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Gender Equality, Biathlon and Media: An Analysis of Media Production

Název práce v češtině:	Genderová rovnost, biatlon a média: analýza mediální produkce
Název v anglickém jazyce:	Gender Equality, Biathlon and Media: An Analysis of Media Production
Klíčová slova:	Biatlon, genderová rovnost, sportovní zpravodajství, ženy, masmédia, sebepropagace, sportovní novináři, Mezinárodní biatlonová unie
Klíčová slova anglicky:	Biathlon, Gender Equality, Sports coverage, Women, Mass Media, Self-promotion, Sports journalist, International Biathlon Union
Akademický rok vypsání:	2020/2021
Typ práce:	diplomová práce
Jazyk práce:	angličtina
Ústav:	Katedra sociologie (23-KS)
Vedoucí / školitel:	doc. PhDr. Dino Numerato, Ph.D.
Řešitel:	skrytý - zadáno vedoucím/školitelem
Datum přihlášení:	02.06.2021
Datum zadání:	02.06.2021
Datum a čas obhajoby:	16.06.2022 12:00
Místo konání obhajoby:	Pekařská 16, JPEK209, 209, Malá učebna, 2.patro
Datum odevzdání elektronické podoby:	01.05.2022
Datum proběhlé obhajoby:	16.06.2022
Oponenti:	PhDr. Lenka Vochocová, Ph.D.



Kontrola URKUND:

Zásady pro vypracování

Sport is considered a male domain and is defined with characteristics such as toughness, strength, assertiveness, and competitive orientation (Mutz & Burrmann, 2015, p. 131). Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, said of women in sport: “No matter how toughened a sportswoman may be, her organism is not cut out to sustain certain shocks.” (Box, 2017). Even though women can participate in many sports today and take part in competitions such as the Olympic Games, they still must fight for equality. For example, only 7 out of 159 football associations worldwide pay women the same bonuses as men (Bedürftig, 2020). Women are often reduced to their bodies in the media related to sport. There were heated debates about the appropriate outfit for women on the tennis court after Serena Williams played the 2018 French Open in a full-body suit rather than the usual short mini-skirt (Peitz, 2018).
These examples show that it is still not possible to speak of equal rights for male and female athletes in the world of sport. Women are still subject to discrimination and paternalism in their sports. At the same time, equality in sport means that society becomes fairer and more open (Heeß, 2019). According to Gertrud Pfister, the discussion about gender roles in sport has a decisive significance for how a society deals with people, self-confidence, and body ideals: “How we perceive our bodies, how we judge their various parts, whether we like our legs or hate our bellies, how we consider changes through pregnancy and ageing, for example, or how we cope with the demands placed on our bodies by factors such as sport – all this depends on our knowledge and experience, and in turn has an effect on our bodies” (Pfister, 2010, p. 235). One sport that has been considered a pioneer of equal rights for athletes for years is biathlon. As early as the 2004/05 season, relay teams were introduced in which men and women compete together as a team. The prize money is the same, all races are broadcast on TV in Germany and the fans do not differentiate between the sexes either. Former athletes like Darya Domracheva (Belarus), Laura Dahlmeier (Germany) or Kaisa Mäkäräinen (Finland) are considered legends in their country. The International Biathlon Union promotes gender equality through the IBU Gender Equality Policy. The federation does not only strive for the equality of male and female athletes, but also wants to make it possible in the national federations and coaching and support teams. Gender equality is one of the central themes that the IBU has defined in its strategy leading up to the 2026 Olympic Games. In this way, the federation is drawing attention to the issue and can serve as a model for other sports. Gender equality is an important pillar of a democratic society. In this context, sport acts as a mirror of society because it represents gender imbalance but at the same time can drive social change. “Sport can even act as a catalyst for social change, affecting the life of participants beyond the playing field or gymnasium by bringing people together, even people in conflict. The transcendent power of sport is apparent all around the world” (Lyras, 2009, p. 7). If women in sport are portrayed on an equal footing with men, this also transfers to social structures and can bring about change.

Against the background described above, the key research questions and hypothesis for this study are:
- What is the role of the media in the field of gender equality in biathlon?
o The way female athletes are portrayed in the media is shaped by journalists.
o Media play a crucial role in getting women in sport more attention from sponsors.
o Media and sponsors shape the public image of female athletes.
- How do the media implement gender-responsive reporting?
o The media strive for balanced coverage of men and women.
o Female biathletes are presented in the context of female stereotypes.

