Challenge
World Athletics recognised the persistent gender imbalance in sports news coverage, particularly the underrepresentation of female athletes compared to their male counterparts, misrepresenting the brand of their sport in the media. To tackle this issue, they initiated a comprehensive study to assess gender representation in media coverage during the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The Work
Redtorch was commissioned to conduct independent research exploring differences in news representation between female and male athletes, linking these insights to their social media followings.
The study revealed a slight improvement in gender balance (when compared to coverage of the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, USA), with female representation increasing by 4%, achieving a ratio of 46% female to 54% male in news coverage.
Notably, female running athletes generated more search results than their male peers, while disparities persisted in jumps, throws, and road racing disciplines. World Athletics shared these findings with Google to enhance gender equity in search results and pledged ongoing collaboration to address media representation.
Impact
The research underscored the impact of World Athletics’ initiatives, including the historic election of a gender-balanced Council in 2023. By addressing gender imbalances in media narratives, World Athletics is leading the charge for equitable representation in sports, demonstrating a commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment for female athletes and creating future demand for athletics worldwide.
