Unequal Gender Bias against Female Athletes in Sports Media Coverage

This article discusses the unequal gender bias against female athletes in sports media coverage. It highlights the negative impacts of this bias and suggests strategies to minimize it.

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UNEQUAL GENDER BIAS against FEMALE ATHLETES IN SPORTS MEDIA
COVERAGE
The media has contributed a better part in this modern society in terms of covering
different parts of events taking place in various parts of the world. In fact, people fully depend on
the media to attain appropriate information in some of the areas where their interests are. One of
the most popular media coverages that have gained popularity over the past years is sports
media. A huge population of individuals originating from different backgrounds tends to value
sports so much in their lives to an extent that they find it very hard to miss a particular sports
game being covered by the media (Cooky, Cheryl et al 532). Television, radio together with
several other types of media plays a crucial role when it comes to influencing the lives of various
personalities. According to research, they tend to provide us with different forms of
entertainment where a huge number of individuals have been able to fully base their beliefs off
quite a number of issues that they normally see and even hear from the media (Easteal, Patricia et
al 793) Additionally, the media is equipped with quite a number of positive aspects; however, as
far as the major influence that they have on various individuals is concerned, it can always be
accompanied with different negative aspects. One of the major downsides that are associated
with social media is its ability to bring out certain aspects of negative perceptions in the lives of

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many viewers (Fink and Janet 287). One of the most popular examples that are attached to this
situation is the coverage of both the men and women sports that normally takes place in different
times of the year and in most of the times it normally occurs according to seasons. Both the
professional together with college sports have been seen being displayed all over the media. In
many occasions, they always tend to show up in televisions, magazines and also in different
other forms of advertisements. In as much as it appears impressive concerning the level of
attention that the sports get from huge population of individuals, the major problem with the
sports media typically lies at the point where all the women's sports always don't receive
appropriate and equivalent coverage that the men's sports always do under various circumstances
(Brittain, Ian 487). Most of the issues pertaining sports media always tend to completely focus
only on the men's sports leaving behind women's sports thereby making the sport not to get an
equal attention that they always deserve in most of the cases. The unequal gender bias has gone
to an extent where even if most of the women athletes are at some point covered in the media for
specific reasons, a good number of them normally go through different situations involving
feminization to an extent where they always get gender marked (Bruce and Toni 658). On the
other hand, sports media has a record of holding a huge number of gender biases that are always
against different types of sports that are held by women thus creating a negative perception of
them within the surrounding society that contains people who originate from different
backgrounds.
Unequal gender bias has proved to be one of the major problems being experienced by
individuals across the universe under various sectors including politics. The unequal gender bias
that is brought on board by social media coverage as far as both the men's sports and women's
sports are concerned, is one of the most discouraging issues so far that has led to the emergence

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of disagreements since people tend to understand the situation differently (Burton and Laura
311). as far as the coverage of sports is concerned, a lot of issues have been raised pertaining to
the situation. Sport is an event that involves both genders where women are known to be playing
their own leagues and men also, on the other hand, tend to do the same. There are different levels
of negative impacts that are normally experienced as a result of unequal gender bias towards
female athletes when it comes to issues dealing with sports media coverage (Lindsey and Linda
537). One of the major negative impacts is that a huge number of women normally get
discouraged to improve their performance and move to the next level since they feel neglected
where nearly all their efforts are not recognized at all. This has made a large number of female
athletes not to pursue their dreams according to how they planned at an initial stage thereby
leading to the wastage of time and resources among these athletes (Boykoff, Jules, and Matthew
431-580). When you look at the way media coverage always gives the men's athletes the first
priority in terms of covering the games, it is always clear that a large number of individuals
normally turn up to watch these games through social media platforms like the television. the
same scenario has never happened to the women athletes where the major cause of this is
unequal gender bias that gives a lot of power to the men compared to the women. Lack of
appropriate social media coverage has led to quite a number of assumptions pertaining what is
entailed in the women's sports, this has further created lack of interest in their sporting activities
across large populations of the world. It is indeed true that social media coverage doesn't give the
women the first priority to express themselves when it comes to displaying quite a number of
their respective sporting activities (Kaskan, Emily and Ivy 78-112). Gender equality in sports
which clearly states that ‘all the men are always created to be equal' is a quote that was brought
on board by an individual by the name Thomas Jefferson where this was stated in the declaration

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of independence and has been passed through many centuries. Apparently, there is a point that is
missing within this phrase and that is the equal rights that should be given to the women just like
the men (Davis and Laurel 314). Ever since the quote was written, there has been a drastic
change in various conditions and time where various women have been able to attain these
rights. In as much as many people see the equality related to both the men and women in this
current era, one sensitive place that is not well presented is in the world of sporting activities
(Hoeber and Larena 684). This is where both the men and women are believed to have totally
different roles together with expectations. The Olympic games that normally covers different
types of sporting activities will not give the women a chance to jump since they feel that it is
dangerous for their lives. In fact, what is more, surprising is that there is no single woman that
has ever jumped in any Olympic games? Women are not subjected to equal opportunities like the
men (Shor and Eran 79). On the other hand, female athletes do not always receive the same
sponsorship packages that are normally given to their fellow male sportsmen. Men's sport's team
always get publicly advertised compared to that of the women athletes. This gender bias is one of
the worst things so far and it has totally changed the perceptions of different individuals.
Conclusion
It is beyond any reasonable doubt that unequal gender bias has taken another level in this
our current society. The female gender has been subjected to one of the toughest conditions so
far that is hindering their development status thereby minimizing their chances of attaining their
respective dreams in real time. I don't see the need why the government should ignore this
situation making it get worse and worse each and every day. Due to this, various governments
should come in with quite a number of strategies in order to minimize these conditions
associated with gender bias when it comes to the coverage of various sports events that are

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played by the female athletes. On the other hand, there should also be the creation of awareness
among various populations for them to understand the effects of this condition. Additionally, the
major platform that can play an essential role in minimizing this issue is the media itself. In as
much as the sports media have been able to neglect the coverage of the female athletes, they also
have the potential of doing away with this by giving the women an equal opportunity to express
themselves just like the men. By giving the women an opportunity in terms of covering the
athletics activities, this means that they will be able to get a chance towards attaining some of
their future goals and at the same time they will also be able to strongly support their skills and
even strengthen their talents through the support that they will start getting from different people
residing in various parts of the world. This can only happen when there is no discrimination as
far as the media coverage is concerned. There is the need to come up with appropriate rules and
regulations that govern the sports and media coverage to minimize any level of biases that might
occur at any given time. this will give both genders an equal opportunity to express themselves.

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