Running Race

Abstract

This article examines how the idea of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians became entwined with the Sydney 2000 Olympics. It does this by undertaking a critical reading of media stories on the twin issues of Cathy Freeman’s 400 m race, and the fear of Indigenous protest disrupting the games. We argue the Olympic Games helped to reinforce a discourse of reconciliation that best suited non-Indigenous peoples, and that the Games came to be represented as the space where reconciliation could and should take place. We argue that, in combination with nationalist stories, the impending Olympic Games were deployed as a way of disciplining Indigenous people and maintaining a particularly conservative understanding of reconciliation; one that did little to change the unequal power relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Sport, gender, and national interest during the Olympics: A comparative analysis of media representations in Central and Eastern Europe

“…However, the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest occurred during this time, which means even though no “home” athletes competed, national interest still played a role. In Olympic coverage, the emphasis on water polo, swimming and kayak/canoe is consistent with previous findings considering their historical links to national identity and public funding of these sports in Hungary (Gál et al, 2010; Molnar and Dóczi, 2020). Specifically, Hungarian men's water polo has carried political importance associated with resistance (e.g.…”

“…Indeed, nationalism is a significant news value in Olympic media (e.g. Billings et al, 2018;Elder et al, 2006;Lee and Maguire, 2009). Broadcasters convey meanings about national identity by featuring sports associated with success, promoting athletes of the 'home' country, and constructing discourses that highlight specific features of the nation (Ličen and Billings, 2013;Scott et al, 2019).…”

“…Women's sports constitute between 10–15% in routine media coverage (Antunovic, 2019; Ličen and Bejek, 2019). The quantity of coverage is higher during and in the context of the Olympic Games than in non-Olympic coverage (Organista et al, 2020; Gál et al, 2010; Slepičková, 2010), though men still receive more commentary and different types of commentary (Ličen and Billings, 2013). The post-socialist contexts present “particularly pronounced examples of nurturing a gendered national identity through the coverage of sport” (Jakubowska and Ličen, 2019: 319), which encompasses different traits depending on the country as sports take on nationalistic associations that align with normative, conservative gender roles (Antunovic, 2019).…”

‘The stone of destiny’. Team GB curling as a site for contested national discourse1

“…In keeping with other studies that have used this approach critical textual analysis was 'a means of understanding how events are given cultural meanings'. 34 Fundamental to this is the premise that 'political assumptions, ideology, social values, cultural and racial stereotypes and assumptions' are implicit in media narratives. 35 The analysis focused on press content (articles, letters, opinion columns, reports, television reviews) surrounding the Olympic curling tournament, curling and the Team GB curling competitors; the interrogation of material identified and critically analysed language, vocabulary, technical devices and symbolic rhetoric that are recognized with: (i) the construction of nations and nationalism generally; and (ii) the discursive formation and meanings associated with the idea of Scotland as a distinct and separate national community.…”

Desert knowledge: integrating knowledge and development in arid and semi-arid drylands

“…A competing outback eco-mythology emerged from the 1980s when the urban based voluntary conservation movement began to take some interest in desert landscapes, noted ecological degradation and ascribed blame to livestock grazing and its management (Gill 2005a). More recently, national agendas for Aboriginal reconciliation have gained momentum (Elder et al 2006) and increasingly impact on beliefs and expectations about the authenticity of 'outback' knowledge and experience. Such meta-narratives are highlighted in this issue by Hueneke and Baker.…”