“We have come so far, yet we still have so far to go.” This quote by Jenni Carlson—chair of the board of the Association for Women in Sports Media—captures the true essence of this essay. There seems to be a preconceived notion floating around in today’s society that female sports journalists have broken through the gender barrier in sports reporting. While there is no denying that progress has been made over the last two decades, the fact remains that female sports reporters still have a long road ahead when it comes to achieving the same respected and prominent roles that their male counterparts currently hold. This essay focuses on dispelling the idea that women have gained complete equality in sports journalism. This paper shows the …show more content…
However, according to the American Society of News Editors (ASNE), this is not the case. In 1999, the ASNE reported that newsrooms were 63.1 percent male and 36.9 percent female (Morrison, Media is Failing Women). Fast forward twelve years later, and those percentages remain the exact same. In regards to sports journalism, a 2012 Associated Press report commissioned by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, found that gender representation in sports columnists and editors was worthy of a failing grade (Morrison, Media is Failing Women). A 2014 report by the Women’s Media Center highlighted some concerning metrics. According to the report, the number of female sports columnists dropped from 9.9 percent to 9.7 percent; the number of female sports editors increased only slightly from 6.3 percent to 9.6 percent; the number of female assistant sports editors rose from 10.5 percent to 17.2 percent; and lastly, the number of women in sports reporter slots increased by just 0.7 percent to a total of 23.9 percent (Associated Press Sports Editors Racial and Gender Report Card). What do these statistics mean? Although the Women’s Media Center report indicates increases in certain sports media areas for females, the fact of the matter is that these increases are minimal at best. There are no substantial improvements being made. Some of these metrics indicate a trend in the right direction, but the rate at which progress is being made is no major accomplishment. It would be wrong to assume that the last two decades have brought about significant changes in sports media for women when the statistics imply
Turn on ESPN, and there are many female sports reporters, and many reports on female athletes. Flip through Sports Illustrated, and female athletes are dotted throughout the magazine. Female athletes star in the commercials. Female athletes are on the cover of newspapers. Millions of books have been sold about hundreds of female athletes. However, this has not always been the case. The number of females playing sports nowadays compared to even twenty years ago is staggering, and the number just keeps rising. All the women athletes of today have people and events from past generations that inspired them, like Babe Didrikson Zaharias, the All-American Professional Girls Baseball League, Billie Jean King, and the 1999 United States Women’s World
...ennis, basketball, soccer, and martial arts—have come from the days of cheerleading and synchronized swimming when she was growing up in the ’70s.” Disparities in media coverage and over-sexualized female athletes on magazine covers is something that needs to come to an end because of its effects on both male and female viewers, young and old, athletes and non-athletes. Both female and male athletics influence young people and shape their personality and morals as they mature. Retired WNBA player, Lisa Leslie credits her participation in basketball with shaping her character, as well as her career. “Sports can also help teenagers during an awkward time in their development.” (“Women’s Athletics: A Battle For Respect”). The solution is to come together as a society and identify how to balance the respect for female and male athletes in the media.
One Generation Later, by Huffman, S. Tuggle., C & Rosengard, D.S, explores the relevant discrepancies in media coverage. The authors assert that more boys than girls indulge in sports activities in school. Studies have examined the impact of Title IX on media coverage given to female athletes as opposed to male athletes to determine if there has been a shift away from negative social stereotypes that are traditionally associated with women’s sports participation toward a more socially accepting view of the female athlete.
In 1970 only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports, today that ratio is 1 in 3. Sports are a very important part of the American society. Within sports, heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. The media makes all these things possible by creating publicity for the rising stars of today. Within society today, the media has downplayed the role of the woman within sports.
Unintentionally, a lot of us have been boxed into institutions that promote gender inequality. Even though this was more prominent decades ago, we still see how prevalent it is in today’s world. According to the authors of the book, Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions, Lisa Wade and Myra Marx Ferree define gendered institutions as “the one in which gender is used as an organizing principle” (Wade and Ferree, 167). A great example of such a gendered institution is the sports industry. Specifically in this industry, we see how men and women are separated and often differently valued into social spaces or activities and in return often unequal consequences. This paper will discuss the stigma of sports, how gender is used to separate athletes, and also what we can learn from sports at Iowa State.
Frankl, Daniel. "Gender Bias in Sports: Separate and Not Equal"" Sports Media's Digest, Jan. 2005..
Lopiano and Sommers agree that the amount of media coverage female athletes receive compared to male athletes indicates that female athletes are less valid. Lopiano and Sommers both point out that the media tends to highlight female athletes in action only during major events. Fortunately, for the male athletes, the tendency is different because no matter what time of the year it is, male events are always airing on the television. The media only decides to highlight events such as the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) women’s basketball Final Four, Olympics, and World Cup soccer. Since the Olympic games and World Cup occurs every four years, the Final Four also known as the semi-final round are the rare eve...
