The Lack of Women's Sports Coverage
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.
Throughout history, women have had to struggle for equality in all elements of our society, but no where have they had a more difficult time than in the area of athletics. Sports is a right of passage that has always been grafted to boys and men. The time has come for our society to accept women athletes and give them the attention they deserve.
Professional women's sports haven't been around too long, although it does have an extensive history and root system. In 1865, Vasser became one of the first women colleges in the United States. Within the safe boundaries of campus and away from the curious eyes of men, w...
... middle of paper ...
...oldstein, Michael. "Few Leagues of Their Own." Business Week 18 Jan.1999:74.
Kort Michele. "Women's Sports Finally Making Plenty of Headlines in Publishing World." Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service 13 Feb. 1997, 1+.
Lucas, Cynthia. "Just Hoops." July, 1998, n pag. Online. World Wide Web.
<http://justwomen.com/archive-justhoops/justhoops> 17 Feb. 1999.
Mosley, Benita Fitzgerald. "No Flash in the Pan: Seven Reasons Why Women's Sports are Here to Stay." Women's Sports and Fitness 19.7 (Sept 1997):78.
Seligman, Dan. "This is Sports Coverage." Forbes 161.2 (Jan. 1998):52-53.
Teitel, Jay. "Shorter, Slower, Weaker." Saturday Night 112.6 (Aug.1997):61-63.
Webb, Gary. Personal Interview. 1 March 1999.
Winegar, Karen. "TV Coverage of Female Athletes is Better but not Equal." Star Tribune 24 July 1997 1A+.
Davidson, T. (2013, April 8). How to Raise the Profile of Womens Sport. Retrieved from Stuff: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/coming-in-off-the-long-run/8514578/How-to-raise-the-profile-of-womens-sport
Women have faced an uphill battle throughout the history of sports whether it is to be able to compete in sports, to attain equal funding for programs, to have access to facilities, or a number of other obstacles that have been thrown in their ways. Women have had to organize and administer their own sports structure rather than compete within the men's structure that existed. The sheer strength and determination of many women sports heroes is what propels women's sport to keep going. One theme that has predominantly surfaced in this fight though is the merging of women's programs with men's, oftentimes only when they are successful enough to stand alone on their own.
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
In addition, Creon disregards what had historically been the best counsel for the city, the blind prophet Tiresias. Despite Tiresias’ warnings that his “high resolve that sets this plague on Thebes,” will “strike [him] down with the pains [he] perfected,” Creon’s stubborn commitment to the laws of state turns to be his error. Eventually convinced by Tiresias’ warnings, Creon resolves to release Antigone from her isolated tomb. Regrettably, he’s too late and the consequences of his insolence for the divine laws were far worse than if he had “[L]ay[ed] [my] pride bare to the blows of ruin” (1220). Creon’s undoing can be viewed as an allegory of the calamities that ensue when the laws of man pursue to challenge the ancient laws of gods.
Industries and companies supported sports teams for women. They did this to promote personal health and worker efficiency. These teams brought advertising opportunities for the companies who supported them. This offered competitive opportunities for women and occasional income for the athletes (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2/21/2011).
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.
There were three basic conflicts that caused Antigone and Creon to clash as violently as they did. First, was the conflict of the individual versus the state, in which Antigone represented the individual and Creon the king, the state. The second conflict can be described as following ones conscience and ideals versus following the law strictly. In this conflict Antigone makes decisions based on her conscience and ideals while Creon is the strict law abiding king. Finally, the main and most important discord, which is similar to the second conflict, is the debate of moral and divine law versus human law. In this most important contention Creon strictly observes human laws and Antigone follows the divine or moral laws. Creon’s beliefs and his unwillingness to change ultimately cause the downfall of Creon and everyone that he cares about.
The Oresteia by Aeschylus follows the curse that has afflicted Agamemnon's family for several generations serving only to create a circle of violence and retribution. The character of Clytemnestra is described in the play as a shrewd, strong-willed, and a monstrous murderer. Her primary characteristic is masculinity; she solidifies her role, as a dominating and authoritative commander, demanding everyone’s respect and attention. Through the rejection of her traditional female duties, she skillfully reverses the roles between the male and female characters taking on the male dominating role and thus compelling her husband Agamemnon to play the submissive feminine role.
