The Media and Women's Sports

The following is the twenty-second in a series of essays written in response to the media analysis assignment described in the January 28, 2000 article on this topic page. Colorado State University student Stephanie Nelson examines the media's role in male domination of professional sports--particularly basketball.

The Media and Women's Sports by Stephanie Nelson

"WNBA...We got next!" In April 1996, the governors of the NBA approved the Women's National Basketball Association, and a little over a year later the inaugural season began. It has taken over a century of feminist movements to get women's sports to where they are today, and there is still a long way to go before they are equal to those of the opposite sex. Whether played or viewed, sports in today's society are still mainly male dominated. Salary differences between male and female coaches, the number of professional men's sports compared to those of women, and the number of sports broadcast via television are all examples of inequality in culture.

For any person, male or female, ESPN's Sports Center is a wonderful way to "get the insight and update on all major sporting events." Although women's sports are broadcast frequently on this network, they only appear 1 in every 4 of the highlights and rarely show up in the aired press conferences. During commercials on this network, sporting games are being referred to as "what you watch when the wife is not in the room." Why is this so? One reason could be the demand for men athletes over women athletics to be broadcast on television because men are known to be the frequent watchers and supporters of such television shows like Sports Center. Another reason could be society's stereotype that men are superior to women, not only in the sporting world. Sports Center and ESPN is only one aspect of the media that reinforces the fact that females are inferior to males, in both sports and in society.

According to a survey done by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 1995, the average salary differences between male and female head coaches in the NCAA Big 12 Conference ranged from $18,000 to $25,000 per year. In Division I-A head female coaches are paid sixty-three cents for every one dollar earned by head male coaches. But gender differences don't stop here.

In 1972, a law was passed by Congress that would change the sporting world forever. Title IX of this law states, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex...be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal Financial Assistance." Since the passing of Title IX, the number of women in sports has sky-rocketed and so has their recognition in the media.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic