Ahead of Women鈥檚 World Cup: MSU鈥檚 Allison champions move to increase media coverage
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擶ith the 2023 Women鈥檚 World Cup just days away, a 大象APP faculty member is leading the charge to increase visibility for women in sports, and her work is specifically helping shift media coverage of soccer.
Sociology Associate Professor Rachel Allison is a co-author of today [July 6]. The research, led by England鈥檚 Durham University, indicates media coverage of women鈥檚 soccer has substantially increased in the last few years, with equal coverage continuing to grow.
Specifically, the study found a six-fold increase in the number of articles in English print newspapers during the 2015 and 2019 F茅d茅ration Internationale de Football Association Women鈥檚 World Cups, a reduction in infantilizing or degrading language, and criticism of players and teams in line with typical reporting of men鈥檚 soccer, among other findings.
鈥淭he increased quantity and quality of media coverage of the Women鈥檚 World Cup is a positive trend, but the attention does tend to wane in the years between tournaments,鈥 Allison said. 鈥淭he fans in our study also want more regular media coverage of professional leagues like the Women鈥檚 Super League or National Women鈥檚 Soccer League. This coverage would help audiences to become invested in and knowledgeable about players before the next Women鈥檚 World Cup.鈥澛
The report makes numerous recommendations鈥攊ncluding year-round coverage of women鈥檚 domestic leagues featuring high-quality, knowledgeable commentators鈥攖o continue elevating the sport and tackling gender inequality issues within media. The study was led by Durham University鈥檚 Stacey Pope, associate professor in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, and features MSU鈥檚 Allison and Kate Petty, physical activity and well-being manager for England鈥檚 University of Leeds. It was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and FIFA Research Scholarship, awarded by the International Centre for Sports Studies and FIFA.
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