Several media outlets call attention to sexist coverage of the Rio Olympics

Sexism in sport is a long rooted problem which becomes even more visible during an international sport event like the Olympic Games. Although the gender equality at this Olympics might seem not a big struggle due to the following statistics: 45%of female competitors are present at Rio 2016 in comparison to 13% in 1964. The current agenda of many media outlets worldwide is suggesting us that sexism at Rio 2016 is persistent in the media rooms.

The headline of the British Independent: “While women triumph at Rio 2016, the media is competing to see who can demean them the most” describes a problem concerning the media coverage of the Olympics in Rio. In an article for CNN, journalist Madison Park questioned whether the Olympic coverage is undercutting women’s achievements, pointing out some examples.

One example is the Hungarian athlete Katinka Hosszu who won gold in the women’s 400-meter individual medley and broke the world record. NBC commentator Dan Hick suggested that her husband and trainer Shane Tusup is “responsible” for this victory. The CNN also reported a comment by an NBC commentator about the US woman’s gymnastic team who gathered  after a successful qualifying round: "might as well be standing in the middle of a mall."

The Telegraph brought up more moments in the Olympic coverage that could be perceived as sexist. The Chicago Tribune, while tweeting about the bronze medal of Corey Cogdell-Unrein in women’s trap shooting, referred to her as ‘wife of Bears lineman Mitch Unrein’ instead of using her name. Besides, The Telegraph mentioned the NBC spokesman John Mille who tried to explain the excess of ads during the Rio opening ceremony by blaming women, suggesting that they are not “particularly sports fans”. “More women watch the Games than men, and for the women, they’re less interested in the result and more interested in the journey. It's sort of like the ultimate reality show and mini-series wrapped into one,” continued the NBC spokesman.

The Guardian journalist, Lindy West wrote an opinion piece “How to talk about female Olympians without being a regressive creep-a handy guide”, giving tips to public services, how to talk or write about female athletes without sexism and infringement on their dignity. She puts together a basic template for reporters writing about female athletes: NEWS REPORT: [Female Athlete] did [sports] today. [Describe sports.] THE END. Sportswriting accomplished!