Can women's sports establish itself as a topic of on-going media and journalism curiosity? Currently TV stations do minimal coverage of women's sports, while newspapers and magazines do just a little bit better. In a recent interview with Gary Webb, a sports writer for The Spectrum, he says that "the people have demonstrated that there is an audience that loves hearing about women athletes. After all, they are somebody's kids, sisters, and moms". I learned that these sports writers love to cover women's games, especially girls highschool basketball games. Gary said that he would rather watch a Parowan-Beaver girls game over the boys anyday. Karen Winegar, staff writer for the The Star Tribune of Minnesota said., "Portrayal of female athletes is improving, but despite increasing interest and participation, their sports are getting no more coverage than they got five years ago" (1A+). Women's sports participation will surely continue to grow in the future, so the media and journalists better be prepared to increase their coverage accordingly.
Gender in sports has been a controversial issue ever since sports were invented. In the early years, sports were played only by the men, and the women were to sit on the sidelines and watch. This was another area of life exemplifying the sexism of people in which women were not allowed to do something that men could. However, over the last century in particular, things have begun to change.
Within todays sporting community, certain aspects of sport and its practices promote and construct ideas that sport in general is a male dominated. Sports media often provides an unequal representation of genders. Women athletes are regularly perceived as mediocre in comparison to their male equivalents (Lenskyj, 1998). Achievement in sport is generally established through displays of strength, speed and endurance, men usually set the standards in these areas, consequently woman rarely reach the level set by top male athletes. Due to this, the media significantly shows bias towards male sports while we are ill-informed about the achievements in the female sporting community. On the occasion that a female athlete does make some form of an appearance in the media, images and videos used will usually portray the female in sexually objectified ways (Daniels & Wartena, 2011). This depiction of female athletes can cause males to take focus solely on the sexual assets of the athlete in preference to to their sporting abilities (Daniels & Wartena, 2011). Sexualisation of sportswoman in the media is a prevalent issue in today’s society, it can cause physical, social and mental problems among women of all ages (Lenskyj, 1998).
Most people watch some form of sports, whether it be the Olympics or the highlights on ESPN. The NBA and NHL playoffs are underway and theyit seems to be the only news on ESPN. There is almost no coverage of the WNBA playoffs or any female athletics. Tennis isone of the only big sports on ESPN for women. While during the Olympics the coverage seems to be non-stop and close to equal. Women’s participation in sport is at an all-time high and has almost become equal with men’s, however,. sSports media does notfails to show this equality and skews the way we look at these athletes. Through the disciplines of sociology and gender studies, it can be seen that despite the many gains of women in sports since the enactment of Title IX, “traditional” notions of masculinity and femininity still dominate media coverage of males and females in sports, which is observed in Olympic programming and sports news broadcasts.
Whether its baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, or tennis, sports is seen all over the world as a representation of one’s pride for their city, country, and even continent. Sports is something that is valued world-wide which has the ability to bring communities together and create different meanings, beliefs and practices between individuals. Although many people may perceive sports to have a significant meaning within our lives, it can also have the ability to separate people through gender inequalities which can also be represented negatively throughout the media. This essay will attempt to prove how gender is constructed in the sports culture while focusing on female athletes and their acceptance in today’s society.
There are less female journalists and news anchors than men. Overall the media doesn’t explore outside of what is seen as the norm. Women tend to be portrayed in the most basic forms and are always seen as the same whether it’s on a television show, a movie, or the cover of a magazine. Not only do women get little representation on screen but they are also “less likely to be seen in important roles behind the scenes” (“Women In The Media”). Many changes have been made but there is still work to be done on the way that the media portrays women. Even though women have made great strides in being represented by the media there is little
If it is said that an individual plays, throws, or hits like a girl these statements are often meant to be insults. Female athletes are usually viewed as less accomplished than their male counter parts. Athletics for women are considered hobbies, not a career path. While women’s sports have made great strides towards being equal, the stigma that women’s sports are inferior is still prevalent. While co-ed sports teams might not be the answer, allowing women opportunities to play the same sports as men is a step in the right direction. Sports such as football are not offered in their full form for girls in many areas. Degrading female athletes in inadequate opportunities, unequal media coverage, and lack of value is a concern because it continues a hideous cycle of discrimination.
Within todays sporting community, certain aspects of sport and its practices promote and construct ideas that sport in general is a male dominated. Women athletes are regularly perceived as mediocre in comparison to their male equivalents (Lenskyj, 1998). Achievement in sport is generally established through displays of strength, speed and endurance, men usually set the standards in these areas, consequently woman rarely reach the level set by top male athletes. Due to this, the media significantly shows bias towards male sports while we are ill-informed about the achievements in the female sporting community. On the rare occasion that a female athlete does make some form of an appearance in the media, there is a great possibility that images and videos used will portray the female in sexually objectified ways (Daniels & Wartena, 2011). This depiction of female athletes can cause males to take focus solely on the sexual assets of the athlete supposed to their sporting abilities (Daniels & Wartena, 2011). Sexualisation of sportswoman in the media is a prevalent issue in today’s societ...