This document analyzes press coverage of the Lance Armstrong blood doping scandal in the US and Europe. It finds that American press coverage of the scandal was limited and not front page news, in contrast to more extensive coverage in European press where cycling is more popular and appreciated. The authors conclude that Americans showed less interest in the scandal due to national pride and general lack of interest in cycling unless an American is winning.

1. S
Press Coverage of
Lance Armstrong
By Raymond Featherman, and Mallory Sykes

2. S Why have Americans shown a lack of
interest in the Lance Armstrong blood
doping scandal?

3. What
happened
- USADA
- The Amaury Sport
Organization
- UCI
- Blood Doping: a technique
for temporarily improving
athletic performance in which
oxygen-carrying red blood
cells previously withdrawn
from an athlete are injected
back just before an event

4. U.S. Press
coverage
- Not front page news
- Very few if any comments
(Except ESPN)
- ESPN’s last article was on
Oct. 23rd

5. European
Press
Coverage
-Cycling is more appreciated
-Cycling gets its own section
on the Telegraph, a European
news paper
-No American pride so their
coverage is not effected

6. US Cycling
fans
- Doesn’t even get its own tab
on ESPN
-It was only fun when an
American was Dominating
- U.S Pride (Interview)

7. European
Cycling Fans
-They like cycling more so
they have more emotion
towards what Lance did to
their sport
-Equivalent to Barry Bond’s
scandal in U.S.

8. Conclusion
S - We found that it is a combination of American pride and
lack of interest in cycling, we just don’t like to hear about
cycling when an American isn’t winning.

9. Work Cited
- http://espn.go.com/sports/endurance/
- http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/08/25/us-doping-agency-
erases-lance-armstrong-titles/
- http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/blood%20doping
- Denham Interview