Do the media enhance racial stereotypes in football? Illustrate your essay with specific examples.

The media are both a principal focus of imagination, creativity and identification and a principal source of information and representation; they help define both the facts of our social reality and our individual desires’ (Couldry, 2000: 40). In this era of globalisation and Post Fordism where the boundaries of geographical barriers and culture are being broken down, ‘mass communication’ as a form of medium has a significant role to play. The media plays a very important role in the construction of perceptions and impressions through the representations of race, gender or nation. Keeping this power of the media in mind and the influence it has, I intend to discuss the representation of ‘racial stereotypes in football’. The content of this essay highlights the important role that the media plays in influencing and bringing about a change.
The late 1970’s saw the collapse of the post World War II state based economic models. It has been argued that, the world was no longer about ‘nations and states’ but an interconnected ‘network society’. It was an ‘intensive and extensive’ period of Globalisation where the whole world was becoming ‘smaller’.In an era of Globalization and Post Fordism, the barriers of geography, culture and distance have increasingly broken down. With the advent of ‘Globalisation’ and the breaking of the barriers the power of the media also increased because of the growth in the audience that could be targeted. Improvement in technology and the rise in various forms of ‘new media’ like internet etc. resulted in the rise of competition and the need for media corporations to report events or news which held the attention of the audience. This gave rise to a ‘consumer culture’ and therefore, embodied ‘Post Fordism’.
The late 1970’s was the period of the ‘Cultural Turn’ associated with changes in the marketing strategies highlighted by ‘intensive knowledge of and orientation to the consumer …’ (Slater, Don and Tonkiss, 2002:178).This was a period when there was a shift from Fordism, which was a standardised system of mass production and consumption, to Post Fordism, associated with ‘niche marketing’ and reaching out to consumers. Simultaneously, there was also a definite shift in people’s lives in terms of ‘…both their working habits and routines of daily living’, which shows that, ‘this new faction tends to blur a number of conventional distinctions’ (Negus, 2002:503). In the 20th century there was an early recognition that one way for the industry to increase its profit was to increase its pool of customers. There was an understanding that in order to gain profits it was imperative to increase the demands in the market. Influencing ‘people’s desire’ was seen as the key to increasing market demands. ‘The world we inhabit is a more complex place marked by uneven development, in which different modes of being co-exist in comfortable tension, both within individual subjects and as part of the structure of social exchange. Football fans, music lovers and other enthusiasts can live out an immense and pleasurable relation to the object of their passion, and reach. It is precisely this paradox that productive consumption and consumptive presents us- that of being both the consumer and producer of our pleasures, whilst still not having the position to control. Yet the emphasis on the culture of consumption is patently one of great significance.’ (Whannel, 2002:201). The knowledge that consumers drive the market led to a new form of marketing called ‘niche marketing’ in advertising and ‘narrowcasting’ in the broadcasting industry. This new form of marketing focussed on defining more specific market segments. Identification of potential markets and the best possible manners to appeal to the consumer was the main focus of the advertiser e.g. the same product was being marketed in different ways to different audiences.
‘Media content acts as a powerful source of social meaning…centrally involved in the social construction of reality for audience members, giving them an understanding- however limited – of both their immediate and their more distant social context…A significant amount of people’s leisure time is taken up with mass media consumption, and mass media content itself plays an important role in the day-to-day conversations and interactions in which members of society engage (Devereux, 2003: 9).The growth of ‘niche’ marketing gave rise to the culture of commodity. In the field of sports, use of celebrities to promote a certain kind of an image is an example. In Britain for e.g. the ‘Beckhams’ are the biggest example of ‘commodification’. They are represented by the media as the epitome of a ‘happy family’ and placed on a pedestal. They are used by various brands to sell their products and they in turn use their image projected by the media to their own means. Beckham the ‘brand’, ‘is one of the few players to transcend football and achieve popularity among non-fans as well as die hard followers of the sport- his face adorns magazine covers worldwide: there are one hundred and twenty thousand (120000) websites dedicated to him, teenage girls adore him. In short he is a marketing person’s dream (Garraham, 2002).Various celebrities like them in turn become commodities. Products get associated with them and the media uses their image to the full extent to target the audience and sell them.
