The Under Representation of Women Sports in the Media: Society Compared with The College at Brockport

Abstract

After the implementation of Title IX in 1972 there was high expectation of changing the societal perceptions of women in sport. Previous studies have been conducted to examine social acceptance by the media coverage and portrayal of female athletes in the United States. However, although female participation in athletics has increased after the enactment of Title IX women’s media coverage is still inferior to media coverage of men’s sports. This study therefore attempts to investigate the status of women athletes in the media, why they are under represented, and how this position is changing over time. This research also includes our findings on how the women athletes at The College at Brockport feel about how they are represented on campus compared to the men’s athletics. Data will be collected from the student newspaper, The Stylus. Looking at articles dating back the last decade will help us to determine if women’s sports at the college have been under represented. The results of the study will be presented at the SUNY undergraduate conference.