The Delhi dilemma: media representation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Abstract

Developing nations increasingly use sporting mega-events to demonstrate capacity, staking a claim to a place on the ‘world map’ by participating in what has been referred to as the ‘global circus’, or alternatively, the ‘prestige model’. The 2010 Commonwealth Games, hosted by India, provide an example of a mega-event which had mixed results in terms of signalling global modernity. This study extends existing media analysis research that found that the Western media’s interpretation of the event was critical overall and employed negative stereotypes that served to undermine India’s status as a modern power. This study employed a comprehensive textual analysis of relevant articles from eight major daily newspapers to reveal that the Australian print media coverage often focused on the inadequacies of India as an appropriate host nation for the Commonwealth Games.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. In addition to the clear themes identified above, there were a large number of miscellaneous pieces (129 articles) which were not deemed as significant to the focus of this research, including the following: pieces of gossip (e.g. a food fight at the athletes village); minor incidents (e.g. reports of a stolen toothbrush); and trivia (e.g. 20% discount for athletes at the village vendors when presenting a medal, number of condoms distributed to athletes during the Games).