The major chunk of money earned by the media is through advertising aimed at influencing people. The basic principle followed is, ‘the larger the audience, the larger the income’. Therefore reaching the largest possible audience is the primary goal in media. The realisation that audience is important is what has sustained ‘niche marketing’ and led to its growth. Until the advent of radio, magazines dominated the market with no competition from other forms of mass medium. Television changed everything – ‘TV could show (like magazines) and tell (like radio) and it added motion (like cinema)’.Most importantly TV could reach a larger audience compared to the other forms of media. TV became a much efficient and cheaper media for advertisers to target larger audience.
The study of media and sport has developed mainly since 1980, flourishing in the 1990s. The interest in sport in general and specifically its interaction with the media has grown immensely over the past decade. The long list of publications and growing quantity of academic writing testifies the growth of interest in this area. Sport and the media have become associated to such an extent that it is often difficult to discuss sport in modern society without acknowledging its relationship with the media. ‘Sports is not only a matter of competition and results, it also produces many ways of talking about sport. On one hand sports is a social system of its own: for those who are active in it as well as for those who are only watching it, sport includes many varieties of social behaviour. Today’s Mass media can be seen as both form of public observer and as a producer of sport events’ (Bernstein & Blain, 2003:139)
Football is a game whose origins go back to the beginning of recorded history, in reality there was no first game: ‘in pre- industrial societies it was often a “mob” game of village against village, lacking written rules and celebrated as part of a fertility rite or to mark particular seasons of the year…Football was an essentially popular game, and the name originally referred to any ball game played on foot rather than on horseback.’ (Murray, 1996: 2). In the beginning of 1750 when Britain was changing from an agrarian to an industrial society, the game underwent a drastic change. From being played in open fields, people started adapting the game to narrow streets and hard surfaces of the new urban communities. ‘Rational recreationists in the middle class might have promoted football as one of several means geared towards the bringing together of classes, the goal of class conciliation, but working men made the sport their own and the development of the professional game with its boisterous and visible public culture both on the field and off defied the worthy objectives of the moral improvers of the time’ (Horne, Whannel& Tomlinson, 2001: 20). Football as compared to the game of today was played in open wide spaces involving a large population of males. ‘In Derby the game often involved around a thousand men, while the Sedgefield game involved 400 men per side. The goals were three miles apart for the Ashbourne game while Whitehaven’s goals were set at the docks and a wall outside the town. These organised games were also generally occasions for social mixing between the classes.'(Collins, 1998: 1). The manner in which it was played with total lack of discipline, order and organisation resulted in the birth of organised football. ‘The 1830’s and 1840’s saw the rise of the Chartists attempts at armed insurrection in England and Wales and widespread fear of revolution crossing the channel, reducing to a negligible level the opportunities for social mixing across class lines… Threats to public order were often cited as the reasons for the banning of football, as gradually most of the remaining outposts of the traditional game succumbed to the exigencies of capitalism’ (Collins, 1998:1)
