Sportswashing

This book breaks new ground in sports media research by looking in depth at the relatively recent nation-state phenomenon of sportswashing at a time when it is increasingly pervasive in commercial elements of elite sport. High-profile cases of sportswashing have seen states use their economic influence through event planning and sponsorship to distract from poor human rights, climate change or mining-industry issues, and instead seek positive coverage of their countries. The Middle East has been particularly prominent over the past decade, using sport as a vehicle for promotion, with the 2022 World Cup hosted in Qatar, Saudi Arabia financing LIV Golf, and numerous Formula 1 races being held throughout the region. Where the liberal west views these Middle Eastern practices as immoral, the states involved see their role more simply as promotion and nation building. Securing a future where oil may not be the focus is also a reason behind these governments providing more sports events for their people. It is within this context that this project has been developed, presenting a range of perspectives and case studies from scholars across the globe.