New research from PhD candidate, Francis Spooner O'Neill, has explored the growing backlash against athlete activism.
“Athlete activism is where elite athletes use their platform to help bring about social and political change,” Francis explains. “There has, however, been growing public backlash against activism in this realm; with activist athletes being undermined through public discourse.”
Francis says understanding these dynamics is crucial, as public backlash can damage athlete credibility, discourage future activism and undermine the social impact of athlete-led campaigns.
He used the case study of the Australian Socceroos who, in 2022, released a collective statement video via social media challenging Qatar’s human rights record with migrant workers and the LGBTQIA+ community. The video was divisive, generating considerable mainstream and social media coverage.
“We analysed more than 5,844 online comments on the Socceroos’ video message and identified nine strategies used by critics to undermine the athletes and their message.”
“Whilst seven of these strategies align with previous findings, we identified two new strategies: portraying athletes as disingenuous and framing activism as a distraction.”
“Employing the disingenuous strategy involves creating the impression that athletes lack concern for the issues they address. With distraction, there is an effort to delegitimise the athlete activist by asserting that activism distracts them from their sporting performance.”
Francis adds that understanding these discursive strategies is vital for athletes, sport organisations and communications professionals.
“The findings may help athletes to better anticipate criticism and prepare their messaging to avoid common delegitimisation tactics. It also assists organisations and managers in supporting activist efforts without compromising credibility or facing preventable backlash.”