Football today is considered to be the most popular sport in the world and is played between two teams of eleven each unlike the olden days when it was a ‘mob’ sport. There are currently two hundred and seven (207) men’s football teams affiliated to FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association).Britain alone has around twenty football clubs of their own. The number of teams itself is an indication of the popularity of the Sport. With a huge fan following it is perhaps one of the most influential games in terms of shaping the beliefs of the audience. Therefore, the correct representation of football by the media is very important considering the high number of people involved in this sport. Unfortunately, this game has seen a lot of racism in the manner in which players have been treated on and off fields. ‘The phenomenon of racism in football first became a subject of widespread concern in the late 1970’s and 1980’s…But interest in the issue was also partly related to the increasing presence of black players amongst the ranks of professional footballers during the period since the 1970’s.With the emergence of black players at all levels of football, phenomena such as racist chanting and abuse directed at them became common at many football grounds.’ (Crabbe & Solomos, 2001:21).Even today football ‘hooliganism’ is still rampant with ‘coloured’ players and fans being targeted by racist people watching the match. With the power that the media has, representation of incidents and behaviour is very crucial .To ensure that the responsibility of keeping people well informed and to maintain a neutral view is a difficult task that the media faces. ‘Press boxes were first installed at football matches in the 1890’s, although reporting of football matches goes back considerably further than this…The roots of today’s style of reporting football violence can be traced back to the mid 1950’s.At a time when there was widespread public fear over rising juvenile crime and about youth violence in general, the press began to carry more and more stories of this nature…’ (Frosdick & Marsh, 2005:114). The situation today is not very different with juvenile crime being rampant. The recent rise in teenagers being killed in UK by gang members and the Virginia Tech massacre in the US are all indicators of youth violence. All these incidents had a racial overtone in the reporting and were the result of racism. Therefore, racism has been and is still a concern in our society.
It is important to emphasise that much of the discussion of race in the media studies literature that originates from Britain and the US refers to media images of black people, so much so that the term ‘race’ is often assumed to have restricted reference. Existing studies in the media field generally tend to look at the representation of black people in television texts, mainly ‘in drama and light entertainment. There is very little information available on the coverage of black people in news, current affairs and documentaries’. Much of this work has called attention to the ways in which black people in the media have remained largely invisible, marginalized to the point of insignificance, or have been limited to specific stereotypes. ‘Stereotypes are beliefs that hold that all members of a group share “the same set of characteristics, attitudes, or life conditions’ (Liebert & Sprafkin, 1998:189). The general impression that everyone has of people of African origin is that they are more inclined towards physicality rather than intellectual pursuits. They are mostly represented as anti- socials that abuse drugs and are trouble creators. Like Marchman (The New York Sun, March 23rd 2007 edition) says, Football and basketball are played mostly by young black athletes with whom the middle-age white men who account for most of the audience for team sports have nothing in common, and this has a lot to do with why no one cares about drug use in those sports. If the phrase isn’t by now completely discredited, you might call it the soft bigotry of low expectations. Doubly alienated from the athletes, fans of the sports, many of whom view the players as no different than gang members, aren’t outraged by drug use because they don’t expect anything better. Baseball’s different. People don’t find the players threatening. One may as well say it – the sport is culturally white and middle class in a way football and basketball aren’t. Partly for this reason, baseball players are more widely expected to conform to ethical norms by its fans. Marchman is correct in pointing out the stereotype that exists in the minds of the people however it would be wrong to say that the players do not have an impact at all. The very fact that the players have a fan following and a responsibility of being role models to many does not allow them to misuse their position. Even if the public opinion is biased the rules and regulations governing the players irrespective of their colour would be the same. Marchman’s article is a clear portrayal of racial stereotypes that is promoted by the media.
