Will a New Medium for Sports News Will a New Medium for Sports News Offer Less Trivialization of Female Offer Less Trivialization of Female

Athletes? Examining Descriptors and Athletes? Examining Descriptors and Traditional Stereotypes in Internet Traditional Stereotypes in Internet

Articles on the NCAA Women’s and Articles on the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Basketball TournamentsMen’s Basketball Tournaments

Presented byPresented byEdward (Ted) M. Kian, Ph.D.Edward (Ted) M. Kian, Ph.D.University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central Florida

RESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIARESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIA

A plethora of quantitative and A plethora of quantitative and qualitative studies on televisions, qualitative studies on televisions, newspapers, and magazines have newspapers, and magazines have shown sport media provide less shown sport media provide less and different types of coverage to and different types of coverage to women’s sports than men’s women’s sports than men’s sports.sports.( e.g., Bishop, 2003; Kane, 1996; Vincent, 2004)( e.g., Bishop, 2003; Kane, 1996; Vincent, 2004)

RESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIARESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIATwo major themes are prevalent in Two major themes are prevalent in research on media coverage given research on media coverage given to female athletes:to female athletes:

1. Exclusion: Sport media provides 1. Exclusion: Sport media provides minimal coverage of women’s sports.minimal coverage of women’s sports.

2. Trivialization: Describing female 2. Trivialization: Describing female athletes as sex objects or comparing athletes as sex objects or comparing their abilities to men.their abilities to men.

RESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIARESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIA

Historically, in the Western world sport Historically, in the Western world sport has served as a hegemonic institution has served as a hegemonic institution to preserve the power of men over to preserve the power of men over women women (Schell & Rodriguez, 2000).(Schell & Rodriguez, 2000).

Numerous scholars contended that the Numerous scholars contended that the institutions of sport and mass media institutions of sport and mass media combine to reinforce masculine combine to reinforce masculine hegemony in society hegemony in society (e.g., Davis, 1997; (e.g., Davis, 1997; Duncan & Messner, 1998; Hardin et al., 2002).Duncan & Messner, 1998; Hardin et al., 2002).

RESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIARESEARCH ON SPORT MEDIAIn general, little academic research has been In general, little academic research has been done on the emerging field of Internet sport done on the emerging field of Internet sport journalism journalism (Real, 2006).(Real, 2006).

More than 50 million Americans now employ More than 50 million Americans now employ the Internet as their primary source of news the Internet as their primary source of news information information (Pew Research Center).(Pew Research Center).

No known scholars have examined if the No known scholars have examined if the gender-specific stereotypes of female and gender-specific stereotypes of female and male athletes that have been reinforced male athletes that have been reinforced through the use of descriptors, portrayals, and through the use of descriptors, portrayals, and narratives in broadcast and traditional print narratives in broadcast and traditional print sport journalism are also prevalent in online sport journalism are also prevalent in online sportswriting.sportswriting.

RESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONSRQ1: What types of descriptors and RQ1: What types of descriptors and writing styles do Internet sportswriters writing styles do Internet sportswriters use when writing about March Madness?use when writing about March Madness?

RQ2: Are the gender-specific RQ2: Are the gender-specific stereotypes and descriptors found in stereotypes and descriptors found in broadcast commentary of women’s and broadcast commentary of women’s and men’s college basketball, as well as men’s college basketball, as well as nearly all types of media coverage of nearly all types of media coverage of female and male athletes, also found in female and male athletes, also found in online stories on March Madness? online stories on March Madness?

METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGYContent analysis of articles on the 2006 NCAA Content analysis of articles on the 2006 NCAA Division I women’s and men’s basketball Division I women’s and men’s basketball tournaments to examine results on the use of tournaments to examine results on the use of descriptors.descriptors.

Content analysis is an unobtrusive or non-Content analysis is an unobtrusive or non-reactive method used by social scientists that reactive method used by social scientists that has been applied to nearly every form of has been applied to nearly every form of communication, such as newspapers, television, communication, such as newspapers, television, and speechesand speeches

(Gunter, 2000; Krippendorff, 2004).(Gunter, 2000; Krippendorff, 2004).

SAMPLING SELECTIONSAMPLING SELECTION

249 total byline articles examined and coded 249 total byline articles examined and coded on the NCAA Division I women’s and men’s on the NCAA Division I women’s and men’s basketball tournaments.basketball tournaments.

Two sources:Two sources:– CBS SportsLineCBS SportsLine– ESPN InternetESPN Internet

These sources were selected because their These sources were selected because their host TV networks broadcasted the women’s host TV networks broadcasted the women’s and men’s tournaments.and men’s tournaments.

