Introduction
Women athletes are generally given less media coverage compared to their male counterparts. For instance, one study indicated that the local network affiliate sportscasts only covered 3.2% of female sports, while Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) coverage was even lower at 2% (Cassidy 1). The apparent reluctance of coverage for women’s sports is a symbolic annihilation of female sports. The lack of media coverage and popularity of the WNBA may be related to the homophobic views of our American culture. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the impact of low media coverage as it exposes the practices and ideologies that present sports as male territory. Moreover, female athletes have historically been perceived as lesbians due to the perception of sports as a masculine pursuit (Cassidy 2). Although there are some improvements in the involvement of women in the sports industry, the prejudicial media response to featuring stories of female athletes encourages the homophobic views of American culture.
Article Summary
The media coverage of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has received less coverage on the media. However, there are a few stories like those of Sheryl Swoops and Brittney Griner, which helped to shape the view of queer women in the United States. Sheryl Swoopes was a famous basketball player who won three Olympic Gold Medals and championship awards for the WNBA (Cassidy 17). She became so good with her sports skills that people called her Michael Jordan. Her accomplishments and recognition made her known throughout the globe. In 2005, she decided to publicly come out and identify as a lesbian (Cassidy 17). Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender. Queer and intersex (LGBTIQ) groups saw her actions as a potential game changer. However, not all communities were impressed by her move.
Coming out by remarkable athletes helps the queer community as it enables people to change their perceptions and discredit common stereotypes. For instance, Sherly Swoopes later served as the color commentator for the AU games (Rallins 78). People accepted her as a sober and talented player who gave a good presentation of the queer community. Moreover, other female basketball players, including Natasha Cloud, Tamera Young, and Sydney Colson, are all WNBA players who identify with the black queer communities. Noteworthy, the media exposure and campaigns that Cloud, Young, and Colson have been presenting to encourage former WNBA athletes to revive their careers have served to enhance the economic development of the female queers (Rallins 78). Noteworthy, people are likely to make harsh judgments about something that they do not understand. The more exposure to the WNBA and queer women, the better acceptance and empowerment. Thus, the media coverage neutralizes the stereotypes and ensures that people get the right perspective about queers.
A few journalists have identified the gap in coverage of the WNBA and decided to dedicate their careers to bridging the gap. For instance, Ari Chambers, the founder of HighlightHer media, focuses on reporting female sports (Cassidy 53). Chambers uses social media platforms in addition to her magazine to highlight stories of top female athletes and their games. Noteworthy, she mostly uses storytelling techniques in highlighting such stories. Her content is excellent, given that she has garnered extensive experience from covering WNBA athletes and establishing an intimate relationship with some of them.
Journalists such as chambers recognize that the only way to successfully publicize and promote WNBA sports is to Her motivation came after seeing that the WNBA comprised 80% black women, most of whom are members of the LGBTQI community, yet their stories were overlooked (Cassidy 65). Her talent in storytelling helps to highlight the life struggles and successes of such players. Through partnering with Athletes Unlimited Basketball, she has established a platform called All on the Table, where selected athletes are called for an interview to present their stories. In addition, Chamber has been a Champion in criticizing the mainstream media for its apparent bias due to misogyny.
Content Analysis: WNBA versus NBA
The NBA existed long before WNBA and was established as a masculine game. Particularly, the NBA was founded in 1946, while WNBA was in 1996. The media continues to feature NBA as more skillful compared to the WNBA. In a YouTube video clip, the highlights of the NBA and WNBA are given as a justification for the pay gap and less media coverage (Gabby). In the video, the best games and shots of men’s basketball are presented and then compared to the worst parts of the female performances. The implication is that WNBA is portrayed as a weaker team where players lack the prowess and stamina needed to compete in the men’s basketball games.
The media coverage of the WNBA is by far less compared to that of the NBA. Particularly, the media coverage for NBA is 77.8%, whereas that for WNBA is 22.2%, giving a male-to-female ratio of 3.5 to 1 (Abrams)v. The implication is that many fans see their WNBA players’ progress less than that of the NBA players. Moreover, the presentation of the two games is different, as NBA players are shown to have a lot of energy. The implication is that the WNBA is portrayed as irrelevant. The attendance of the NBA is 92.3% compared to 7.7% of the WNBA (Abrams). Therefore, the media causes people to see WNBA as irrelevant and undeserving of attention.
