Media: Positive and Negative Impact on Sport

    OCR
    GCSE

    Candidates must analyse the symbiotic relationship within the 'Golden Triangle' of sport, media, and sponsorship, evaluating how media coverage dictates scheduling, rule adaptations, and the commercial viability of specific disciplines. Responses should assess the impact on multiple stakeholders, including the intrusion into athletes' private lives, the creation of role models, and the disparity in coverage between minority and mainstream sports. Evaluation must extend to the influence of 24/7 social media cycles on performer psychology and the commodification of the spectator experience.

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    Objectives
    6
    Exam Tips
    6
    Pitfalls
    9
    Key Terms
    8
    Mark Points

    Subtopics in this area

    Media: Positive and Negative Impact on Sport
    Media: Positive and Negative Impact on Sport

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for accurate identification of media sectors: terrestrial TV, satellite/subscription, radio, internet/social media, and print press.
    • Credit explanation of positive impacts on the sport: increased participation rates, generation of funds for grassroots development via broadcasting rights, and creation of role models.
    • Credit analysis of negative impacts on the performer: loss of privacy, intrusion into private life, and intense pressure to perform under scrutiny leading to deviant behaviour.
    • Award marks for linking media influence to rule changes or scheduling adaptations (e.g., T20 Cricket, VAR, kick-off times) specifically designed to suit television audiences.
    • Award marks for specific identification of media sectors: television (terrestrial/satellite), press (broadsheets/tabloids), radio, internet, and social media.
    • Credit analysis that links increased media coverage to specific functional outcomes: increased revenue for facilities (positive) or reduced live attendance due to high-quality broadcasting (negative).
    • Candidates must explain the impact on officials: award marks for referencing 'trial by media', undermining authority, or the pressure of slow-motion replays (VAR/TMO).
    • For evaluation questions, credit responses that weigh the financial benefits of broadcasting rights against the loss of traditional scheduling (e.g., kick-off times dictated by TV slots).

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You have listed media types (AO1); now apply this to the specific case study to secure AO2 marks."
    • "Avoid generic statements like 'it is bad'. Use technical terms such as 'sensationalism' or 'intrusion' to define the negative impact."
    • "Your evaluation of the Golden Triangle is limited. Explicitly link how media coverage attracts sponsorship deals."
    • "Differentiate clearly between the impact on the spectator (e.g., better viewing experience) and the official (e.g., scrutiny of decisions)."
    • "You have listed a type of media; to gain AO2 marks, apply this to a specific sport and explain the resulting change in participation."
    • "Avoid generic statements like 'more money'. Specify 'revenue from broadcasting rights' and explain how this funds grassroots development."
    • "Your evaluation of the impact on officials is descriptive. Analyse the psychological pressure caused by slow-motion replays to access higher mark bands."
    • "Link the negative impact of 'minority sports' explicitly to the lack of media coverage and the subsequent difficulty in attracting sponsorship."

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for accurate identification of media sectors: terrestrial TV, satellite/subscription, radio, internet/social media, and print press.
    • Credit explanation of positive impacts on the sport: increased participation rates, generation of funds for grassroots development via broadcasting rights, and creation of role models.
    • Credit analysis of negative impacts on the performer: loss of privacy, intrusion into private life, and intense pressure to perform under scrutiny leading to deviant behaviour.
    • Award marks for linking media influence to rule changes or scheduling adaptations (e.g., T20 Cricket, VAR, kick-off times) specifically designed to suit television audiences.
    • Award marks for specific identification of media sectors: television (terrestrial/satellite), press (broadsheets/tabloids), radio, internet, and social media.
    • Credit analysis that links increased media coverage to specific functional outcomes: increased revenue for facilities (positive) or reduced live attendance due to high-quality broadcasting (negative).
    • Candidates must explain the impact on officials: award marks for referencing 'trial by media', undermining authority, or the pressure of slow-motion replays (VAR/TMO).
    • For evaluation questions, credit responses that weigh the financial benefits of broadcasting rights against the loss of traditional scheduling (e.g., kick-off times dictated by TV slots).

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Structure extended response (6-mark) answers by categorizing impacts: Performer, Sport, Official, and Spectator.
    • 💡When discussing the 'Golden Triangle', explicitly state the mutual dependence between Sport, Media, and Sponsorship.
    • 💡Use specific examples of media-driven changes, such as the introduction of timeouts or the scheduling of events at unsociable hours for global audiences.
    • 💡When discussing 'negative impacts', explicitly link 'saturation' to viewer apathy or 'intrusion' to the mental health of elite athletes.
    • 💡Structure 6-mark responses by categorising impacts by stakeholder: Performer, Official, Spectator, and Sport.
    • 💡Use the term 'Golden Triangle' to contextualise how media interest attracts sponsorship; do not treat media in isolation.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Conflating 'media' with 'sponsorship'; failing to distinguish between the entity broadcasting (media) and the entity paying for advertising (sponsors).
    • Stating 'more money' without specifying the source (broadcasting rights) or the recipient (NGBs, clubs, or players).
    • Focusing exclusively on elite football examples, neglecting the negative impact of limited coverage on minority, female, or disability sports.
    • Conflating 'media' with 'sponsorship'; candidates often discuss brand endorsement rather than the coverage/broadcasting mechanism.
    • Providing generic impacts (e.g., 'it makes sport popular') without specifying the mechanism (e.g., 'creates role models which inspires grassroots participation').
    • Focusing solely on the performer, neglecting the distinct impacts on officials (scrutiny) and spectators (entertainment vs. cost).

    Study Guide Available

    Comprehensive revision notes & examples

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    The Golden Triangle interdependence
    Commodification and rule adaptation
    Inequality in media representation
    Impact on officiating and fair play
    The Golden Triangle (interdependence of Sport, Media, and Sponsorship)
    Commercialization and commodification of elite sport
    Impact on officiating and rules (VAR, TMO, scheduling changes)
    Inequality of coverage (Gender, Disability, Minority Sports)
    Sensationalism and the creation of deviant role models

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Identify
    Describe
    Explain
    Discuss
    Evaluate

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