Television sport

Abstract

Sport is an important area for women to strive for equality status and achievement. The messages received through the socialisation process can either foster or discourage positive attitudes to sport and active participation. Socialisation is a life-long interactive process which occurs between the individual and her or his environment. Many factors in that environment will contribute to the shaping of the individual. Television is only one element in the environment and yet it plays a dominant role in the socialisation process. The television news has an added dimension of importance. This study has focused on television sport and examined the presentation of sport on the television news. To this end, it was found that there is a huge imbalance in the presentation of sports news on television. Male sports news dominates the television news with female sports news receiving relatively little coverage. The disproportionate amounts of coverage given to female and male sports news creates and reinforces a false picture of the reality about sports participation by women. It serves to perpetuate narrow and subordinate expectations for sportswomen and women's sport.