Year: 2025 Volume: 29 Issue: b

Abstract:

The objective of the present study is to examine the propaganda techniques employed in the realm of sports communication, with a particular focus on the announcements published on the official websites of the prevailing Greek football and basketball clubs. Consequently, a content analysis will be conducted on the websites of the five foremost Greek football clubs (Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK, PAOK, Aris) and the two corresponding leaders in basketball (Panathinaikos, Olympiacos). This is a quantitative content analysis of a sample of 350 announcements hosted on the aforementioned websites (the last 50 announcements from each team for 2024). A close examination of the professional sports sector in Greece reveals numerous parallels with the Greek media in terms of its political economy. It is widely accepted that these organisations do not possess any specific commercial interests, as their primary function is to promote and defend the objectives of their owners. The media system in question is referred to as polarised pluralistic. Nevertheless, the main findings of this research reveal that the official websites are used as tools for public relations and white propaganda, presenting low levels of polarization. Conversely, the utilization of evaluative discourse, founded upon commentary, signifies the propagandistic function of these media.