‘Embedded in racist ideas are the assumptions that human beings fall into natural and distinct racial categories akin to species, with identifying biological and behavioural traits that reliably distinguish members of one race from members of the other, that the races can be ranked in order of inherent ability and social desirability, and that race is therefore a legitimate basis for discriminatory distribution of valued resources.’ (Entman & Rojecki, 2001:19).This clearly sums up the racial discrimination that the Black players face in the form of racist chants and the general impression that the public has of them. A most recent example is a Blackburn Rovers fan being fined £1,000 and banned from football grounds for five years for racially abusing Birmingham City player Dwight Yorke. Yorke said he had faced taunts during Sunday’s game between the clubs. Perryman was told by a magistrate he had “racially humiliated” Yorke and there was no place for such behaviour. .An incident clearly highlighted by the media but the action of the accused is a clear indication of racist behaviour. Most of these behaviours are heightened by the general perception that the people start believing in. With the power that the different forms of media have, it unknowingly plays a great role in increasing these perceptions. Specifically in football, the media enhances racial stereotypes since it is a game which witnesses a lot of passion which in turn leads to ‘hooliganism’ and racism. However, it is interesting to note that though the problem of racism is highlighted most of the times it is a one sided view point. An interesting example is when Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o Fils danced like a monkey to celebrate his goal in response to racist abuse he received in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Zaragoza on Saturday. “I danced like a monkey because they treated me like a monkey,” said the Barcelona striker. Referee Fernando Carmona Mendez did not mention the incidents in his match report, commenting only that the behaviour of the crowd was “normal”. There is no mention in the article at all about the general behaviour of the crowd but the player’s reaction has been highlighted. It is an article which highlights racism however the reason for it is ambiguous. This is the kind of representation that further builds on the stereotypes of existing football ‘crowd’ and the ‘coloured’ player. ‘Racism is a problem for football across Europe and has become an important factor in the problem of football hooliganism itself….Nevertheless acts of racism disorder, especially in the international scene, have frequently been referred to as ‘racist’ or perpetrated by racist groups, and some clubs have been viewed as having an inherently racist support…’ (Frosdick & Marsh, 2005:138)
In 1992, Whannel noted that in Britain, ‘the world of sport as seen on TV is a world in which … blacks are not quite full-status Britons’; in the decade since, this has arguably become less of a concern. It becomes difficult for the immigrant population to maintain a single cultural identity as well. Similarly in the case of the Afro- British, it is difficult for them to be completely African or British thereby, leading to cultural conflicts. As with the discussion of the representation of gender and national identity, what transpires is that ‘issues around media representation are fundamentally about power and status in society’. Commentators have noted the existence of a perception that blacks are good at sport because it requires physical rather than intellectual qualities.
Stereotypes are simplistic representations of social groups that deny any diversity among members of the same group. (Perse, 2000: 165). The Africans have over a period of time contributed to the building of the stereotypes surrounding them. Also, whenever a community is more noticeable in terms of appearance compared to the general population around, the actions are noticed more easily. Hence, anything that an African does is more noticeable because it becomes obvious in a society dominated by the ‘White’ in the West. ‘The celebration of Black athleticism as a source of clan pride does not need to be predicted; because it already exists on a scale most people do not comprehend…The rejection of academic achievement as a source of “clan pride” is already rampant among black boys, whose preferred models are rappers and athletes. Sports themes and styles have soaked into the fabric of African – American life, as Black identity is athleticised through ubiquitous role models who stimulate widely unrealistic ambitions in Black children (an improbable number of black boys expect to become professional athletes) and initiate athletic fashion trends and hairstyles’ (Hoberman, 1997: 3-4) . The world of Sports is seen as an easy route to fame and money coupled with the stereotype that Africans are natural athletes and sports person. This as suggested by Hoberman, has resulted in the youth losing their focus on the education. Easy access to television and the media highlighting the lifestyle and success stories of the rappers and players have given rise to the stereotype in the choice of profession.
