6). This is an important concept due to the relevance that equality encompasses in current affairs. Furthermore, professional female athletes receive lower wages and decreased media attention relative to their male counterparts due to stereotypes presenting the idea that women are the weaker, more fragile sex (Kaskan & Ho, 2014, p. 277).
Gender discrimination is very prominent in todays society and more specifically in the world of professional sport. Currently, female athletes are facing lesser than equal treatment compared to their male compeers. For years, women have tried to prove their athletic ability through Olympic games and professional sport (Kaskan & Ho, 2014, p.276). However, Kaskan and Ho (2014) …show more content…
The idea that female athletes are not of interest and unworthy of the attention also plays a factor in media broadcasting (Kaskan & Ho, 2014, p. 276). In the media coverage of sports, one particular advertising company gives individual attention to one specific sport (Sherwood, Osborne, Nicholson, & Sherry, 2016, p. 5). Men’s sports are given priority due to the views and popularity they have in society and the idea that men’s sport contains higher value to the audience they are targeting (Sherwood et al., 2016, p. 5). It is noted by Cooky et al. (2013) that sexist, racist, and controversial topics and ideas are oftentimes implied during broadcasting of female athletics additional to the lack of coverage they already receive. When observing women’s and men’s Division 1 basketball tournaments, evidence was given in the media attention that the men’s reviewed 76% total articles while the women received merely one third of that, ranking in at 23% total media coverage for the particular competition (p. 206). Additionally, sports media are quicker to rebound on women who do not represent the classic body type of feminine, delicate, and small boned, suggesting that women should not be muscular or physically show signs of strength (Kaskan & Ho, 2014, p. 275). Furthermore, magazines such as Playboy have had issues pertaining to