Historical Development of Football through Media Reporting in Serbia

Abstract

As the most important of the least important things in the world, football captures the attention of millions of people who receive information through the media every day. The role of the media in professional football is important not only because of the financial aspects of the sport but also because of the powerful position of broadcasters. Football, as one of the most popular sports in the world, also occupies a significant place in media reporting in Serbia. Regardless of the results that Serbian football players have achieved, both at the club and national team levels, football has always been reported on the front pages of the press with the largest number of articles and photographs, that is in the breaking news of the electronic media, and most media space is dedicated to the broadcast of football matches. Fans analyze important club and national football matches every day. Great victories are celebrated and great defeats are mourned. Given the role football plays, this paper will present the historical development of football in media coverage of this sport in Serbia since its emergence on the Serbian sports scene at the end of the 19th century until the last decade of the 20th century, and also briefly outlines the connection between media and football in general. The paper will focus on the influence of print and electronic media in the periods when the media were most influential.