A PRIORI CODING PROCEDURESA PRIORI CODING PROCEDURES

Text of articles were coded for nine Text of articles were coded for nine descriptive categories derived from descriptive categories derived from pervious research: (1) physical pervious research: (1) physical appearances/attire; (2) athletic appearances/attire; (2) athletic prowess/strengths; (3) athletic prowess/strengths; (3) athletic weaknesses/limitations; (4) positive skill weaknesses/limitations; (4) positive skill level/accomplishments; level/accomplishments;

CODING PROCEDURES AND CODING PROCEDURES AND DATA ANALYSISDATA ANALYSIS

(5) negative skill level/failures; (6) family (5) negative skill level/failures; (6) family role/personal relationships; (7) role/personal relationships; (7) psychological/emotional strengths; (8) psychological/emotional strengths; (8) psychological/emotional weaknesses; (9) psychological/emotional weaknesses; (9) humor.humor.

Intercoder reliabilityIntercoder reliability

GENERAL FINDINGSGENERAL FINDINGSCBS SL Articles Total Articles % of all ArticlesMen’s Basketball 74 93.7%Women’s Basketball 5 6.3%Both 0 0%Total 79 100%

ESPN.com Articles Total Articles % of all Articles

Men’s Basketball 101 59.8%Women’s Basketball 68 40.2%Both 0 0%Total 169 100%

QUESTION 1 FINDINGSQUESTION 1 FINDINGSRQ 2: RQ 2: Are the gender-specific stereotypes Are the gender-specific stereotypes and descriptors found in broadcast and descriptors found in broadcast commentary of women’s and men’s college commentary of women’s and men’s college basketball, as well as nearly all types of basketball, as well as nearly all types of media coverage of female and male athletes, media coverage of female and male athletes, also found in online stories on March also found in online stories on March Madness? Madness?

Assumptions were made based on Assumptions were made based on previous research previous research (Billings & Eastman, 2002; (Billings & Eastman, 2002; Billings, Halone, & Denham, 2002; Carty, 2006; Billings, Halone, & Denham, 2002; Carty, 2006; Christopherson, Janning, & McConnell, 2002; Elueze Christopherson, Janning, & McConnell, 2002; Elueze & Jones, 1998; Harris & Clayton, 2002; Messner, & Jones, 1998; Harris & Clayton, 2002; Messner, Duncan, & Jensen, 1996; Vincent, 2004; Vincent, Duncan, & Jensen, 1996; Vincent, 2004; Vincent, Pedersen, Whisenant, & Massey, 2007).Pedersen, Whisenant, & Massey, 2007).

ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONSWomen’s stories would Women’s stories would include more descriptors include more descriptors on physical on physical appearances, family appearances, family roles or personal roles or personal relationships, athletic relationships, athletic weaknesses, negative weaknesses, negative skill level or failures, skill level or failures, psychological or psychological or emotional weakness, emotional weakness, and humor.and humor.

Men’s stories would Men’s stories would include more include more descriptors on descriptors on athletic prowess, athletic prowess, positive skill level or positive skill level or accomplishments, accomplishments, and psychological or and psychological or emotional strengths.emotional strengths.

PRIMARY RQ FINDINGSPRIMARY RQ FINDINGS

However, just one of these assumptions However, just one of these assumptions held true for each area of examination.held true for each area of examination.

Overall, online articles had a higher Overall, online articles had a higher average number of descriptors on average number of descriptors on athletic prowess for men’s basketball.athletic prowess for men’s basketball.

PRIMARY RQ FINDINGSPRIMARY RQ FINDINGSMost interesting, online writers were more Most interesting, online writers were more likely to have included descriptors for likely to have included descriptors for physical appearances/attire and personal physical appearances/attire and personal relationships/family roles when covering relationships/family roles when covering men’s basketball than women’s basketball.men’s basketball than women’s basketball.

This contradicted previous media studies on This contradicted previous media studies on gendered coverage, nearly all of which found gendered coverage, nearly all of which found descriptors on physical appearances or descriptors on physical appearances or personal lives used more often in media personal lives used more often in media commentary on female athletes than male commentary on female athletes than male athletes athletes (e.g., Davis, 1997; Fink & Kensicki, 2002; (e.g., Davis, 1997; Fink & Kensicki, 2002; Kane & Parks, 1992; Messner et al., 1996; Vincent, Kane & Parks, 1992; Messner et al., 1996; Vincent, 2004). 2004).

DISCUSSIONDISCUSSIONThe unexpected results from the a The unexpected results from the a priori coding suggest online writers priori coding suggest online writers for at least the two examined media for at least the two examined media outlets may now recognize female outlets may now recognize female basketball players for their basketball players for their athleticism and skill level at least as athleticism and skill level at least as much as they do for male players. much as they do for male players.

LIMITATIONS/DELIMITATIONSLIMITATIONS/DELIMITATIONSThis research only examined two major media This research only examined two major media outlets. Generalizations cannot be made from outlets. Generalizations cannot be made from just examining two online sport news outlets.just examining two online sport news outlets.

These two outlets are very popular, national These two outlets are very popular, national outlets. However, no smaller, or regional outlets outlets. However, no smaller, or regional outlets were examined. Therefore, the scope of this were examined. Therefore, the scope of this study may have been too broad.study may have been too broad.

Unusual circumstances (e.g., UF basketball) Unusual circumstances (e.g., UF basketball) could have skewed the results.could have skewed the results.