while reviewing Spordileht as this is published once in a week and its aim should be deeper and more thorough analyses of sports, the analyses that should be totally different from the those provided by dailies. Daily Postimees amazed with remarkably larger reviews of sports, both in case of the Estonian Ski Association and the Estonian Athletic Association and by greater commitment to sports organizations. Tabloid paper surprised by its non-tabloid attitude towards sports, you would rather expect SL Õhtuleht to print stories that tend to give emotional valuations, but it was not so. The importance of media communications and the relevance of media skills of the managers of the associations were clearly pointed out in the present work. The safest way to receive positive media representation is to bring back medals from title championships, athletic results are essential in the representation of one popular sport or representation of association.

Keywords

bakalaureusetööd, ajakirjandus, trükiajakirjandus, sport, spordiajakirjandus, kergejõustik, suusatamine, representatsioon

Citation