‘The entrapment of African Americans in the worlds of athleticism is the result of a long collaboration between blacks seeking respect and expanded opportunity and whites seeking entertainment, profit and forms of racial reconciliation that do not challenge fundamental assumptions about racial difference. The power of these white interests notwithstanding, the most important factor in the development of the sports fixation is that athletic achievement has served the clan pride of African Americans in an absolutely unique way to the point where it is embraced as a foundation of black identity.’ (Hoberman, 1997: 4).In an era of Post Fordism where ‘Niche’ marketing is a necessity the identity of the players is used as a commodity to be marketed. Targeting a certain segment of the society which is easily influenced by ‘what they see and read’ the media uses the coverage of news reports of racism to its advantage. ‘It is increasingly difficult to describe who or what, a fan actually is. Traditionally this was clearer in an age when someone turned up, rain or shine, to support his team…Now supporters have become consumers and the way in which football can be consumed and, therefore, how a team can be supported has changed’ (Greenfield & Osborn, 2001:197)
Most newspaper in England today, talks about the impact of racism. Starting with the controversy surrounding the serial ‘Big Brother’ to the recent rise in the spate of killings, the black community has been a target for the media. The racial discrimination on and off the footfall field is adding ‘fuel to the fire’ of existing stereotypes. The sports fixation lives on in stereotypes about black physical superiority that have become nothing less than a global racial folklore. (Hoberman, 1997:5). One of the main tactics used by the media is to play on the sentiments of the viewers in order to capture their interest. Since media is a highly powerful tool in influencing the perceptions and impressions of the audience it can also have a converse impact. With the advancement in technology and the mode of communication, news travels much faster now. Rise in competition and the need to be ‘the first to report’ has resulted in ‘Turbo news’. ‘Turbo news is a term I coined to describe the vast masses of news and information that can now reach us at the speed of light’. (Willis, 1999: 29) With the advent of turbonews, the pressure to communicate information and ensure instant accessibility to the audience can lead to the accuracy of the news to suffer. It has also led to innovating the style and content of the news by involving more real-time reporting and headlines which draw immediate attention of the target audience. This change reflects that the media has been constantly evolving with time and its main priority is to think of ways to capture audience and earn profits. In this type of scenario where the main motive is to sustain the curiosity of the audience, misrepresentation by the media is a high possibility. ‘Shock factor’ is one of the tools that is used interestingly well by the media and the coverage of shocking racist incidents in the world of football is ‘fodder’ for the readers as well the media. Considering the fact that there is a wide range and network of audience to be targeted football being one of the most popular sports in the world is a convenient target. It is a sport which is sure to get viewer ship and readership for the media conglomerates. The full force of the media gaze was revealed during the 1998 World Cup Finals staged in France and the Euro 2000 staged in Holland and Belgium, and most particularly following the disturbances in Marseilles before and after England’s world cup game against Tunisia on 15th June 1998 (Crabbe & Solomos, 2001:224).
de’The percentage of black players in the majors today is around 9%. In the NFL, the number is around 65%; in the NBA, 80%. That matters. Go into any sports bar or listen to any call-in talk show, and you’ll hear people talking incessantly, passionately, about racial grievance. They often do so in code (“I can’t stand it, these players with the hipping and the hopping and the rap music and the gangs”), but you can’t mistake the visceral hatred of end zone celebrations, baggy shorts, and so on for anything but a fear of or fascination with young, aggressive black men’. The image of the black man is still stereotyped as someone who is dangerous. However as discussed earlier, most of the violence that these men indulge in is a direct reaction against the society and the racial discrimination. Since time immemorial they have always been sidelined and under or misrepresented. It is very rare that a newspaper or media would talk about someone from the black community in relation to any other topic than racism. As a community they have to work harder to ensure that they are noticed and appreciated for their own individuality instead of just being stereotyped.
