International Journal of Business and Social Science Vol. 4 No. 10 [Special Issue – August 2013] 105 Comparative Ranking of the Electronic and Print Mass Media in Dissemination of Sports Information in Kenya Andanje Mwisukha Robert K. Muniu Janet Muhalia Chumba Kenyatta University P.O Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Abstract The mass media have a fundamental role to play in the development of Sports. Their contribution towards uplifting performance and popularizing sports is particularly critical in the developing countries where sports programmes tend to receive minimal attention and resource allocation. The mass media are important tools for marketing, publicizing and popularizing sports. Their specific roles include bringing talent into the limelight, giving recognition/appreciation to outstanding sports personalities and objectively pointing out problematic and weak areas in sports. However, research has revealed cases of unbalanced reporting of sports information by the mass media. There have also been numerous allegations of the mass media’s sensational reporting of sports events that fuels and catalyzes wrangling in sports organizations. This study therefore, focused on comparing the rating of the electronic and print media in the dissemination of information on sports in Kenya from the perceptions of the Public Sports Officers, Officials of Sports Federations and University Students enrolled in sports-related courses in Kenya. The study found some variations in the ranking of the two types of media in the way they carried out their roles in handling sports issues. It is recommended that the mass media should be more balanced and proactive in dealing with matters of sports. Regular surveys by the mass media to determine the public’s perception of their services is also recommended. Key Words: Mass Media, Sports Introduction The mass media have a fundamental role to play in promotion and popularization of sports. It is through the mass media that sports can be marketed and given wider publicity. The primary roles of the media can be summarized to include: dissemination of information on sports to the public, giving coverage for sports events and educating people on matters of sports. Arising from discharging these fundamental roles, the media, in turn, can be relied upon to develop sports by: i. Bringing talent into the limelight ii. Giving recognition to outstanding sports personalities who can serve as role-models to the young athletes iii. Highlighting problematic and weak areas in sports programmes so that efforts can be directed towards addressing them. iv. Attracting corporate sponsorship in sports through positive reporting on sports issues. In spite of the contributions that the mass media have continued to make in the realm of sports, there have been reported cases of unbalanced reporting on matters of sports by the mass media. A study by Munayi (2003) reported more coverage of men’s sports activities than the women’s in the mass media in Kenya. There have also been allegations against the mass media’s sensational reporting of sports events that tend to fuel and catalyze disharmony in sports organizations (Beck and Bosshart, 2003). It is against this background that this study was undertaken to compare the ranking of the electronic and print media in the dissemination of sports information in Kenya. Methodology Exploratory survey research design was used in this study. Subjects who are knowledgeable on matters of sports and accessible to media information were identified and randomly selected to provide the required data.