Media Analysis 1 - Long Distance Running
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Arizona State University *
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Course
101
Subject
Medicine
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
5
Uploaded by BrigadierLightningVulture35
Lauren Skemp
Oct. 25th, 2023
Media Analysis #1
Athlete or Team: Ultramarathon Running/Ironman/Triathlon - Cody Ko
Media Sources:
Traditional media:
https://www.esquireme.com/culture/cody-ko
Label:
An outlook on Cody’s journey from newbie Ultramarthon runner to inspiring people
across the world during his Ironman training. Plus a sitdown interview with the runner.
Sentiment:
Positive/Inspirational
→
Author is an obvious fan.
Traditional media:
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/g45571527/celebrities-in-the-2023-new-york-city-
marathon/
Label:
Overview of various social personalities who will be seen running the 2023 NYC
marathon and their experience with long distance running.
Sentiment:
Neutral leaning positive. The article overall was a simple overview, stating who will be
seen on the startline, but the specific blurb about Cody ensures readers that he is a
seasoned runner.
In-house media:
https://www.ironman.com/im-australia-history
Label:
Direct article listing the mission statement of the Ironman Australia.
Important to this analysis because it is the race that deamed Cody Ko an “Ironman.”
Sentiment:
Neutral
→
Simple statements on the history of the famous race.
In-house media:
https://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/races/ironman-australia-2023/events/1/results
/individuals/413
Label:
Cody Ko’s statistics from Ironman Australia
Sentiment:
Neutral
Citizen Media:
https://www.reddit.com/r/codyko/comments/15rbx13/codys_ironman_video_was_cring
e/
Label:
A negative fan review regarding Cody Ko’s internet recap video on his Ironman
experience
Sentiment:
Negative - called out Ko’s privilege.
Citizen Media:
https://www.reddit.com/r/codyko/comments/16mx8xn/cody_you_changed_my_lifethan
k_you/
Label:
A small example of the massive impact Ko had on fans across the world in which he
inspired many to change their lives and fitness goals.
Sentiment:
Positive
Personal Media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3mFoQAYGsM
Label:
Short video documentary of Cody Ko’s journey to become an Iron Man
Sentiment:
Positive - Inspiring and wholesome
Personal Media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2_jwewcvOw
Label:
Recap of Cody Ko’s first Ultramarathon and what lead him into being a long distance
runner.
Sentiment:
Positive
What do the stories that you researched about your player/team have in common?
The majority of the sources, including personal media, in-house media, and traditional
media, have a positive and inspirational tone. They highlight Cody Ko's transformation and
achievements as a long-distance runner, portraying him as an inspiring figure. Most of the
sources focus on Cody Ko's personal journey and experiences as he transitions from being a
newbie ultramarathon runner to becoming an Ironman. They emphasize his dedication and
progress in the world of long-distance running. The traditional media source specifically
mentions that Cody Ko is a seasoned runner, highlighting his accomplishments and expertise in
long-distance running. In particular, Esquire's interview and coverage of Cody's Ironman training
present a positive and inspirational tone, with the author expressing obvious admiration (
Menon,
Esquireme
). Runner's World neutrally but favorably highlights Cody's seasoned runner status in
their overview of celebrities in the 2023 New York City Marathon (
Ratliff, Runnersworld
). This
recognition adds to the positive narrative and is even more emphasis in Ko’s own posts about the
events. The diversity in media types allows for different perspectives and opinions to be
presented, ranging from fan reviews to official race statistics. Additonally, there is a commen
theme of fan engagement throughout Ko’s story. The citizen media sources, such as Reddit posts,
reflect fan engagement with his journey. There are both positive and negative sentiments
expressed by fans, indicating that his journey has sparked discussions and opinions among his
audience.
Perhaps most importantly, a majority of the sources pinpointed Ironman Australia as a
crucial race that Cody Ko participated in and pulled inspiration from. This race serves as a
significant milestone in his long-distance running journey. As a whole, the common themes in
the stories about Cody Ko's journey as a long-distance runner include positivity, inspiration, a
focus on his personal journey, recognition of his accomplishments, fan engagement, and a
connection to the Ironman Australia race.