Despite all the possibilities of misrepresentation and the building of racial stereotypes the media is still a very powerful medium. The enhancement of racial stereotypes in football is on the other hand a platform to raise the issues being faced. Even if the reporting is ambiguous it at least highlights the issue and therefore makes people aware. The main role of the media is to spread awareness and to ensure that news is reported in the fastest and best possible manner. It can also be used as a tool to change the society. Highlighting events and ensuring that people acknowledge and react to it is the first step that the media can take towards improving the existing social norms. Coverage of incidents like the Winmar incident- where the sports domain has produced its own brand of respect is the positive side to the enhancement of racial stereotypes by the media. ‘The best recent barometer was Nicky Winmar’s skin-baring stand to the Collingwood mob, an episode that a decade earlier would have earned him screams of condemnation from the media and the sports world. Instead, he was lionized for his defiance. On 17 April 1993, Nicky Winmar engaged in a significant act of defiance against racial taunting. After a best afield performance, with continual racist taunting from spectators, Winmar faced the Collingwood cheer squad, repeatedly raised and lowered his arms, lifted his jumper, pointed to his chest, and effectively declared ‘I’m black – and I’m proud to be black’. Winmar then allegedly blew kisses to the crowd before jogging to the centre of the field and embracing fellow Indigenous footballer Gilbert McAdam.30 The image of Winmar’s action is well etched in the memories of football followers, a poignant visual icon reproduced frequently in press reports, caricatures, journalistic and academic critiques of both overt and subtle forms of racism. The incident was significant for the St Kilda team, all Indigenous footballers, and for Winmar personally.’ Football due to its huge fan following and supporters is in itself a powerful tool of influence. The lives of the players and the supporters get intertwined after a certain extent due to the passion on both the sides. The failure and the success of the players affect the supporters. Similarly the conduct and behaviour of the players is a big influence in terms of fashion or otherwise. The players therefore have a big social responsibility. The black players have a greater responsibility and have to work harder. Since the players have the respect and status that they deserve they can become role models for a community shackled by stereotypes. The positive representation of these players by the media is very important and that is possible only if the media moves away from just enhancing racial stereotypes. ‘In the last 30 years, sport has provided an important forum for the dissemination of political ideas. The famous black power protest at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, the Springbok rugby tour demonstrations in 1971, the debates surrounding Indigenous Australians at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in 1982, and the controversy surrounding Cathy Freeman and the Aboriginal flag at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, are all significant events highlighting the importance of sport as a potential site for the expression of resistance to racial oppression and socio-political marginalisation before national or international audiences. The protests of athletes at significant sports events have the capacity, seemingly, to generate proactive reform both within and beyond sporting circles on issues such as institutionalised racism, racial vilification and social inequality.’
With the constant coverage of racism in football by the media and the players speaking about cases of harassment on and off the field there has definitely been a change. Various regulatory bodies of football have come together to stop the evil. Various forms of media like blogs & websites have come up which speaks against the prevalence of racism. Almost all media organizations have a forum where people can find a platform to voice their opinions and give their ideas on stopping racism in sport especially in football and basketball which has the majority of black players. ‘In an attempt to redress the problem, the commission for Racial Equality (CRE), the Football Supporters Association (FSA) – latterly the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) – and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) have all launched initiatives to try to rid football grounds of racism and encourage more people from ethnic minorities to attend matches, the most important campaign being ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of Football’. (Frosdick & Marsh, 2005:138). These initiatives along with media coverage are a big tool to work towards a racism free sports world. ‘The 1990’s has seen an overall decline of overt racist chanting in football crowds and the emergence of fan- led campaigns and new multiagency anti racist campaigns (Kick it out 1999). In 1995 the Advisory Group Against Racism and Intimidation (AGARI) was set up to bring all the major footballing authorities together as a forum to discuss strategy for countering racism’.(Carrington & McDonald, Routledge,2001)
The other side to the sensitivity of covering racial stereotypes is the silence that is maintained by the media. ‘In the vast majority of cases there were no overt narrative references to race although ethnicity was occasionally mentioned by commentators, especially when it was connected with some history of ethnic conflict. No evidence was found that commentators constructed negative representations of black athletes; rather black athletes were least likely to receive negative comments. Qualitative analyses of the personal interview segments showed that race, ethnicity, or nation did not appear to determine the types of stories or metaphors that producers and commentators used to portray athletes. Although commentators avoided making overt references to race in the case of black athletes, they seemed less constrained with Asian athletes and commentators often seemed to make a conscious effort to place Hispanic athletes in a favourable light. However, despite the high visibility of racial and ethnic minorities as athletes, whites held the greatest presence in the broadcasting booth.’ The main issue therefore, is not the representation of blacks being subjected to racial abuse but the ignorance of the media. In order to represent an issue the media needs to be very careful about understanding the issue being covered. The very fact that the media maintained a safe distance from addressing black issues but was racist towards the Asians itself proves that the media does enhance racial stereotypes. In Australia, ‘Along with these achievements, the incidence of racist abuse has confirmed the ‘otherness’ of many indigenous footballers. This is a consistent theme in personal, media and biographical accounts of indigenous players on their careers. Irrespective of crowd perceptions of the individual footballer, racist taunting from opposition players and spectators is consistently documented as a legitimate tactic directed at Indigenous athletes since the 1930s’.
