Representation of Sportswomen in the Online Version of Ukrainian Daily Newspaper “Segodnya”

Abstract

Female athletes’ media representation is an object of scientific attention during the last forty years, but few studies analyze the situation in Eastern European countries. Meanwhile, there is no research on sportswomen’s representation in Ukrainian media. Using a content analysis methodology, we analyzed women’s sports coverage in the sports section of the online version of popular Ukrainian daily newspaper Segodnya (Today). We found that most articles in the sports section are dedicated to men’s sport, and women’s sport is poorly covered. Female athletes are controversially framed in news stories. While ‘sports stories’ depict sporting achievements of female athletes and are accompanied by photographs of female athletes in action, the percentage of stories that are not related to sport is quite high. These «non-sports» stories are dedicated mainly to sportswomen’s appearance and sexuality, as well as their private life.