Agenda Diversity on European Broadcasters’ Social Media: Key Findings and Future Directions for Cross-National Research in Sport

Sport communication scholars have dedicated substantial attention to the role of media organizations in agenda diversity pertaining to sport, gender, national identity, and—to a lesser extent—disability. In this commentary, we overview the key findings specifically concerning the role of broadcasters in agenda diversity and the representations on European broadcasters’ social media accounts. While studies that capture descriptive data have significant theoretical and methodological limitations, we are particularly interested in the potential of these studies for cross-national comparative research. We see great potential in situating these analyses within cross-national frameworks, with particular attention to the structure of the media systems and sport systems. In addition, we identify the challenges of conducting cross-national analyses of social media and propose future directions for research that take into account cross-platform strategies and the position of producers and audiences in relation to social media content. The scholarly commentary intends to raise critical questions regarding the evaluation and interpretation of agenda diversity, providing valuable direction for scholarship.