Abstract
Cities worldwide consider the hosting of sport mega-events such as the Olympics as a strategy to improve their global image through strengthening the local ‘brand’. This image construction is strongly influenced by how the event and the host city are covered in the media worldwide, both in the run-up to and during the event, and goes beyond what is covered in relation to sports. To gain insight into how mega-event imaginaries and their associated ‘image value’ travel through written media, we present a critical thematic analysis of the portrayal of Rio as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Dutch language press. This analysis shows that besides financial, environmental, infrastructural, and safety aspects, media coverage abroad also includes a focus on the social context and effects of the mega-event on the local population. We conclude that despite the main city promotion and branding objectives of the mega-event host, there is little evidence of positive ‘image value’ of the Olympics for the city of Rio de Janeiro.
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