Constructing the conversation: digital agenda-setting in sport for development

This study explores the evolving discourse within the Sport for Development (SFD) field through an analysis of over 10,000 English-language articles published on the sportanddev platform between 2003 and 2024. Positioned as a central hub for SFD communication, this research examines how the agenda is constructed within the sportanddev platform, with a particular focus on the organisations, topics, goals, and target groups of the articles. The findings reveal a significant decline in article volume post-2016, coinciding with the closure of the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace. Despite the platform’s open nature, content is disproportionately produced by a small number of well-resourced international organisations, suggesting persistent power imbalances. Football dominates as the most featured sport worldwide, but there are also strong regional preferences. Thematic focuses such as youth development, gender, and disability fluctuate over time, often aligning with global events like the Paralympics or the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that external events and well-resourced organisations still largely drive the agenda in SFD. Overall, this study highlights how digital platforms such as sportanddev both reflect and reinforce existing hierarchies within SFD, while also offering potential for more inclusive and critical engagement.