identity - sportsmen and women

This video popped up a few weeks ago at the height of the Olympics, so you may be familiar with it already.

What is interesting is how the established media are constructing identities of the sportsmen and women at the Rio Olympics that reinforce the stereotypes and dominant ideologies that surround both genders.

Look at how audiences are empowered by social media, using it to 'call out' and challenge these ideologies perpetuated by the Media. This would make an interesting case study, looking at how athletes construct their own identity in comparison to the identity constructed for them by the media.

Things to think about:

1. How can this be used to explore Hegemony?
2. What does this say about the power of the established media and their influence over audiences?
3. What does this say about audiences and their influence on established media?
4. Does this challenge the hyperdermic needle theory?
5. How has new and digital media influenced audiences and institutions and perhaps changed their relationship?
6. How is new and digital media used to construct identity and is there any negative implications to this?