Strategies for improving and diversifying women’s sports coverage: Insights from The Gist

Given the controversy surrounding the proliferation of biased and sometimes inaccurate media coverage of the WNBA this season and the absence of prominent female sports media professionals, the need for improving and diversifying sports media has reached a critical tipping point. Coverage of women’s teams, athletes, and events remains significantly less than that of men, and women and diverse voices remain significantly underrepresented in media roles, especially in leadership positions. A University of Central Florida (UCF) report estimated that only 14.4% of professional sports reporters at 100 media outlets nationwide are women. From a leadership standpoint, the same survey estimated that only 16.7% of editors at those same outlets are women.

According to the report’s lead author, Dr. Richard Lapchick, while there has been a slight increase in the representation of women in sports media from 2018 to 2021, “the overall record on women’s prominent positions in sports media remains abysmal.” Overall, the study found a notable increase in the representation of women in various roles in sports media. Sports editors increased from 10.0% to 16.7%, reporters from 11.5% to 14.4%, and copy editors from 20.4% to 24.7%. Columnists also increased slightly from 16.6% to 17.8%. Despite these increases, coverage of women’s sports remains disproportionately low, accounting for only 5-15% of content on linear and streaming platforms.

This lack of representation creates a vicious cycle: when diverse voices are not heard at decision-making tables, there is less investment and training for female sports media professionals, perpetuating coverage disparities. However, innovative organizations are leading the effort to change this status quo, and women-led sports media organizations like The Gist are looking to fill some of these much-needed gaps.

Under-representation of Women in Sports Media

There are several reasons for the underrepresentation of women in sports media, including systemic gender bias and historical exclusion from the field. Historically, sports journalism has been a male-dominated industry with deep-rooted stereotypes that position sports as an interest and career path designed primarily for and by men. Previous research has shown that sports media has long perpetuated narratives that marginalize and downplay the importance of women’s sports, which in turn impacts hiring practices and opportunities for women in sports journalism. As a result, there is a lack of female role models and mentors in the industry, making it difficult for aspiring female sports journalists to carve out a career.

Additionally, structural barriers and workplace cultures often impede women’s advancement in sports media. Researchers further note that women in sports journalism often encounter a “cold atmosphere” where their presence and contributions are undervalued compared to men. This environment may contribute to higher female turnover, with more women leaving the industry due to a lack of support, mentorship, and advancement opportunities. Additionally, women’s sports receive significantly less coverage than men’s sports, limiting opportunities for female journalists to cover high-profile events in the sports world and limiting their career advancement potential. For these reasons, addressing these issues requires intentional efforts to challenge and change the institutional biases and cultural norms that perpetuate gender disparities in sports media.

Improving women’s sports coverage

Currently, women are underrepresented in sports media, but pioneering organizations like The Gist are leading new efforts to change the status quo. Ellen Hyslop, co-founder and head of content at The Gist, says the organization’s mission is to create a level playing field in the male-dominated sports industry.

According to Hyslop, “A big reason we wanted to start with The Gist was to prove a really different business model in the sports industry, one that was centered around a different type of fan, a different type of creator, a different type of athlete than traditional sports media was doing, especially because it was a male-dominated space at the time.” Overall, The Gist has a different approach to sports media, focusing on designing a more inclusive model for both journalists and fans. Hyslop emphasized that The Gist’s mission is centered in three main areas:

1. Welcoming environment and community: “We’re focused on including different types of fans in the sports conversation – more mainstream fans, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, the BIPOC community – to create a safe space where underserved sports fans feel like they finally have a choice to be a part of the sports conversation and provide news tailored to them so they feel confident and want to be a part of the sports community.”
2. Representative sports media market drivers: “Only 14% of sports journalists are women or non-binary. I think that number has dropped to 18% in the last few years since we started. When we saw that, we thought it was no wonder that so many people in that very community feel left out of the sports conversation, because if you look at who is producing a lot of that content, they’re lacking a perspective on the sports industry. So we wanted to make space for more women in the sports industry.”
3. Improving coverage of women’s sports: “We wanted to create a level playing field by covering men’s and women’s sports equally, and we made a deliberate effort not to separate women’s sports from men’s sports, because we really feel like we want to achieve true equality. We have to put men’s and women’s sports on the same footing in all three of these areas, and we have to position the women journalists that we hire as authorities on men’s sports and as authorities on women’s sports, on the same platform.”

Unbiased women’s sports coverage

Diversifying the female sports media talent pool is essential to not only increase the quantity of coverage, but also its quality. Research shows that diverse organizations across industries enjoy numerous benefits, including higher quality work, improved decision-making, greater team satisfaction, and greater fairness. The sports media industry can similarly benefit by prioritizing diversity and investing in diverse voices, leading to insightful, more inclusive coverage.

The urgency of diversifying and elevating female sports media professionals is becoming increasingly clear in light of recent controversies surrounding sports reporters who primarily cover men’s leagues and teams. Incidents such as IndyStar reporter Greg Doyel’s inappropriate comments to WNBA rookie Kaitlyn Clark and ESPN reporter Pat McAfee’s derogatory name for Clark highlight the problems that arise when diverse voices are not adequately represented in the field. Organizations like The Gist can help create this change, according to Hislop.

“Some people underestimate women’s sports and underestimate getting into the field,” Hyslop said. “I think there’s a lot of excuses out there like, ‘I cover the NHL, so I can cover the PWHL,’ or ‘I cover the NBA, so I can cover the WNBA,’ but the reality is, they’re different sports, they have different players, completely different rules and setups, and they all have different histories and backgrounds. So I think it’s really important to find people who are willing to put their ego aside and learn and train with you.”

To change this, it’s important to continually engage with women’s leagues, teams, events and athletes, and invest in media professionals who excel at covering women’s sports.To help further, Hyslop strongly believes The Gist can be a great resource for professionals across the sports media industry.

“I [sports media professionals] By subscribing or checking out our website, [The Gist] Here you are. Description [aspects of women’s sport such as] How long is the season going to last, who are the key players? What are the key storylines, how does it work? Why is it important? What’s the context? I think on the men’s side of things, people are willing to make the effort. We have analysts on each team. So people that we know are willing to make the effort. The question is, are we willing to make the effort on the women’s side to learn all of this history and context and build relationships with the players, the teams and the league as a whole, to do a good job?”

The urgent need to improve and diversify sports media has never been more clear. After all, pervasive gender bias and a history of excluding women from sports journalism have led to a drastically underrepresented female presence in the media, especially in leadership positions. While some progress has been made in recent years, women remain underrepresented among professional sports reporters and editors, and coverage of women’s sports remains disproportionately low. This lack of representation not only limits the perspectives and quality of sports coverage, it perpetuates a vicious cycle of exclusion and marginalization. However, organizations like The Gist are pioneering efforts to close these gaps, demonstrating that a more inclusive and diverse sports media environment is both necessary and achievable. By challenging institutional biases and promoting diverse voices, the sports media industry can provide richer, more inclusive coverage that benefits both the industry and fans.