Environmental Sustainability And The Framing Of Formula E Motor Racing In UK And Flemish Newspapers

Developed in cooperation with the Fédération Internationale d’Automobile (FIA) as motor sport’s governing body, the fully electric racing series Formula E represents itself as a driving force in making the motor sport and automotive industries more environmentally sustainable (hereafter: ES). However, the question remains whether such ES efforts are picked up on by the media, and more specifically newspapers that are still considered a benchmark for in-depth and reflective journalism, despite a dramatic rise of online and social media coverage of sport. Combining a quantitative content analysis with a qualitative framing analysis, this article identified, compared and contrasted frames, and the significance of ES herein, in a range of UK and Flemish quality and popular newspapers. Results indicate that, although ES did not constitute a frame in itself, it was significantly part of other frames that represented Formula E both positively and negatively. Additionally, results uncover distinct differences in reporting on (ES in) Formula between UK and Flemish newspapers. This article suggests such differences are related to reasons of a historical and regional nature and subsequently affect the representation of ES in Formula E

Environmental Sustainability And The Framing Of Formula E Motor Racing In UK And Flemish Newspapers

The world’s first fully electric racing series Formula E emerged in 2014. It’s organizational identity aims to represent itself as a driving force in making motor sport and automotive industries more environmentally sustainable (hereafter: ES). However, the question remains whether and to what extent Formula E’s efforts are picked up on by investigative news media. Despite a dramatic increase of online and social media coverage of sport, newspapers are still considered a benchmark for in-depth and reflective sports journalism. Combining a quantitative content analysis with a qualitative framing analysis, this article identified, compared and contrasted frames adopted by a range of UK and Flemish quality and popular newspapers. Results indicate that newspapers adopt a range of different frames. However, ES did not appear as a frame in itself. Rather ES appeared as discursive segments that help construct both positive and negative framing of Formula E. Additionally, results uncover a number of distinct differences in reporting on (ES in) Formula between UK and Flemish newspapers. This article suggests such differences are related to reasons of a historical and regional nature and subsequently affect the representation of ES in Formula E

‘Roads?! Where we’re going, we don’t’ need, roads’: Framing online sim racing during Covid-19 by motorsport forum participants

As many professional motor racing drivers turn to Esports and online sim racing due to the worldwide coronavirus induced shutdown, Doc Emmett Brown’s 1985 description of the 21st century’s obsolescence of roads in the blockbuster movie Back to the Future has suddenly become more of a reality. So far, existing studies discussing esport’s compromised societal and sporting image have shown that the media play a sizeable role in maintaining and reinforcing negative representations of Esports, not least through a ‘lack of physicality’, ‘nerdiness’ and ‘technical mastery’ which subsequently further overt male hegemony and undermines the validity of both Esports and its users. A subsidiary of Esports, online sim racing is similarly affected as professional racing drivers that regularly participate in and advocate sim racing other than for occasional training or promotional purposes have long remained far and few between. Considering the recent influx of such drivers in online sim racing, this explorative contribution adopts a qualitative, inductive framing approach to study how and to what extent this event influences traditional representations of Esports and online sim racing by analyzing a sample of 1473 comments taken from the online forum of Autosport.com. Results indicate forum participants frame online sim racing predominantly in function of a necessity of realism, for either serious professional play or leisurely entertainment. In doing so, longstanding traditional stereotypes of online sim racing participants are negated. On the other hand, results indicate gender marginalization and implicit masculine hegemony continue

The Need for Speed? A Historical Analysis of The BBC's Post-War Broadcasting of Motorsport

Although many media and cultural histories have looked at the emergence of particular popular sports, few have done so from a detailed perspective with respect to motorsport. Indeed, ever since its conceptualisation, motorsport has shared an intricate relationship with the media. However, despite advancements in camera and broadcasting equipment, significant technical and logistical difficulties to represent early motorsport as televisual, with a strong sense of ‘realism’, persevered. This article explores the emergence of motorsport on BBC television during the post-war period to determine if, and to what extent, early motorsport on television was (not) televised. To this end, a qualitative archival approach is used to examine a sample of archival and biographical media texts from the post-war period. Findings suggest the BBC experimented with the format of the hill climb, a motorsport series, by shaping it to fit the possibilities and requirements of television more appropriately. This resulted in the creation of the Television Trophy Trial, the adoption of scrambling and the rise of Rallycross. This means that the BBC was, in effect, not only using motorsport to its own benefit from the early 1950s onwards, but actively developing and representing motorsport as competitive and dramatic

Environmental sustainability and the framing of Formula E motor racing in UK and Flemish newspapers

The world’s first fully electric racing series Formula E emerged in 2014. It’s organizational identity aims to represent itself as a driving force in making motor sport and automotive industries more environmentally sustainable (hereafter: ES). However, the question remains whether and to what extent Formula E’s efforts are picked up on by investigative news media. Despite a dramatic increase of online and social media coverage of sport, newspapers are still considered a benchmark for in-depth and reflective sports journalism. Combining a quantitative content analysis with a qualitative framing analysis, this article identified, compared and contrasted frames adopted by a range of UK and Flemish quality and popular newspapers. Results indicate that newspapers adopt a range of different frames. However, ES did not appear as a frame in itself. Rather ES appeared as discursive segments that help construct both positive and negative framing of Formula E. Additionally, results uncover a number of distinct differences in reporting on (ES in) Formula between UK and Flemish newspapers. This article suggests such differences are related to reasons of a historical and regional nature and subsequently affect the representation of ES in Formula E