Print Media Narratives of Bullying and Harassment at the Football Association: A Case Study of Eniola Aluko

Abstract

In this article we draw on critical theory to discuss how power frames the media “narratives” of Eniola Aluko, a Black, female footballer who accused an established (White) football coach of bullying, harassment, and racial comments. We critically discuss data analyzed from 80 print media articles from three British newspapers (with circulation figures ranging from 1.4 million to 135,000 a day), from August 6, 2017 to October 19, 2017. In our findings, we discuss the four dominant themes identified from our analysis to examine how race, gender, and belonging frame Aluko in ways that seek to position her as an outsider and question her legitimacy in the White male space of football. We demonstrate how frames are shaped by, as well as reinforce, existing power relations, and influence how bullying, and racial harassment are represented in media accounts. We argue this type of analysis has implications for our understanding of how the narratives bullying and harassment in sport can be reframed along dominant power lines that question the legitimacy of athletes’ accounts and experiences.