The portrayal of non-western sports hosts in International Media: A comparative analysis of BBC, Al Jazeera English, and RT's coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Abstract

This study analyses news coverage of Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup by three global news websites – Al Jazeera English (AJE), BBC World News, and RT English – over a period of nine years leading up to the tournament. Except for AJE, which focused on infrastructure development and political issues, the media outlets prioritised critical concerns by highlighting the social problems faced by migrant workers, while local community issues were given less attention. Although migrant workers received substantial media coverage, they were the least cited on all three news websites. Official sources were preferred to unofficial and public sources, and international sources were cited more often than Qatari sources. The most commonly used frame was conflict, whereas the human interest frame was the least utilised. These findings are discussed in light of the debate on the international coverage of hosting mega sport events in non-Western societies.