Women sports have come a long way, since the days when women were only allowed to watch. “The past three decades have witnessed a steady growth in women's sports programs in America along with a remarkable increase in the number of women athletes (Daniel Frankl 2)” From an early age women were thought to be “Lady Like”; they are told not to get all sweaty and dirty. Over 200 years later since Maud Watson stepped on the tennis courts of Wimbledon (Sports Media digest 3); women now compete in all types and levels of sports from softball to National racing. Soccer fans saw Mia Hamm become the face of Women’s soccer around the world , Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most popular figures in tennis, and Indy car racing had their first woman racer, Danika Patrick. With all the fame generated by these women in their respective sports, they still don’t receive the same compensation as the men in their respective sports fields. Venus Williams, net worth is 60 million dollars; 27 million came from playing tennis (celebritynetworth 4). Her sister, Serena Williams has a tennis...
Coakley (2009) starts off the chapter by introducing how participation in organized sports came about and how gender roles played a major role early on. He describes how most programs were for young boys with the hope that being involved would groom them to become productive in the economy. Girls were usually disregarded and ended up sitting in the stands watching their sibling’s ga...
It has taken many years for women to gain a semblance of equality in sports. Throughout history, women have been both excluded from playing sports and discriminated against in sports. Men’s sports have always dominated the college athletic field, but women were finally given a fighting chance after Title IX was passed. Title IX, among other things, requires scholarships to be equally proportioned between men and women’s sports. Although this was a huge gain for women, gender inequality still exists in sports today. An example of this persisting inequality can be seen when looking at men’s baseball and women’s softball. In college, baseball and softball are both major NCAA sports. It is widely accepted throughout today’s society that baseball is a man’s sport, and softball is a woman’s sport. Very few people question why the two sexes are separated into two different sports, or wonder why women play softball instead of baseball. Fewer people know that women have been essentially excluded from playing baseball for a long time. This paper will focus on why softball has not changed the way women’s basketball has, why women continue to play softball, the possibilities and dynamics of women playing baseball with and without men, and the most discriminating aspect of women being banned from playing professional baseball.
How females are represented through broadcast, print and/or online media can shape the public opinion of the viewers. Thus, framing what is said or written to the audiences may reflect the journalist’s or commentator’s shared public perception of females within the sport institution. This will indicate why females are being represented the way they are in relation to theories previously provided by scholars. In other words, how females are represented in the Olympics may just be a reflection of general societal perception, that may or may not be in favor of, gender equity, the underlying issue of coverage concerning females in general sport and events such as the Olympics.
Female athlete coverage in the media is a complication due to far less coverage than male athletes receive. Statistics show that females already receive less than ten percent of coverage, although this is much more than they received just a short time ago. Shauna Kavanagh said in an article that when she was younger, female sports were never on TV. “All of my sporting heroes were males,” she said. Although strides have been made for female athlete’s, there is still a long ways to go. Kavanagh secondly went on to express that she feels the press does not cover woman athletics imperfectly; they simply don’t publicize them enough. People are still much more interested in ma...
Romeo and Juliet’s affection for each other is pure as well as bad. Shakespeare uses metaphor to hint at his theme. “For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes/ This vault a feasting presence of light” (V.iii.85-86) in this quote it shows the good side of love. Romeo, one of the main characters, talks about the beauty Juliet radiates, even though at this time in the story Romeo thinks she is dead. This quote also uses the word light which is a constant motif, light and darkness. “It is the east and Juliet is the sun” (II.ii.3) is also a metaphor. The metaphor is Romeo comparing Juliet to the sun. Saying how beautiful she is, like she is the most wonderful thing in the world. This quote really shows how love can change a per...
The central question of this play is a political one. What should have more power within a society, the divine laws of the gods or the laws of the land and the mortal rulers? Antigone is a representation of the divine laws of the gods, and she remains steadfast to her beliefs that the wishes of the gods should overpower the wishes of the king. Creon, on the other hand, is the representation of the laws of the land and the mortal ruler of society. He, too, remains steadfast (until the end of th...