This book examines how sports journalists covered the historic coming out stories of National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran Jason Collins and football All-American Michael Sam in the context of sports' "toy department" reputation as a field whose standards are often criticized as lacking in rigor and depth compared to other forms of journalism. Employing a media sociology approach, reporting about Collins and Sam is addressed in the book via three content analysis studies and interviews with two prominent sports journalists. An overview of other pertinent research is provided along with a detailed account of both athletes' stories. This work should appeal to readers interested in sports journalism, the role of sport in society, and media coverage of gay professional athletes.

This book provides an accessible space for interdisciplinary scholarship and narrative through an analysis of the power of media and sports, focusing on the intersectionality of identity, politics, social justice, and social movements within this context. Contributors examine how identities coalesce in sports and discuss the ways in which sports provide spaces for marginalized communities and create unique platforms that shift how society defines identity. Athletes' identities and actions-and mass media's representation thereof-can influence both the perceptions of society as a whole and how individuals view themselves, contributors argue. Each chapter delves into how different aspects of identity, including race, gender, disability, and sexuality, have developed and influenced social change, with a strong focus on lived experiences of both scholars and athletes from marginalized communities. Scholars of media studies, communication, sociology, and kinesiology may find this book particularly useful.

This book investigates the American media coverage of the historic nuclear accord between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the world powers, commonly known as the Iran Deal. The analysis examines the sources of news and opinion expressed about the Iran Deal in The New York Times, The Washington Post and the national newscast of broadcast networks. The empirical component uses media sociology and indexing theory to determine the extent to which the media covered the topic within a framework of institutional debates among congressional leaders, the executive branch and other governmental sources. The coverage is placed within a larger historical and interpretative framework that examines the construction of Iran in both the pre-revolution news narratives and in the post-revolution American media and popular culture. The book endeavors to reveal the place Iran occupies in the American political and cultural imagination.

"Women's sports have typically been grossly under-represented in sports media coverage. Although elite lesbian athletes far outnumber 'out' male athletes, media scrutiny of their experiences remains largely non-existent. Largely situated in the context of improved cultural attitudes toward sexual minorities across the West, Bill Cassidy's Sports Journalism and Women Athletes: Coverage of Coming Out Stories is, therefore, a valuable contribution to the study of sports journalism and media, offering - for the first time - a dedicated and detailed account of the coming out of some of sports' most high-profile lesbian athletes." - Dr. Rory Magrath, Solent University, UK This book examines sports journalism coverage of the coming out stories of three prominent women athletes: tennis legend and feminist icon Billie Jean King, Basketball Hall of Fame Member Sheryl Swoopes and WNBA champion Brittney Griner. When King was outed in 1981 it marked a pivotal moment in which journalists were forced to discuss lesbian athletes in sports for the first time. Swoopes' 2005 coming out was hailed as a historic moment due to her status as one of the best women's basketball players of all time, while Griner's casual public acknowledgment of her sexuality came during what many have called a more receptive environment for gay and lesbian athletes. By directly analysing and comparing the media attention given to these three superstars, Cassidy provides a comprehensive overview of how journalists have historically addressed women and lesbian athletes in professional sports. This book will appeal to readers interested in sports journalism, the role of sport in society, and media coverage of gay athletes.