95bFM The Commonwealth Games is providing opportunities for better representation of female athletes, says sports media expert
11 August, 2022
Interview by Emilia Sullivan, adapted by David Liwei Shi
University of Auckland sports media professor Toni Bruce says representations of women athletes should highlight their performance, psychology, and experiences. Photo: Unsplash.
Representation of women's sports in New Zealand media has increased from 17% to 19% in the last couple of years, almost double the global average.
University of Auckland sports media professor, Toni Bruce told 95bFM's The Wire that the Commonwealth Games' recent expansion of the women’s event programme to the largest it has ever been, has provided more opportunities for positive female representation.
Historically, women's sports are covered less, and when they are, the coverage has focused on non-sport-related aspects, such as women's personal lives and physical appearances.
Bruce said positive representation should highlight an athlete’s performance, psychology, and experiences.
Live women’s sports coverage has increased in New Zealand, largely because of the current government heavily investing in women’s sports media.
According to Sports NZ annual media survey, New Zealand is considered a leader in positive changes to female sports coverage, with three past world cups sparking conversations around the status and issues in women’s sports.
Bruce said female athletes get more coverage if they win gold, and that it helps when women’s sports are successful.
New Zealand athletes won a record 20 gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, six of those being in women's events.
Joelle King and her teammate Paul Coll also won the gold medal in the mixed doubles squash event.
Bruce said these wins are fantastic and are having real effects on the way the media is covering women in sports in Aotearoa.
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