Coverage of the Russian Doping Scandal in the New York Times: Intramedia and Intermedia Attribute Agenda

When it publishes a major investigative report or exposé, a prominent news organization can transfer the salience of both an issue and its attributes to other news outlets. Major investigations can also affect how reporters in the same outlet think about an issue in the news. The present study examines intramedia and intermedia agenda-setting effects in the context of sport, drawing on allegations of a state-sponsored doping program in Russian athletics. In May 2016, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a former doping official in Russia, described the program to reporters at the New York Times, and the ensuing front-page story impacted coverage both internally and externally. The current study considers the implications of these effects for sports journalism and individual athletes