What is the value of discourse and narrative analysis in sport media studies?

• A. It measures the speed of broadcasts.
• B. It analyzes stadium acoustics.
• C. It measures athletic performance metrics.
• D. It reveals how language constructs reality, frames events, and influences public perception and gender/race representations.

Answer: (D)

Discourse and narrative analysis in sport media studies focuses on how language and storytelling shape social reality around sport. By examining how commentators describe a game, how headlines frame events, what metaphors are used, and whose voices are amplified or silenced, researchers reveal how public perception is constructed. This approach shows that discourse does more than reflect events; it helps create them, guiding audiences toward particular interpretations and often reproducing gender and racial stereotypes or reinforcing national loyalties. The value lies in understanding the powerful role of media language in shaping beliefs, attitudes, and identities related to sport.

Other options refer to technical or quantitative aspects like the speed of broadcasts, stadium acoustics, or athletic performance metrics, which don't address how language constructs meaning and public perception.