Author(s): OHHASHI, M., Institution: KURUME UNIVERSITY, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 2473

Background: The aim of this study was to delineate the characteristics of sports content disseminated through Yahoo! News Japan. Previous research in media sports studies has primarily focused on mass media content, thus overlooking the interaction between producers and audience user experiences. With the advancement of user engagement functionalities, notably the ability for users to comment on news articles on websites, this study aims to elucidate the interaction between traditional media content and citizens’ media comments, especially within the sports domain, within the realm of online media.

Methods: This study drew upon quantitative analysis of articles within the sports category on Yahoo! News. Given the prominence of Yahoo! News as the largest online news platform in Japan, all online coverage spanning from January 1st to December 31st, 2023, was scrutinized.

Results: The dataset encompassed various parameters including publication date, title, article content, authorship, comment count, and additional relevant information. A total of 4061 articles were collected, averaging 566 comments per article. Approximately half of the articles pertained to baseball, with an equivalent proportion sourced from sports newspapers. Content derived from sports newspapers primarily fell into categories such as "match results" and "player and team gossip." Conversely, while content from daily newspapers exhibited minimal divergence from that of sports newspapers, instances arose where issues such as "corporal punishment" and "covert photography" within the sports realm were addressed, serving as platforms for issue advocacy. The average number of reader comments on such articles, which transcended mere match results or player-related topics, stood at 627, a figure surpassing the average of 570 comments observed for articles typically found in sports newspapers.

Conclusions: One defining feature of sports news in Japanese online media is the prominence of articles related to baseball, centering predominantly on subjects such as "Japanese professional baseball," "high school baseball," and "MLB." Moreover, around half of the disseminating agencies are sports newspapers. This prevalent focus on baseball may signify a profound cultural attachment among the Japanese population. Furthermore, it is believed that the staging of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2023 and Japans victory in the tournament have influenced this trend. The publication of such targeted articles is perceived to augment viewership, evident in the high readership and comment rates. Consequently, media outlets exhibit a proclivity towards disseminating content conducive to comments and easily comprehensible, potentially shaping the dynamic interplay among content, viewership, and comments. While the bias in reported content within Japanese online media sports news is discernible, a nuanced analysis warrants comparison with articles from years beyond 2023.