Gender-based marginalization and discrimination in sports journalism is an ongoing concern of research addressing gender equality in journalism. The visibility of female reporters as authors in terms of sports coverage has been found to be under 10% in content analysis that spans several countries. Research into audiences’ perceptions of authorship in sports journalism further found female authors to be prone to byline biases—even though findings are mixed. In this article, we set out to examine if the under representation of female sport authors has changed over the time span of 15 years. This is explored by conducting a content analysis of news coverage from 2006 to 2020 (Study 1). Further, we study whether biases against female authors in sports coverage (still) exist among recipients and in how far this is different for male and female sports. To address audience perceptions of gender in sport reporting, we performed an online experiment investigating the effect of female and male authorship as well as men’s and women’s football (soccer) as one of the most popular topic of sport reporting (Study 2). We found that female authorship in sports journalism is still marginalized without any significant improvement observed from 2006 to 2020 (Study 1). This contrasts with our findings on audiences’ perceptions of male and female authors, which did not confirm a gender byline bias (Study 2). Our results therefore suggest that gender discrimination in newsrooms cannot be justified by audience perceptions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on all societal domains, including sports. Social distancing measures and the closure of sports facilities posed especially severe challenges for grassroots sports clubs, which thrive on joint activities and member social contact. Drawing on mediatization theory, the study examines the communication challenges faced by grassroots sports clubs and the perceived potential of digital media to overcome these obstacles during and beyond the pandemic. Based on in-depth interviews with 32 club officials of German grassroots sports clubs, the study identified ongoing uncertainty about COVID-19 regulations, preserving members’ sense of belonging during social distancing, and involving everyone in formal processes as the major communication challenges. While most of the interviewees valued the potential of digital media to address these challenges, they acknowledged that the benefits of digital media for individual members would depend on their skill, motivation, and concerns, as well as on the availability of digital infrastructure. For that reason, digital media were not considered a substitute for face-to-face social contact or sporting activity but were seen to extend opportunities for communication and training. More generally, these findings raise new questions about the relationship between mediatization and social cohesion.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, TV broadcasters and clubs were challenged to provide alternative formats and content for fans of Germany’s favorite sport, football [soccer]. Thus, they emulated matchdays and created a Bundesliga feeling in new ways. The authors focus on this alternative creative sports coverage during the Coronavirus crisis and consider the effect on the audience. TV broadcasters, for instance, recreated Bundesliga matchdays through broadcasting historical matches, sticking with the original fixtures from before the crisis, while offering renewed commentary. Clubs conducted the Bundesliga Home Challenge, that is, FIFA20 videogame matches with their professional and eSport players, covering these matches on Twitter and their website. The authors argue that these efforts of keeping up the beloved structure of daily sports events satisfy social and entertaining belongings that are normally continually recreated through watching and talking about live sports events. Moreover, they discuss the possible sustainability of these innovative ways of sport communication.

In 2014, four months after he retired, Thomas Hitzlsperger became the first professional football player in Germany to announce that he is gay. Although homosexuality has become much more accepted in many areas of society, this does not include the world of professional sports. By contrast, homosexuality is hidden and excluded from both official and unofficial discourses. Thus, there was an overwhelming media response when Hitzlsperger announced his sexual orientation. This study analyzes the way that Germany's two most read quality newspapers Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) as well as ZEIT published the initial interview of his coming-out and commented on the outing. Using a qualitative content analysis, three main issues emerged from the data: the acceptance of a gay professional football player, homosexuality in football, and homosexuality in society. Newspapers reported in a consistently positive way about Hitzlsperger, but also discussed critically whether homophobia is mainly a problem of men's football or still a widely held attitude in society. Despite more tolerance of gay people in general, football remains associated with hyper-masculinity since homophobic attitudes are resistant.

Background/Objectives: Despite its well-established health benefits, adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (MedLife) has declined globally, including in its region of origin, alongside a significant shift toward ultra-processed food consumption. Understanding the factors associated with MedLife adherence is essential for developing targeted interventions and tailored policy recommendations. As part of the MEDIET4ALL PRIMA project, this cross-sectional study aimed to comprehensively examine geo-demographic, socio-economic, psychological, behavioral, and barrier-related factors associated with and potentially contributing to MedLife adherence. Methods: Data were collected from 4010 participants aged 18 years and above across ten Mediterranean and neighboring countries using the multinational MEDIET4ALL e-survey, which included the validated MedLife index, along with various other questionnaires. Results: Results indicate that only 22% of respondents demonstrated high adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (MedLife), with significant variability observed across countries, age groups, education levels, and health statuses. Spain had the highest proportion of participants with high adherence (38%). Factors associated with significantly higher adherence rates include older age, living in the Mediterranean region, higher education levels, a greater awareness of MedLife principles, lower perceived barriers, normal BMI, better health status, and stable economic and marital conditions (p-values ranging from 0.04 to <0.001). Additionally, individuals with high MedLife adherence exhibited more socially and physically active lifestyles and experienced less psychological strain (p < 0.001). Regression analyses identified MedLife awareness as the strongest positive predictor of adherence (β = 0.206), followed by social participation (β = 0.194) and physical activity (β = 0.096). Additional positive contributors include life satisfaction, sleep quality, living in the Mediterranean region, age, and education (β ranging from 0.049 to 0.093). Conversely, factors that are negatively associated with adherence include sedentary behavior, living environment, and barriers such as low motivation, taste dislike, price unaffordability, limited availability, and the time-consuming nature of preparing Mediterranean food (MedFood; β ranging from −0.036 to −0.067). Conclusions: These findings indicate that fewer than one in four adults across Mediterranean and neighboring countries demonstrate high adherence to MedLife, supporting prior evidence of suboptimal adherence even within Mediterranean regions. This study identified a range of behavioral, socio-demographic, and environmental factors—both positive and negative predictors—that can help guide the design of targeted, culturally adapted interventions to promote MedLife behavior. Future research should incorporate objective measurements and longitudinal monitoring to better understand underlying mechanisms, establish causality, and develop sustainable strategies for enhancing MedLife adherence in diverse populations.

With global media attention and a global reach, mega-sporting events play a crucial role in sports communication. Although the audience of these events has traditionally been overwhelmingly male, in recent years they have attracted an increasing number of women. The present paper therefore explores women’s and men’s motives for watching three mega-sporting events – FIFA World Cup 2006, the UEFA European Championship 2008 and FIFA World Cup 2010 – and compares the intensities of the three central motives of thrill, entertainment and information, especially as they relate to participants’ levels of general interest in sport. The results indicate that as their interest in sport increases, the differences between the motives of women and men decrease. This finding provides valuable initial insights into the increasing popularity of mega-sporting events among women.