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In the Shadow of Men Under the Greek Sun: The Marginalized Representation of Women’s Sports in Greek Print Sports Media (2019-2020)

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Spiliopoulos, P. E. 1*, Matsiola, M. 2, Konsta, A. 1, & Pilitsidou, Z1

1Scholl of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 12, Vasileos Irakleiou, str. 54625, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2Department of Communication and Digital Media, University of Western Macedonia, Fourka, 52100, Kastoria, Greece.

*Contact Corresponding Author: email

Abstract

Despite the substantial increase in women’s participation in sports over the past century, media coverage remains disproportionately low. This imbalance has not been thoroughly explored within the Greek context. The present study investigates the representation of women’s sports on the front pages of five nationally circulated Greek sports newspapers during 2019 and 2020. The sample includes four daily newspapers —*SportDAY*, *METROSPORT*, *ATHLITIKI ORA TON SPORTS*, and *FOS TON SPORTS*— and one weekly publication, *FORZA*. Through methodological triangulation involving both quantitative and qualitative content analysis, 2,954 front pages were analyzed. The findings revealed that of the 26,513 total themes covered, only 2.7% focused on women’s sports. Similarly, women’s sports were depicted in just 3.5% of the 17,216 total photographs. A comparative analysis indicated a decline in coverage in 2020, likely attributable to the suspension or cancellation of events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative analysis further uncovered a significant presence of stereotypical portrayals, with many images featuring female athletes outside of sport action (competitive context), particularly in one of the examined newspapers. The findings align with international research, however, contrary to global trends, the study revealed that women’s team sports received more coverage than individual events. In conclusion, the minimal media attention devoted to women’s sports renders them nearly invisible, contributing to their “symbolic annihilation.” To gain a more comprehensive understanding of this issue, future research should examine additional aspects, such as coverage on internal sport newspaper pages (similarly, political newspapers), during Olympic Games years, and across different media platforms, including television and the internet.

Keywords: women’s sports, sports press, media coverage, stereotyping, content analysis

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Cite this article as:
Spiliopoulos, P. E., Matsiola, M., Konsta, A. , & Pilitsidou, Z. "In the Shadow of Men Under the Greek Sun: The Marginalized Representation of Women’s Sports in Greek Print Sports Media (2019-2020)," PANR Journal, November 19, 2024, https://www.panr.com.cy/?p=7459.