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The conversation of sport: representation of women in sports news coverage

Research purpose

This study was conducted to set up a baseline of the current coverage of women in sport news coverage in Victoria.

It was delivered by Isentia as part of the Change Our Game Research and Insights Initiative. It was released in February 2024.

Research methodology

A representative sample of 200 sports news items was collected per day, in alternating months between July 2022 - May 2023, with a total sample size of more than 34,600 individual pieces of media.

It involved human analysis of media coverage mentioning sport that was aired or published in Victoria during 2022-2023 conducted by global media monitoring firm Isentia.

Key findings

Key findings about volume of content

15% of sports news coverage in Victoria was focused on women’s sport, compared to 81% focused on men’s sport.
5.4 pieces of sports news were created on men’s sport for every one piece created on women’s sport.
Four of the top 20 sports by volume of coverage had gender balanced coverage (at least 40%).
Team sports received the highest share of voice for coverage across women’s and men’s sport.

Key findings on story narratives

There was an overrepresentation of results and performance in the coverage of women's sport.
Women's sports stories were less likely to receive deeper coverage and analysis.
Women were more likely to be described with traits as quiet achiever and hard worker, as well as punching above their weight.

Key findings on the media

Women journalists were 62% more likely than men journalists to report on women's sport.
Men were 12 times more likely to comment on women's sport, than women commenting on men's sport (excluding comments by athletes).

Why is this important?

Reducing the gap in media coverage is fundamental to advancing gender equality in sport and beyond.

Having equal representation in sport is key to influencing who we, as a society, celebrate and hold up as heroes, leaders and experts.

Having strong representation of women in sports news coverage is fundamental to advancing gender equality in sport and beyond.

What can you do about it?

Achieving a gender balanced media landscape requires system change across media and sport.

Select your industry below to view recommendations to influence positive change.

Recommendations

Media organisations

Strategic: Have a ‘Women in Sport’ strategy, with measurable targets.
Culture: Assess if your organisation has any disincentives that favour men’s sport (e.g. placement of news stories, performance measures).
Workforce: Consider the recruitment and retention practices influencing the gender balance of your employees.
Sources: Prioritise increasing women as sources for men’s and women’s sport.

Media staff

Strategic: Set a minimum target for women’s sport coverage in personal performance plans.
Culture: Consider and address your own potential bias towards men’s sports coverage.
Workforce: Consider how you are enabling a workplace and industry network and culture inclusive of women in sports media.
Sources: Consciously engage gender balanced sources for quotes and comment

Sports organisations

Strategic: Prioritise media organisations with measurable targets in place
Strategic: Amplify earned content with fans and grassroots participants to grow engagement.
Culture: Dismantle internal barriers to greater coverage of your women’s teams or athletes (e.g. responsiveness to media requests).
Workforce: Support the gender balance of who is reporting on your women’s and men’s teams and athletes.
Sources: Provide access to gender balanced representatives for interviews, quotes and other media opportunities.

Sports staff

Strategic: Identify your opportunity to change the volume and depth of coverage for women in sport.
Culture: Challenge the status quo by adding your voice to calls for progress. Don’t allow women to be hidden behind a ‘default’ of men’s sport.
Workforce: Directly support women in sports media (e.g. granting interviews to journalists, supporting content on stories).
Sources: Support women – athletes, coaches/high performance experts, executives – to add their voice to the conversation of sport.

The Victorian Government and the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation would like to acknowledge Sport New Zealand and its ‘Media and Gender’ project, the Australian Sports Commission, VicHealth, Women in Media Australia and Women’s Leadership Institute Australia in informing this work, as well as the positive engagement of media and sporting organisations in the ongoing conversation of realising an equal future for women in sport.

Access the full report

OWSR The Conversation of Sport - Representation of Women in Sports News Coverage Feb 2024 [PDF, 2.0 MB]

Page last updated: 13 September 2024

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