SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, THE “WAR ON DRUGS,” AND THE ANABOLIC STEROID CONTROL ACT OF 1990

Abstract

This study considers the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 in light of the political climate of the late 1980s. A series of Sports Illustrated articles concerning the adverse consequences of steroid use are addressed, as are the broader social forces that may have led Congress to pass legislation classifying steroids as Schedule III controlled substances. Articles from Sports Illustrated appeared in the appendixes of congressional hearings, and several individuals who appeared in those articles were invited to testify. From a theoretical base of agenda building, this study focuses on the relationships between media, policy makers, and everyday news consumers.