Does ‘New Media’ Bring New Attitudes Toward Women’s Sports?
Unfortunately, no. But we have new tools and platforms for our advocacy. Social media, such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, have changed the way sports news and commentary is presented and consumed by fans. The “transmission model” for sports coverage, where media professionals were the gatekeepers for what did (and did not) get ink or airtime, has disintegrated. Coverage and commentary is now much more user-driven and community-oriented. These changes have, for women’s sports advocates, sparked hope that female athletes and sports would finally receive the “fair shake” they deserve after a long history of marginalization. Institutional media in every form have always unfairly allocated the lion’s share of coverage to men’s sports. Many advocates believed that primary reasons for this were that men dominated the production ranks in print and broadcast media and in advertising (and favored men’s sports). The fact that gatekeepers for traditional media have been overwhelmingly male meant fe