What do you notice is different about the coverage of this athlete/team from platform to
platform?
The coverage of Cody Ko's journey as an athlete varies significantly from platform to
platform, showcasing a diverse range of perspectives and tones. Esquire's feature article paints a
highly positive and inspirational picture of Cody's transformation into a long-distance runner,
offering a detailed outlook on his journey from a newbie ultramarathon runner to becoming an
Ironman, coupled with a sit-down interview that portrays him as an inspiring figure (
Menon,
Esquireme
). This comes from an interesting perspective because the writer, Menon, is an obvious
fan of Ko’s. Thus, it is hard not to derive bias from her words. Runner's World's traditional media
coverage maintains a more neutral tone overall, but specifically highlights Cody's status as a
seasoned runner, acknowledging his expertise in long-distance running among other celebrities
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participating in the 2023 New York City Marathon (
Ratliff, Runnersworld
). In-house media
sources like Ironman.com and Multisportaustralia.com.au provide straightforward, neutral
accounts, focusing primarily on the Ironman Australia event itself and Cody's participation,
without delving into personal aspects or sentiments. Through this, readers and interpret their own
judgement on the event and statistics without an author telling them how to feel.
Citizen media on Reddit offers a striking contrast, with one post presenting a negative fan
review of Cody's Ironman video, criticizing elements of his content and calling out privilege,
while another expresses gratitude and positivity, highlighting the subjective nature of fan
opinions (Reddit.com). In contrast, Cody's personal media, particularly his YouTube video
documentaries and recaps, consistently maintain a positive and inspiring sentiment, aligning with
his narrative of personal growth and accomplishment (
Ko, Youtube.com
). This can be expected,
as Ko would not produce content that showed his training, racing, and lifestyle in a negative
light, and instead, he took a family-focused approached and made the short 13-minute video
sentimental to his parents. Thus, once again, an expected bias is derived. Still, these differences
in coverage across platforms illustrate the range of perspectives and tones that can emerge from
traditional media, in-house media, citizen media, and personal media, highlighting how a public
figure like Cody Ko can be portrayed in various ways depending on the source and medium.
What have you learned about media coverage from this analysis?
This analysis of media coverage surrounding Cody Ko's journey as an ultramarathon
athlete showcases important insights about how different media platforms and authors can
significantly impact the portrayal of a public image. I learned firsthand how different media
displays can shift the unique tones and perspectives that each source will produce when
discussing the same individual. Esquire's feature article and Cody's personal media outlets
consistently adopt a positive and inspirational tone, portraying him as a motivational figure who
has achieved remarkable feats in long-distance running (Esquireme.com; Youtube.com). In
contrast, citizen media on Reddit showcases the spectrum of fan opinions, with one post
delivering a critical perspective, even stating, “[t]he whole time I was watching it, I couldn’t take
it seriously,” when referencing the Austrialia Ironman video on Ko’s channel which was also
referenced and viewed in this analysis (
r/CodyKo, Reddit.com
). Secondly, this analysis
demonstrates the significance of traditional media in shaping public perceptions. Runner's
World's coverage, with its neutral but favorable portrayal of Cody's running prowess, contributes
to legitimizing his status as a seasoned runner within the mainstream running community, even
as a known “influencer” (
Ratliff, Runnersworld
). Thirdly, it highlights the importance of
personal media in allowing public figures to control and amplify their narratives. Cody Ko's
YouTube videos serve as a platform for him to share his journey directly with his audience. His
mini-documentary bypassed traditional media channels by reaching a milestone of over 1 million
viewers (
Ko, Youtube.com
). This significantly molded his audiences view on the challenges and
tribulations of training and competing. Overall, this analysis outlines the multifaceted nature of
media coverage. As seen through studying a public figure like Cody Ko, athletes can be
portrayed differently depending on the platform, tone, and perspective of the media source. I was
reinforce with the idea that audiences need to critically evaluate coverage sources so that they
can consider the source's bias, intention, and perspective before forming their own perceptions of
athletes. It also clearly showed how different media coverages view the sport itself; the negative
comments were often from those who had no experience in ultramarathon training and
competing. Thus, one’s own bias and ignorance can insert itself into the perception of how an
athlete “should” act.