Continued Frustration in Women’s Sports Coverage
The emotion of frustration isn’t out of the ordinary for sports fans. Whether you yell at the television after a bad play, roll your eyes at annoying headlines, or your fantasy team makes steam come out of your ears, these frustrations are not new. Unfortunately for women’s sports and women’s media, these frustrations go beyond missed layups or bad headlines.
Even in the current times, with the rise in women’s sports, the lack of equal and quality media coverage is nowhere near being up to par. This frustration isn’t solely just about less coverage but about the difference in coverage. We consistently see men’s sports content focusing on detailed analysis, performance, and legacy. While women’s sports are often treated like an afterthought, as if they don’t deserve the same in-depth look. This sends a frustrating message to fans that women’s sports aren’t as important in the industry, even though the growing fan base and packed stadiums say otherwise.
Do you need examples? Take Ben Bolch’s LA Time Article that labels the LSU women’s basketball team as “dirty debutantes.” Or columnist Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star saying to Caitlin Clark, “Start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine” after Clark explained her signature heart-shaped hand gesture. Also, let’s talk about the LACK of media coverage of the abusive male coaches in the National Women’s Soccer League that almost took these female athletes out of the game forever. Would this kind of media coverage or lack of coverage EVER occur while covering male athletes? Dwell on that.
Sources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/womens-sports-sexualizing-athletes-1.7180765
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/05/slow-progress-continues-for-women-in-us-sports-media
This is such an interesting point, perfectly addressing an emotion in the public sphere. Well done, Hannah!