Sport and Gender in the Age of Social Media: Radicalization of Discourse in the Hermoso-Rubiales Case.

This study investigates the digital public discourse surrounding the non-consensual kiss by Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, on player Jennifer Hermoso during the celebrations following Spain’s women’s World Cup victory. Employing a netnographic qualitative approach, the research analyzes user-generated comments on Facebook posts from three major Italian newspapers—La Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Corriere dello Sport, and Il Corriere della Sera—to explore the interpretative frames, social representations, and discursive dynamics emerging from the incident. Findings reveal a polarization of opinions shaped by the editorial orientation of the media outlets: sports-specialized newspapers tend to downplay the event, often situating it within a celebratory sporting context, while the generalist outlet features predominantly critical and socio-politically framed reactions. The study highlights the significant role of digital filter bubbles and echo chambers in structuring information exposure and reinforcing ideological homogeneity, thereby influencing the visibility and interpretation of gender-based violence in online spaces. This research contributes to understanding how misogyny and gendered online violence are mediated and contested within segmented digital environments, emphasizing the methodological challenges and ethical considerations inherent in analyzing public interactions on social medi