Psychosocial reflection of sports commentators on sports culture in the process of integration into new media: A study on vole and sports digital channels

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the roles of sports commentators on new media tools and the psychosocial reflections of commentators on sports culture in the public, through the example channels “Vole” and “Sports Digitale”. New broadcasting areas, commentators’ freer discourses, creation of content without editorial filtering, acceleration of processes, etc. play an important role in shaping factors such as changing the identities and affiliations of sports commentators and their audiences, contributing to individual and social identity perceptions, and creating positive and negative effects on social fan mental health. The language used by sports commentators should serve a unifying structure, not social divisions. It is seen that digital broadcasting platforms offer a more dynamic, interactive and critical broadcasting approach, unlike traditional sports media. In the study, two programs from “Vole” and “Sports Digitale” channels were selected with a random sampling method, and the reflections of sports commentators on sports culture through psychosocial variables were analyzed with the qualitative content analysis method. It has been observed that sports commentators who commentate on digital broadcast channels change and shape the identity and individual sense of belonging of the audience, contribute to the social identity perceptions of the masses, have positive or negative effects on the mental health of the fans, are accepted as role models for individuals, and undertake important tasks in establishing social connections with the fans through new media tools.