Does sport media raise her name? Examining intersectional representation in media narratives

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research was to examine the role of intersectionality (multiple marginalized identities) in narratives used within online media coverage of women's sports. The authors adopted an intersectionality lens and drew from sports media literature to explore the representation of Black athletes in women's sport.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a quantitative content analysis of online articles from ESPN, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated from the 2020 WNBA Season. The authors coded the number of times an athlete was mentioned in an article, the athlete's race, publicly disclosed sexual orientation and gender expression. The authors used hierarchical regression to examine the relationship between an athlete's social identities and frequency of media mentions.FindingsWithin mainstream online sport media, Black WNBA athletes receive less media attention than white WNBA athletes. Black athletes who do not present in traditionally feminine ways receive the least amount of media attention, while white athletes have the freedom to express their gender in a variety of ways and still capture media interest. Within league press releases, however, there is no difference in media mentions based on race, sexual orientation or gender expression.Practical implicationsThe findings in this research are important for sport media professionals who write stories and player-activists who are pursuing racial justice. Outlets should commit to antiracist storytelling practices. Players, player agents and players' associations—all of whom have shown their power to create change for a more equitable industry and society—should also advocate for and organize around practices that create more equitable media coverage.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few empirical investigations of women's professional sport that examines the influence of intersecting social identities.

A Perfect Storm: Black Feminism and Women’s National Basketball Association Black Athlete Activism

“…In actuality, the argument falls quite flat when considering the additional dynamics related to sexism and lack of promotion for women's sports that undergirds the world of sport as a male-dominant space. And when mainstream media does cover the WNBA, researchers found that Black WNBA players receive less media attention than White WNBA players (Isard & Melton, 2021). Additionally, the study which looked at online articles from ESPN, CBS, and Sports Illustrated during the 2020 WNBA season also found that Black WNBA players who do not present in traditionally feminine ways receive the least amount of media attention, while White athletes have the freedom to express their gender in a variety of ways and still be featured in media stories (Isard & Melton, 2021).…”

Black U.S. Military Affiliated Perspectives on Sport Media's Coverage of Racial Representation and Athlete Activism

“…In sports literature, intersectionality has been used to understand how multiple identities interact with one another. Examples include Simien et al (2019) identifying how Black woman athletes' lived experiences differ from those of other women, Isard and Melton (2022) quantitatively uncovering that traditionally feminine and white women receive the most attention in WNBA media coverage, and Ryan and Martin (2013) arguing for more intersectional work to be completed in the amateur sports world to understand how certain identities are privileged in certain spaces. Such studies are guideposts for instances in which intersectionality was effectively utilized in sport research.…”

Women’s sport and everyday resistance

“…As one final example, we consider how Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) players at present challenge the norms of women's sport. Women's sport has long asked women athletes to present in a hyper-feminine manner-a kind of compromise or accommodation between women athletes and the male preserve of sport (51). WNBA players have resisted this norm in recent years, embracing androgynous and masculine couture.…”

“…WNBA players have resisted this norm in recent years, embracing androgynous and masculine couture. Notably, the gap has narrowed between how a WNBA athlete expresses themselves off the court and in play ( 51 , 52 ). Today “There is more than one way to be a woman in basketball,” women’s sport journalist de la Cretaz concluded [( 51 ), para.…”

“…This includes but is not limited to women of color, queer women, women with disabilities, women representing religious minorities, and women from lower social classes ( 45 , 53 – 57 ). The premise is that women’s sport typically favors women with privilege and power ( 45 , 52 , 59 ), so when women who lack these structural advantages participate, they are challenging the norms of women’s sport. As such, for example, when a woman athlete holds a marginalized racial or ethnic identity, everyday resistance within women’s sport is more likely to manifest ( 5 , 6 ).…”