tThe media does enhance racial stereotypes in football however in doing so it provides a platform for social issues to be addressed. By representing the racial abuse on and off the football fields it highlights the issue. However in representing the issues the media has to be very careful not to build negative stereotypes. As discussed earlier, the media can act as a tool of major social change by enhancing the positives of the black or communities considered black. Racist taunting has traditionally been viewed as a standard part of the game which should not be challenged by those experiencing victimisation. It is seen by perpetrators, senior officials, and even victims as a justified and justifiable tactic within the context of active sports competition. ‘The actions of Nicky Winmar in 1993 however challenged the ‘sanctity’ of this practice’. Ensuring that the achievements of the community are highlighted beyond the sports field can result in the breaking down of the biggest stereotype that the community suffers from. Moving away from athleticism and the physical aspect of the black can help in the overall perception. John Barnes a football player and a victim of racial abuse rightly says, ‘that while football can play its part, he didn’t think it could do any more. Football is a part of society, like any industry” he said. “It’s not going to stop people being racist. It’s only through educating the young that the situation will improve. Football can’t so any more, its society that has to change. John Barnes fought through the racist abuse he suffered to become arguably the most successful Black English player of all time. He told me about some of his personal experiences. “I remember as far back as 1981 playing at places like Millwall and West Ham when you’d get the usual monkey noises and bananas being thrown onto the pitch.
The involvement of the media along with the government along with the active participation of the audience is what can bring about a social change and eradicate racism in football. ‘Throughout its history the game has shown a remarkable ability to re-invent itself as each new communication technology has come along. The challenge in the new media age is for the stakeholders in the game to strike a balance between commerce and culture, the local and the global and short- term gain and long term well being of an important cultural form’. Due to football’s popularity as a game and the large number of supporters it has it is imperative for the media to strike a balance in its enhancement of racial stereotypes. ‘with the media and clubs combining to increase the profile- and thus the profitability- of clubs, pay levels for the top level players are unlikely to drop soon, despite increasing resentment among many fans. The media attention is undoubtedly unprecedented with players’ agents, Public Relations, tabloid and broadsheet reporters, paparazzi, tipsters ranging from club bouncers to ground staff, all combining to keep the stories, and the cash, coming.'(Boyle & Haynes, 2004: 162).Therefore the source of information used by the media is also something that needs to be taken care of. It is positive to bring up social issues and highlight it however, understanding the wide coverage and influence that the media has the manner in which it is represented is very important. Football has always been in the news for the ‘racial chants and the hooliganism’, however ensuring that such behaviour is curbed is also a responsibility of the media and the citizens. Just highlighting these issues without any clear indication to the solution is pointless. Media as a powerful tool of mass communication and football as a game of innumerable supporters should be used as a tool to curb the social issues existing. The media has been enhancing racial stereotypes however, along with the enhancement it should also work on enhancing the perception surrounding the ‘coloured’ players. It should act as a tool to break all stereotypes and highlight the other side of the ‘physical’ Africans doing well in other fields. With the help of the media and the common people the racial stereotypes can be broken and rebuilt to form a more positive perception of all races.