Fueling nationalism: social and cultural media frames in French and British newspaper coverage of Formula 1 racing, 1981–1985

Abstract

Research into media coverage of sports news has lately shed new light on expressions of nationalism and media framing. Nevertheless, much of such research has been about national teams, has offered little historical perspective, and has neglected most of the socio-cultural aspects through which nationalism is connected to sports. This article aims to overcome these shortfalls by examining how French and British newspapers shaped and sustained national identities in writing about Formula 1 racing between 1981 and 1985. It demonstrates the complexity of the relationship between nationalism and sports through the interlinked connections of media framing, class, and gender.