United States Sports Academy
America's Sports University®

The Sport Digest - ISSN: 1558-6448

How Media Affects Our Perception of an Athletes Race and Gender

Over the past few decades’ coverage of televisions sports has grown to meet the needs and wants of sport enthusiasts. Thanks to the development of satellite technology, cable television, and the growing popularity and marketability of sports, televised sorts coverage has proliferated. Sports coverage has delivered a larger viewing audience to the networks, and the sporting entities have used that coverage to increase their visibility and revenue. (Rada, 2005) However, are the needs and wants being met for all sport enthusiasts? This paper will further discuss how the media affects our perception of an athlete’s race and gender.

When comparing sports based on gender, it is without question that the media provides us with more male competitions compared to female competitions. The media’s job is to provide a quality product with an unbiased and objective view. In this case an exciting sporting event to attract viewers. The majority of the time male sports supersede female sport on TV in regards to viewing numbers. Sport channels are constantly promoting men’s sports but how often do we see promotions for women sports? The Women’s Softball College World Series between the University of Michigan and the University of California was a break through for women in sports. Due to the National Hockey League lockout in June of 2005, ESPN broadcasted the deciding game between these two universities attracting more then 1.6 million viewers (TV Exposure, 2006). This event proved how the media affects our perception of an athlete’s gender. In the past, women’s sports were perceived as boring due to the little exposure given on television. When females were given a chance on ESPN, producers began to see the excitement that women’s sports can bring to the living room. Other sports, like volleyball, soccer, and lacrosse are also gaining exposure, thanks to three college-sports networks CSTV, ESPNU, and Fox College Sports that have been created in the past three years. That attention has expanded opportunities for female college athletes and coaches (TV Exposure). Media has affected perception of gender in sports has it subconsciously affected our view of race as well?

The 2008-2009 NCAA men’s basketball season was a great example of how the media can impose stereotypical opinions of athletes based on race. From the beginning of the season basketball analysis constantly predicted the outcome of the season with Tyler Hansbrough leading the North Carolina Tar Heels to the National Championship. Although this prediction was correct, Hansbrough was the topic of discussion each time the Tar Heels were mentioned and continued to receive the majority of the recognition.

By nature, sports provide objective measures to evaluate the performance of a player and/or team. Statistics such as win-loss percentage, shooting percentage, and batting average provide a baseline by which an observer can establish a commonly held interpretation of success and failure. (Rada, 2005)
After reviewing the 2007-2008 statistics of the North Carolina Tar Heels it was found that at least one of the four neglected starting players had higher season average in five different categories then Hansbrough. (ESPN.com, 2009.)

Although Hansbrough is the all time leading scorer in the ACC these charts show that in the 2007-2008 season other players on team were there to help get him the ball. Furthermore, regardless of the hype that Hansbrough received he was equally if not less productive as the rest of the players on team. Granted Hansbrough is a tremendous athlete, how come team members Danny Green, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington or Deon Thompson were not recognized for their efforts?

Researchers have found that announcers are more likely to confine their descriptions, and praise, of African American athletes to statements regarding their athletic abilities and physical attributes. (Rada, 2005) When watching the NCAA basketball season this year, specifically UNC, announcers would consistently talk about Ty Lawson’s ability to run the floor and how his quickness was the key to their transition game. This standpoint of announcers portray African Americans as naturally or endowed with God-given athleticism exacerbates the stereotype by creating the impression of a lazy athlete, one who does not have to work at his craft (Rada). Although, when announcers refer to the White athletes’ physical accomplishments and/or attributes, they often highlight two factors: the player’s intellectual and cognitive process, and a strong, blue collar like work ethic (Rada). When Hansbrough was brought up in discussion announcers would admire his hard work under the basket to get fouled and go to the free throw line. Announcers would consistently discuss how Hansbrough was the hardest worker on the team by being the first to enter the weight room an hour before everyone and was the last to leave.

These major points portray how the media impacts our perception of an athlete’s athleticism. Although, I don’t believe that announcers and sports analysis are purposely trying to be biased towards race or gender. But, in live coverage of sporting events, announcers are placed in an environment where events unfold before them at a breakneck pace putting announcers under enormous pressure to generate commentary to fill the time and keeps the program moving. Such pressure might cause announcers to utter stereotypical beliefs that, in a less frantic environment, might be more controlled (Rada).

References

ESPN.com, Men’s Basketball. (n.d.) North Carolina Tar Heels Statistics – 2007-2008. Retieved April 13, 2009, from http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/teams/stats?teamId=153&year=2008

Rada, J.A., & Wulfemeyer, K.T. (2005). Color coded: Racial descriptors in television of intercollegiate sorts. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 49(1), 65.

TV Exposure Means More Opportunities for Women’s Sports. (2006, July 28). Chronicle of Higher Education, A28-A29. Retrieved March 24, 2009 from Academic Search Premier.