At the ESPY Awards on July 11, Quinta Brunson joined Venus and Serena Williams to call out the media and encourage journalists to do a better job of covering women’s sports. The segment was funny, and much of the coverage of their bit was focused on the not-so-veiled critique of sports analyst Pat McAfee and direct criticism of Harrison Butker—but I hope people take away the larger message: It’s time to report on women’s sports the way we do men’s sports, instead of treating them as a novelty, add-on or side show.
Women’s sports are booming right now, consistently breaking records from participation to viewership to valuation and investment. And the ongoing Summer Olympics in Paris have broken another record, achieving full gender parity for the first time in history. The question is whether the media will rise to the moment and cover the Olympics and women’s sports with equality, fairness and respect.
The media can rise to the occasion to dismantle outdated stereotypes and bad practices—with help from a new Women’s Sports Media Guide, offering a comprehensive approach with 10 tips to covering women’s athletics with integrity and respect. UltraViolet, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting sexism, partnered with the Inclusion Playbook, a sports impact organization that works with leaders to transform their communities in and through sports, to create the guide.
The question is whether the media will rise to the moment and cover the Olympics and women’s sports with equality, fairness and respect.
The point that Venus and Serena Williams made at the ESPYs is our tip #1: “Avoid unnecessarily gendered language.” There’s no need to say “women athletes” when simply saying athlete or competitor would work. And in addition to never saying the “b” word, as the Williams sisters implored, it’s also time to stop calling grown athletes “girls” or “ladies.”
Not every athlete in women’s sports uses “she/her” pronouns. The upcoming Olympics are likely to have over 40 “out” LGBTQ+ athletes competing. It’s important for both reporters and fans to respect and use correct pronouns.
I will be cheering particularly hard for Nikki Hiltz to win the 1500-meter dash and make history, a nonbinary athlete who uses they/them pronouns. NBC has been critiqued in the past for misgendering athletes, and I hope they and other commentators can get it right this time. To NBC and any other outlet covering the games: In addition to reading tip #5 in our newly released guide, we suggest you check out GLAAD’s newly released LGBTQ Paris Olympic and Paralympic guide.
History has shown that the media does not have a great track record when it comes to reporting about Black women athletes in the Olympics—like in 2016 when Gabby Douglas faced undue criticism, and the Philadelphia Daily News thought Douglas and Simone Biles were the same person.
Make no mistake: Perpetuating sexist and racist reporting produces real-world harm. A focus on what a female athlete should “look like” drives 45 percent of girls out of sports in their teenage years. And not showing women as serious athletes makes it harder for professional women’s teams to fight for endorsements and pay parity with men.
Proper coverage of women in sports contributes to gender equality in media representation, inspiring young girls and promoting greater participation in sports. It also helps combat stereotypes and biases, fostering a fair and balanced view of women’s capabilities and achievements in every arena.
Make no mistake: Perpetuating sexist and racist reporting produces real-world harm.
As writer Lindsay Gibbs put it: “Women in Sports Are Done Being Grateful.” It’s no longer acceptable to think that these athletes can be relegated to second class and expected to be thankful for getting any attention at all. Her take came after Monica McNutt spoke the truth that the coverage we’re seeing now of women’s sports—and women’s basketball in particular—could have been this intensive years, if not decades, ago.
Will the media rise to the challenge and cover the 2024 Summer Olympics with fairness and respect? It remains to be seen. I’m personally jazzed to see how our U.S. women’s national soccer team does with their new coach and roster, the first Olympic games for the team since winning their equal pay battle.
Professional climber Sasha Di put it well in her recent op-ed in The New York Times:
“When I’m climbing, I am thinking about the next move; the last thing that I’m thinking about is my gender. Women climbers have the same performance and earning potential as men—and for this, as in many pursuits in which women are pushing against so-called traditional boundaries, we face resistance and questions about whether our success is actually deserved. It is.”
I hope members of the media take this moment as a serious opportunity to raise the bar so that current and future athletes can focus on their sport and achieve new heights without needing to fight inequality every step of the way. So let’s listen to these athletes, and coaches like Dawn Staley, who are continuously breaking glass ceilings and treat them with the respect they deserve.
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