ABSTRACT

Journalists in the United States tend to cover international sports cyclically. Blockbuster events, such as the Olympics, garner huge coverage, whereas other events, such as regional or even international championship tournaments, do not enjoy the public interest that domestic major leagues or college sports do. Unfortunately, the lack of interest means that important controversies and issues arising from international sports are ignored or not adequately reported. When international sports matters such as testing for performance-enhancing drugs are discussed, the flavor of the coverage often takes on a nationalistic tinge (Lenskyj, 1998).