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

Citation