THE+MEDIA+AND+CHEATING

**cheating? **
 * How does the media create pressure on sporting stars in terms of them feeling the need to win? Does this encourage **

Today I saw an article in the Daily Mirror newspaper about a Manchester City football player Kolo Toure. Alledgedly, Toure failed a drugs test after taking some slimming drugs that would enhance his performance playing football and he is now facing a lengthy ban on playing football. This would be seen as cheating, as the drugs would make his perform better than he would naturally, therefore he has an advantage. Other footballers have been known to do this in the past, and I think the media pressure them to do so as they publicise the competion between different players and teams. This means that the players all want to be the best and do not want to feel inferior to other players, which causes them to do things like this in order to be the better player. Furthermore, they should not let the media pressure them into taking drugs to enhance their performance, etc., as it could lead to them either losing their job (as it is illegal) or becoming seriously ill from the drugs. - ** (by Jade, England) **

- The relations between the media and the big industrials groups are sometimes a problem because the people who comment the match are friend with the player and they can influence them to choice sponsors for example this person who comment many competition in France and who is just excluded from the tv because he is close to a of French group the article( in French) ( Eric : combourg, france )

By Sofie & Tanja, Denmark:
===I think the media in Denmark is very influent on the sports stars, because they are always in the television giving interviews and telling everone how the expect their next match/game to go and how they think the last one went.=== ===I do not think, that the media is encouraging sporting stars to cheat. The reason I don't think it is: that if sporting stars want to cheat, they do it behind everones backs. Such as in Tour De France, the media does not know if they are using medication.===

It is actully hard to say.
By Laurine, France :

Sport, principally football create much pressure of media because if a sporting win, he obtain a bonus and football clubs promises more and more money for the sporting. Football clubs quarrel for the player. An example : []

By Barbara, France
Sporting and famous... Does it work ? In my opinion, you're a sporting man or woman before being a "star". Unhappily, medias make stars of them and make them more and more famous by blending private life and sporting qualities. That fame can encourage cheating since you are known everywhere in the world. You have to be the best if you want to be known, and to reach the top in the best clubs. Being the best, but at which price ?

I'm agree with you Barbara, t he sportsmen win more money if we speak about their, Thus they make everything to attract the atention and make speak about them for the better or for the worse..

 * By Hannah, Norway: **

I think that the media and the supporters have high expectations to the athletes, but that doesn't make it okay to cheat. If an athlete decides to cheat in order to win, it’s not him/her that wins; it’s the drugs that do the job for them. The media does have some responsibility, but the athlete has to take the decision on whether or not to cheat. When the media write about the cheating, the athlete loses much of his/hers credibility and respect. Sometimes it doesn’t look like the athlete thought it through before they cheated and they are actually surprised when they are caught. I think that each athlete has to remain responsible and abstain from cheating. If every athlete does that, sports will be a fair competition for everyone, in my opinion.


 * By Maren, Norway: **

Cheating is not right. The more we speak of famous athletes, the more pressure we put on them. Then they have to perform. You all know how we speak of different athletes if they don't do as well as usual? We start speaking about then, laughing and such. Not really nice at all. Therefore, I can kind of understand that some people choose to cheat.

Even in horsebackriding, some people cheat. Tony André Hansen and Camiro were caught cheating in the Olympic Games. Cheating makes the sport less fair, but some people choose to take the risk to maybe become famous.


 * By Stian, Norway: **

It is sad that athletes cheat. I think that the problem lies in their focus. If they play sports because they love the sport, it would be virtually no cheating. Sadly, many play sports for the fame, and then they need to be the best. A need to be the best leads to cheating, and the need to be the besst ist provoked by the media.

I think the punishment for cheating is to small, because many think that the gain is worth the risk when they cheat.