part1
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/32254145/sports-media-remains-overwhelmingly-white-male-study-findsLinks to an external site.
In this article published by ESPN, writer Richard Lapchick reviews and discusses a report card released by The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) about race and gender among sports media. The report evaluates the representation of race and gender in sports media, particularly among more than 100 newspapers and websites. The study highlights that sports media remains predominantly composed of white males although racial percentages of significantly increased. Regarding gender representation, the report shown that there has been an increase in the percentage of women sports editors, columnists, and reports but the overall gender grade remains low. For racial representation, the report finds improvement in all racial categories, however there is still underrepresentation of other racial and gender demographic in key roles such as reports, sports editors, and columnists. Moreover, the report indicates that without ESPN, many racial and gender categories would suffer a decline in representation. While progress has been seen over the years, there is still a lack of overall representation for women and people of color in sports media.
Why is the lack diversity in sports media considered a significant issue? How might the underrepresentation of certain racial and gender demographics impact sports media coverage and reporting? What are some potential strategies that could be implemented to address this?
part2
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/bas%20players-are-pushing-racial-justice-commentary-can-be-riddled-n1235782Links to an external site.
The article discusses how basketball players in the NBA have been advocating for racial justice, but there is a concern about colorism in the commentary surrounding the sport. A 2019 study called “Skin in the Game: Colorism and the Subtle Operation of Stereotypes in Men’s College Basketball” revealed that on-air commentary and conversations about athletes often carry implicit biases based on the color of their skin. Lighter-skinned athletes are presumed to be more intelligent, while darker-skinned athletes are seen as physically superior. The study’s authors, social scientist Steven L. Foy and sociology professor Rashawn Ray, analyzed a decade’s worth of video broadcasts of the NCAA’s March Madness tournament and found that this discriminatory bias was deeply ingrained and unconscious, irrespective of the commentators. The concern is that such biases can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and hinder progress in the fight for racial justice.
This article discusses how colorism can be found in sports media, even when athletes are advocating for racial justice. For example, the article cites a study that found that lighter-skinned athletes are more likely to be described as “cerebral” or “intelligent,” while darker-skinned athletes are more likely to be described as “physically superior.’
The article also discusses how colorism can affect athletes’ self-esteem. For example, the article quotes one athlete who said that she felt like she had to “work twice as hard” to be seen as just as good as her lighter-skinned teammates.
Questions for other students:
- What are some other examples of colorism in sports media?
- How can we challenge colorism in sports media?
- How can we help athletes feel more confident regardless of their skin color?