Media coverage of sports crises in the Arab press – the 2010 Algeria-Egypt match crisis as a case study –

Abstract

Crises are fertile ground for mass media, receiving extensive coverage to satisfy their audiences, as the need for information is deeply ingrained in human nature. People need to know the news, especially bad news. According to media experts, crises, disasters, scandals, and emergencies constitute the core of impactful news and receive extensive media coverage. Mass media represent the primary source of information related to major issues that capture public attention, particularly in major events related to public life. Providing the public with accurate and comprehensive information, along with a professional level of media coverage, are among the priorities of successful media work that satisfies the public's need for exposure to the media. Given the disparity in media coverage between different media outlets, researchers in sports media and crisis reporting agree that print media possesses an advantage that is almost unique among visual and audio media. Based on the findings of specialized studies in crisis communication, this study aims to determine the level of satisfaction with Arab press coverage of the sports crisis surrounding the Algeria-Egypt match in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. This study focuses on two Arab newspapers: the Algerian daily Al-Shorouk and the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram. It examines how the Arab press covered this crisis by analyzing the content of Al-Shorouk and Al-Ahram over a three-month period before and after the match, as well as the differences in their coverage. This analytical study attempts to answer the following main question: How did the Arab press address the sports crisis surrounding the Algeria-Egypt match in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, using Al-Shorouk and Al-Ahram as case studies? This main question leads to several sub-questions, including: What was the level of interest shown by the newspapers in covering this sports crisis? What was the degree of professional responsibility demonstrated by the journalists covering the Algeria-Egypt match crisis in the two newspapers under study? What was the level of ethical responsibility demonstrated by the journalists covering the Algeria-Egypt match in the two newspapers included in the study? What was the level of social responsibility demonstrated by the journalists covering the Algeria-Egypt match in the two newspapers included in the study? What headlines were used to present the sports crisis in the two newspapers included in the study? What space did the sports crisis occupy in the two newspapers included in the study? What was the placement of the published article about this crisis in the pages of the two newspapers? What highlighting elements were used to present the sports crisis in the two newspapers included in the study? What sources did the two newspapers rely on in covering this sports crisis? What was the media approach taken by the two newspapers included in the study regarding this sports crisis? What were the advantages and disadvantages of the media coverage of this sports crisis?