"Hooligan" – "Enemy of the People" or "Patriotic Hero". The Media Construction of Football Fans in Serbia Cover Image

'Хулиган' – 'народни непријатељ' или 'патриотски јунак'. Медијска конструкција фудбалских навијача у Србији
"Hooligan" – "Enemy of the People" or "Patriotic Hero". The Media Construction of Football Fans in Serbia

Author(s): Ivan Đorđević
Subject(s): Media studies
Published by: Етнографски институт САНУ
Keywords: football; Serbia; fans; media; public policies

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims to present the ways in which the image of football fans as hooligans is constructed in contemporary Serbian media; as an image of actors whose actions produce damaging effect for the society. I focus on the existence of terminological misunderstanding surrounding the definition of a football fan occurring between the local media and the official policymakers. From one side, the omni-present violence, both verbal and actual one, is very often overlooked in media reporting. From the other side, the individuals, often with a criminal record, are titled as fan-leaders and are being sensationalized and placed as the signifiers of the entire group. The latter creates an image of criminal activity as an act of fan-based, hooligan action. When constructed in this way the made discourse is translated from public perception to the realms of policy making; marking the violent acts at sporting events as a security issue the state institutions are not capable to handle.

  • Issue Year: LXVII/2019
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 463-479
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Serbian