On Masculinity as Con- structed by the Media: An Outline of Theoretical Issues and an Example of an Empirical Analysis

This article analyzes how the category of masculinity is constructed in sports writing. It uses texts on sports that appeared in Gazeta Wyborcza, an opinion-forming Polish newspaper. The number of such articles was calculated, with distinctions between men’s and women’s sports, and the gender of the journalists or experts involved. Qualitative analysis showed which disciplines are presented and in what manner, and how the roles of male and female participants are characterized. It emerges that the media message varies in regard to the type of sport and manner of describing the participants. It is shown that the texts in Gazeta Wyborcza reproduce hegemonic masculinity