A major new report into Gender Equality in Media Representation of Sport in Ireland has been published by the Federation of Irish Sport and Maynooth University.
The Federation of Irish Sport collaborated with Dr Anne O’Brien and Maynooth University on the research question ‘why journalists and media producers create gendered sports content in the ways that they do.’
This work, a collaboration between the Federation and Dr Anne O’Brien of Maynooth, explores the complexities and challenges of gender content creation in sports media.
It is an important step in understanding the forces at play and envisioning a more inclusive and equitable future. It is a reminder that the fight for gender equality in sports is not just about advocating for women to be seen and heard; the key discoveries of the research are about shifting the broader cultural framework and understanding that everyone has their part to play if we are to tackle the challenges.
The relationship between gender and sports has been a topic of ongoing discussion, including in representation in the media.
Historically, male athletes have received more visibility and recognition, while women’s sports have been underrepresented and often framed through limiting perspectives.
This report aims to examine the challenges and nuances of how women’s sports are portrayed in the media and offers a framework for how more balanced and equitable coverage can be achieved.
It covers issues of the bias that some believe exists within those deciding the frequency and depth of coverage and also a strong divide between those who were interviewed over whether there is an audience or whether the lack of as big a one in grounds is actually driven by the lesser amount of coverage.
There is detail and recommendations on the roles of the media themselves, national governing bodies and sponsors in moving the dial in this area.
The report runs to 32 pages and is well worth a read for anyone with an interest in this area of equality, which should be everyone with an interest in sport.
“I would like to thank Dr O’ Brien for her dedication and expertise in producing this report and also to thank all the journalists and editors who participated in interviews and provided information,” said Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor.
“This work could not have been undertaken without the support of Sport Ireland, and the research grant scheme, our sincere thanks for their financial support.”
“Sport Ireland is committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women in the sports sector,” added CEO Dr Una May.
“We’ve consistently sought to drive gender equality within the sporting landscape, including sports media, as evidenced by the Visibility pillar under our Women in Sport Policy.”
“Dr O’Brien’s report is a vital piece of work in this area, and we’re very happy to be able to provide support. It’s heartening to see how committed all the stakeholders are to continuing the fight for gender equality in sports media. While much good work has been done so far, it’s important that we all work to increase the visibility of women’s sport across the sports media landscape.”
“Despite the myriad of challenges identified by journalists and producers with regard to tackling gender inequality in sports reporting, it was heartening that there was also a strong range of proposals for measures to tackle the challenge and a very strong sense of willingness on the part of media practitioners to engage with sports organisations, sponsors and society more generally to bring about change,” concluded Dr Anne O’Brien.
“I look forward to working with both media and sports sectors to achieve greater equality in sports media.”
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
We were one of the contributors to this report, outlining our views on the subject with Dr O’Brien.
Speaking to the media and working with them to make things better is an important element in making improvements which according to our own occasional pop research in this area is still very much needed.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
We will be doing a weekly snapshot of coverage across a range of media in the week leading up to the Irish Times / Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year on Friday, December 20th. It will only be a snampshot but still of value in seeing where we are.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
