Language analysis of WNBA and NBA draft news coverage from 2001-2021
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Date
2023
Authors
Sourwine, Abby
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
A 2015 study found that the coverage of women’s sport is at its lowest point in history (Cooky, “Women Play Sport, But Not on TV”). A particularly egregious discrepancy occurs in basketball, where WNBA games are rarely televised and placed on secondary networks while NBA games are voraciously promoted. While some say coverage naturally gravitates toward what viewers are interested in, further analysis shows that journalistic coverage of women’s basketball reflects existing societal biases in the ways it centers men. Printed coverage of a sampling of 10 of the 22 televised WNBA and NBA drafts to date shows journalistic coverage of the WNBA draft differs from journalistic coverage of the NBA draft in its quantity and language. Articles on the WNBA draft are shorter than those on the NBA draft, include gender markers, and use descriptors in line with hegemonic femininity. The majority of articles are written by men, and this is not improving over time. As we better understand these disparities in news coverage, we can focus efforts to make coverage more equitable in tandem with existing efforts to improve wages and highlight the great players in the WNBA.
Description
48 pages
Keywords
Basketball, Sports media, Gender inequality, Women's National Basketball Association, Journalism