Top athletes are, like few other groups of people, at the center of media interest. What role does media coverage play in the private lives and athletic performance of athletes, and can they, in turn, influence the coverage? So far, there have been only a few studies, mostly related to politicians, exploring the reciprocal effects of mass media, meaning the effects on the subjects of the reporting. This empirical study presents a nuanced picture of reciprocal media effects on athletes, which differ from those in other areas, such as politics.