While there are plenty of reasons for the lack of media coverage, three of the most common factors contribute to a lack of women's sports. Men's sporting are under-funded and dominant. These are just a few of the reasons why women aren't represented in sport. These issues can be countered by the media doing a better job in covering women's sporting events.
Lack of consistent presence
According to the study, nearly 80 percent of all televised sports news programs fail to include stories about women's sports. The stories that are included tend to be shorter than those that don't and are sometimes overshadowed by stories about men’s sports. Despite being conducted before the COVID-19 crisis, sports coverage of women's events has increased. The study also cites recent investment by ESPN to broadcast WNBA games.
Insufficient funding
Despite the fact the NCAA has taken steps to ensure equal funding for all sports teams, these improvements are still not sufficient. The NCAA rules are not staggered, and the games are not broadcast simultaneously. A second problem is the fact that women remain underrepresented in coaching roles. This problem has been a problem over the past decades, but it is still an issue today. The changes, while welcomed, are a step towards the right direction.
Men's sports dominance
Media coverage of women’s athletics is overwhelmingly dominated in men's eyes. Although asymmetry in gender marks can elevate the story of one women's team or sport, it doesn't necessarily mean that coverage will be greater for other women's sports. Additionally, asymmetric gender marking often combines with local parochialism and obfuscation of the local men's team's success.
Manufacture of no role models
Female athletes are often underrepresented in the media, which has made them the main source for information for younger generations. This causes a shortage in role models for young women. The perpetuation of socializations of gender roles is facilitated by a lack of role models in media. The following are some ways media outlets can improve their representation of female athletes and increase viewership of their content. This is a starting point.
Investments not being made
There are very few studies on gender differences in investments in sport. Very little research has looked at why managers invest more money in men's sports than in women's. And sponsorship spending has become more strategic. But why? Let's investigate the matter. Tokenism has been a long-standing problem in women's sporting. Major brands view women's investments as a PR move.