Constructing Gender in Filipino Sportscasting: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Alas Pilipinas Matches
Abstract
As Filipino athletes gain greater visibility in international volleyball tournaments, it becomes important to examine how their identities are shaped through media discourse. Local sportscasting, in particular, plays a crucial role in constructing public perceptions of national athletes, as it does not merely narrate the game but also frames athletic performance and character through culturally grounded language. This study examined how Filipino sportscasters construct gender in their live coverage of Alas Pilipinas during the 2025 AVC Nations Cup, with attention to how commentary reinforces or challenges dominant gender ideologies. Framed by Stuart Hall's Theory of Representation and guided by Critical Discourse Analysis, the study employed a qualitative approach. Sportscasting transcripts were analysed at lexical, discursive, and pragmatic levels to examine how patterns of language use contributed to the portrayal of male and female athletes. The findings show that Filipino sportscasting functions as a form of cultural pedagogy that constructs gender and nationalism. Across micro, meso, and macro levels, commentary consistently portrayed men through strength, discipline, and strategy, while women were represented through emotion, care, and collectivity. These patterns reinforced traditional ideals of masculinity and femininity but also revealed emerging shifts through depictions of women’s intelligence and men’s emotional expression. Overall, the study shows how sportscasting operates as discourse and ideology that shapes meanings of heroism, leadership, and national identity. It contributes to sports linguistics and media discourse research by providing empirical evidence from Filipino sportscasting and highlights the need for more balanced and performance-oriented commentary practices.
Keywords: critical discourse analysis; gendered discourse; media representation; sports linguistics; sportscasting
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