NBC’s televised media portrayal of female athletes in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games: a critical feminist view

Abstract

Mass media play a major role in influencing societal views of female athletes and in shaping the relationship between women and sport. While female athletes historically tend to receive little media coverage, the Olympic Games provide an opportunity to feature sports for both male and female athletes. This paper, guided by critical feminist theory, focuses on televised media’s presentation of female athletes in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, reporting particularly on the broadcast narrative. Common themes include comparison to male athletes, heterosexualizing female athletes, women as wives and mothers, shaming, and male privilege. The role of production, social media, and female athletes’ perceptions on this presentation are also discussed.