Is Dorothy treated fairly by the press in the Land of Oz? Three Australian newspapers' gendered coverage of the centennial Australian Open Tennis Championships

Abstract

This study examined three Australian newspapers and their coverage of female and male tennis players competing in the centennial Australian Open Tennis Championships. Content analysis was used to compare the amount and prominence of the coverage devoted to female and male tennis players in all articles and photographs. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine statistically significant differences (p < .05) between genders. Analysis revealed the average size of both articles and photographs favoured male players over female (25.7 sq. inches vs. 21.1, respectively). Male players were depicted in more action shots than females (70.8% vs. 61.7%); received more coverage on the front and back pages of the newspapers (10.6% vs. 3.7%); and were covered more frequently on Saturdays than female players. The difference in coverage between two Australian's, Hewitt and Molik were also examined. The results and their implications from both a gendered and nationalistic perspective are discussed.