Side-by-Side Sports Reporters: A Between-Subjects Experiment of the Effect of Gender in Reporting on the NFL

Abstract

Women are more visible than ever in sports media. Yet, extant research has shown that females have endured an array of issues exclusive to their gender. Consistent research updates on gender in sports media is necessary in order to discover whether an increase in numbers has changed the assessment of women in sports media. This study’s objective was to understand how audiences now perceive women in television sports media, specifically as sports reporters covering the NFL. This quantitative experiment employed two current, veteran sports reporters (one female and one male) and pre-tested for the purpose of this study. It is the first known study that utilized professional television sports reporters. Each reporter recorded the same two “stand-ups” with identical backdrops. Survey participants randomly watched a video either of the male or female giving a fact or an opinion report and were then asked questions to measure their perception of the sports reporter’s knowledge and credibility. Intriguingly, this study did not replicate results from prior research, and therefore could contribute to literature on women in sports media moving forward.