The media has a lot of content on the salary the WNBA players receive compared to the NBA. Most media channels oppose the idea of equal pay between the WNBA and NBA players. The arguments were sparked after one woman, Brittney Griner, had been detained in Russia. She moved to the country because of higher pay as foreign countries are willing to pay the players up to a $1 million increase in salary (Faria par.2). Most journalists, especially those who create content for their social media content, insisted that the WNBA does not deserve any pay rise.
There is an overall assumption that the WNBA exists at the mercy of the NBA because, since its establishment, it continues to make low profits. Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, stated that the WNBA loses an average of $10 million annually with a revenue of $60 million compared to the $ 8 billion revenue of the NBA (Faria par.4). The facts are true, but they should be viewed in the light of systemic injustices including lack of media coverage. Thus, as long as the media continues to feature more good content about the NBA while criticizing the WNBA, there will be a profit gap.
Press Coverage of WNBA
The press, ESPN.COM, features content on the individual players of the WNBA as well as their leaders. The results and overall performance of the game are relevant in the selection of news and the individuals quoted. For instance, after the re-election of Nneka Ogwumilke, she said, “I am excited to continue the legacy of the WNBPA” (“Nneka” par.1). Similarly, the first vice president Kelsey Plum also said that she was excited to be elected as leader of the WNBA. The other basketball leader featured in the ESPN news over the last few weeks was Lisa Leslie. She is a former WNBA player who has now secured a job as a coach. The constant appearance of the word “excited” by the leaders of the league shows that it is a noble pursuit and is profitable, even if not in terms of generating revenues.
The other news that was present about the WNBA concerns the detention of Brittney Griner in Russia and her later release from detention (Quinn par.1). The content about Griner has primarily focused on her illegal detention and how Roger Carstens and others helped to secure her release. She had been detained for ten months, and upon her release and safe travel home, she had a lot to share with the media. She bonded with the cabin crew and was eager to meet people and tell her story. Resting was not a viable option for her despite the exhaustion because she thought she had much to say. Noteworthy, sports media promotes female athletes and helps to neutralize masculine energy (Isard et al., 307). The moment of fame was a chance for Griner to express some of the disadvantages that they faced and help to rewrite the laws. Thus, despite the fate of going to jail her release was an empowerment to the female athletes.
The content creators on ESPN provided lots of information about the basketball star’s family, who were waiting patiently for her release. Remarkably, there was significant media coverage about her reunion with her wife, Cherelle (Quinn par.6). Griner is a lesbian in a legal union, which caught the curiosity of many journalists. The couple reunited with a romance, which, as expected, led to many contrary opinions given that there is still a homophobic attitude in American society. Noteworthy. Griner was supposed to be detained for nine years in prison for possession of drugs, but following state intervention, the charges were dropped after serving in prison for only ten months (Quinn). The efforts by President Joe Biden and his continued support towards the LGBTQI community. Some people even mentioned that Griner’s detention was illegal and that possession of drugs was not a big crime.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the WNBA has had significant challenges since its foundation. The media coverage for the team has been low; in most cases, the content presents the team as weak. The implication is that the team has yet to realize spontaneous growth in revenue or fan base. The lack of media coverage encourages a homophobic culture in American society, given that most WNBA players are members of the LGBTQI community. However, a few journalists are now dedicating their time and content to bridge the gap. Moreover, ESPN featuring the story of Griner helped to reduce stigmatization and increase the voice of lesbian players. Therefore, despite the marginalization, there are efforts to enhance the media presence of the WNBA and support the advancement of the team. The limitation of this study is that it was done under time constraints and only a few sources were selected for gathering and analyzing data.
Works Cited
Abrams, Anna. “NBA vs WNBA: The Inequality of Pay and Media Coverage in Basketball.” Sutori, Web.
Cassidy, William P. Sports Journalism and Women Athletes: Coverage of Coming Out Stories. Springer Nature, 2019.
Faria, Zachari. “The ‘pay Gap’ Debate Between the NBA and WNBA is a Joke.” Washington Examiner, Web.
Gabby, Williams. ” NBA Highlights VS WNBA Highlights.” Google, Web.
Isard, Risa F., and E. N. Melton. “Does sports media raise her name? Examining intersectional representation in media narratives.” Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 305-322.
“Nneka Ogwumike Elected Again As Union Prez.” ESPN.com, Web.
Quinn, T.J. “Griner Dunks in First Hoops Workout in 10 Months.” ESPN.com, Web.
Rallins, Kendall N. “Self-Representation of Black Queer Athletes in the WNBA: Resistance to Misogynoir and Heteronormativity in Women’s Basketball.” DePaul University Libraries, 2022, pp. 1-89