Gendered Coverage of Nigerian Female Athletes by Selected Sport News Websites
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Abstract
The coverage of female athletes by the media is one of the debated subjects in social science research, and sports media are not excluded from this discourse, as the representation of female athletes in digital media has also raised questions. The frequency of coverage given to female athletes by digital media is a concern, not only because of its influence on aspiring female athletes but also because of its potential to shape people’s perceptions of women’s sports and female athletes. This study therefore examines the digital sports media coverage of Nigerian female athletes. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on 3,015 articles from Complete Sports, SportingLife.ng and Sports247, published during five major sporting events. A structured coding scheme was used to analyse the frequency of coverage given to female athletes, with intercoder reliability established using Krippendorff’s alpha. The findings reveal that digital sports media continue to give male athletes more coverage than female athletes, including during women’s sporting events. This disparity reinforces traditional views and promotes gender inequality in sports coverage. The study recommends greater emphasis on the achievements of female athletes and training for sports journalists and editorial boards on equitable sports coverage
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