Title: Systematic review of sports news framing: methodologies, trends, and future directions

Authors: Pengpeng Xie; Shahrul Nazmi Sannusi; Suet Nie Kho

Addresses: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, 43600, Malaysia; Faculty of Humanities and Communication, Nanjing Normal University Taizhou College, Taizhou, 225300, China ' Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, 43600, Malaysia ' Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, 43600, Malaysia

Abstract: The framing of sports news shapes public understanding of sports events and related social and cultural dynamics. Drawing on news framing theory, this study conducts a systematic literature review of sports news framing. A total of 44 articles from the Web of Science database were analysed using content analysis, supported by CiteSpace and Covidence. The findings show that since 2010, research in this field has expanded steadily, with citations increasing annually. North America and Europe contribute the majority of publications. Major research themes include gender framing, racial framing, athletes' physical and mental health, and mega sporting events such as the Olympic Games. Content analysis remains the dominant method, followed by thematic, discourse, and experimental approaches. Recent trends highlight growing attention to cross-cultural comparisons, social media framing, and mixed research methodologies. Despite these advances, emerging as such sports as e-sports and VR sports remain underexplored.

Keywords: framing theory; sports journalism; systematic literature review; business process.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPIM.2026.153296

International Journal of Business Process Integration and Management, 2026 Vol.13 No.1, pp.73 - 83

Received: 20 Nov 2025
Accepted: 16 Dec 2025
Published online: 01 May 2026 *

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