Become partner of the International Sports Press Survey 2011

Inviting you to become partner of the International Sports Press Survey 2011 Six years have passed since Play the Game launched the biggest survey so far on the content of the newspaper sports pages. 14 research institutions from 10 countries in three continents took part, and a total of 37 leading newspapers were analysed.The International Sports Press Survey 2005 produced unique and extremely useful content and was reflected in a great number of academic and journalistic articles, as you may see on http://www.playthegame.org/knowledge-bank/theme-pages/the-international-sports-press-survey-2005.htmlIt is now time to harvest new data and measure developments since 2005. To that end, Play the Game and the German Sport University Cologne has the pleasure of inviting researchers to join the International Sports Press Survey 2011.Once again, the survey will focus on how the written media, i.e. daily newspapers, cover and prioritize sports, sports athletes, sporting events, and the financial, social, cultural and health-related aspects of sports. This year, not only the sports pages, but the full newspaper content will be analysed for its sports content.The results will be presented to the international media at Play the Game’s 7th world conference in Cologne from 3-6 October 2011.The survey will be coordinated by Dr. Jörg-Uwe Nieland from the German Sport University Cologne and Dr. Thomas Horky from the Macromedia University of Applied Sciences , who will also take care of the German part of the analysis.The methodology is relatively simple, and the registration of data can be carried out by student workers.Researchers and their institutions are invited to become partners by the following terms:

• Partners must gather and systematise the data from their country according to the given methodology (2005-based methodology will be tested and finalized in the next four weeks)
• Data will be entered in Excel and submitting them to the coordinators before August 15.
• The survey will contain two artificial weeks in the time period between 11 April  and the 12  June (the exact survey dates will follow).
• In return, partners will get free access to all data collected during the survey as well as exclusive national rights until 2013 to publish all the results and interpretations.
• Partners and their institutions will get proper credits and profile when Play the Game and the coordinators publish their versions of the analysis, during the conference and afterwards, in written publications, on the Internet etc.
• Finally, partners will be entitled to a 50 percent discount on the Play the Game 2011 conference fee.

Please note that survey-descriptions have to undergo final editing. There will also be room for your additional parameters with specific national relevance. It is also noteworthy that for Scandinavia there will also be a possibility to compare data with a survey carried out in 2002.We must have a declaration of interest from your side before the 1st of April. We know that the time limit is short, but all partners managed to keep tight deadlines in 2005, so there is basis for optimism.Please address your declaration of interest or any question you may have to Dr. Jörg-Uwe Nieland at the German Sport University Cologne and Prof.  Dr. Thomas Horky, Macromedia University of Applied Sciences (see contact details below).Hoping to hear from you,Best regardsGerman Sport University CologneInstitut für Kommunikations- und MedienforschungDr. Jörg-Uwe Nieland Aachener Str. 999 / Kirchweg 2 Raum 610 50933 Köln J.Nieland@dshs-koeln.deTel.: +49 221 4982-6245Macromedia University of Applied Sciences Prof. Dr. Thomas Horky Gertrudenstr. 3 20095 Hamburg T.Horky@macromedia.deTel. +49-40 300 30 89 - 67