Abstract
The Australian cricket captain is often touted as the nation’s most important job, but in recent times it has been rocked by scandals. Former captain Steve Smith was axed for cheating and now his replacement Tim Paine has resigned for sexting. Paine was appointed to resurrect respect in the national team and Cricket Australia’s (CA) brand after Smith’s sacking and was regarded as a success. The sexting happened while Paine was employed at Cricket Tasmania (CT). Because it was considered consensual, Paine was cleared of misconduct by CT and CA in private hearings. When the matter was exposed publicly Paine resigned from the captaincy. Details emerged that he had sent a photo of his penis to the woman who then complained to CT. The scandal generated much media debate and highlighted sport scandals’ importance as major selling vehicles for media organizations. Ostensibly, the media’s role seemed contrary to CA’s which has covered-up past player indiscretions to protect its brand. While Paine was treated sympathetically in the media, the woman’s name was revealed, and details of pending criminal charges brought against her by CT. The leaking of this information raises questions about the media’s relationship with CA. This paper analyses the media’s manipulation of the story. It contends that once the story broke, cricket administrators and media aligned to ‘wash’ the player’s image and protect the position of the Australian cricket captain and CA’s family-oriented brand.
Presenters
Julie-Ann C TullbergLecturer, Journalism, Monash University, Victoria, Australia Tom F Heenan
Lecturer, Monash Intercultural Lab, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
Cricket, Media, Scandal, Cover-up