Methodology:
The empirical part of the master’s thesis consists of an analysis of the media production of the biathlon sport. Qualitative interviews with athletes, journalists and officials of the biathlon federation will clarify how the topic of gender equality is presented in the media and what factors influence these processes. The focus is on the dynamic between journalists and female athletes. How are women portrayed in the media and why are they portrayed in this way? What influence do sponsors have on the portrayal of female athletes in the media?

In doing so, the interviews will be conducted through personal conversations. The questions vary depending on the function of the person interviewed. The aim is to explore what role the media play on the way to gender equality. Questions could include how the media deal with the issue and whether they address it at all in their reporting. Especially the selection of journalists should show a specify (television, radio, online, print). IBU officials can outline what rules on the media and their reporting and what steps the federation is taking to promote gender equality. The athletes are asked to provide information on how they assess equality in their sport and how they feel they are represented in the media, how they negotiate with journalists and how they like the questions. A total of 15 to 20 stakeholders are to be interviewed. The interview structure is constructed from open-ended questions (e.g., starting questions, follow-ups, grand tour, or questions bringing arguments).

Seznam odborné literatury

Bedürftig, D. (2020). Der DFB macht's wie Syrien und Afghanistan. In: n-tv.de, Retrieved from: https://www.n-tv.de/sport/fussball/Der-DFB-macht-s-wie-Syrien-und-Afghanistan-article22026378.html.
Boyle, R. Haynes, R. (2000). Power Play: Sport, the Media and Popular Culture. Essex: Longman.
Box. R. (2017). The Gender Equality Debate: A Boost for Women in Sport. In: Athlete Assessments. Retrieved from: https://www.athleteassessments.com/gender-equality-debate/.
Bruce, T. (2008). Women, sport and the media: A complex terrain. Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research, 51-71.
Bruce, T. (2016). New rules for new times: Sportswomen and media representation in the third wave. Sex Roles, 74(7-8), 361-376.
Bruhn, M. (1987). Sponsoring: Unternehmen als Mäzene und Sponsoren. Frankfurt am Main: Gabler.
Claringbould, I., Knoppers, A., & Elling, A. (2004). Exclusionary practices in sport journalism. Sex roles, 51(11-12), 709-718.
Creedon, P. (1994). Women, Media and Sport. London: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Free Press Unlimited. (n.d.). Gender-sensitive reporting. In: freepressunlimited, Retrieved from: https://kq.freepressunlimited.org/themes/gender-equality/gender-in-media-content/gender-sensitive-reporting/.
Guillotin, C., Fontayne, P., Chalabaev, A. (2012). Is sport still a masculine domain?. International Journal of Sport Psychology 43:67-78.
Hedenborg, S. Pfister, G. (2016). Gender, Media, Sport. Routledge.
Heeß, J. (2019). Raus aus dem Abseits. In: Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Retrieved from: https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/sport-und-gleichberechtigung-raus-aus-dem-abseits.966.de.html?dram:article_id=444474.
Heinrich, S. Luck, F. (2009). Biathlon Kompakt. A-Z Sport Media Ltd. Berlin.
International Biathlon Union. (2020). IBU Gender Equality in sports leadership seminar, 24-26 May 2019, Warsaw. In: biathlonworld.com, Retrieved from: https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/detail/leadership-seminar.
International Biathlon Union. (2021). IBU launches Gender Equality Policy. In: biathlonworld.com, Retrieved from: https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/detail/ibu-gender-equality-policy.
International Biathlon Union. (n.d.). Gender Equality. In: biathlonworld.com, Retrieved from: https://de.biathlonworld.com/gender-equality.
Jakubowska, H. (2014). Gender verification in sport as a surveillance practice-inside and outside perception. Surveillance & Society, 454-465.
Knoppers, A. Elling, A. (2004). ‘We Do Not Engage in Promotional Journalism’ Discursive Strategies Used by Sport Journalists to Describe the Selection Process. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 39(1), 57-73.
Koivula, N. Gender Stereotyping in Televised Media Sport Coverage. Sex Roles. 1999, 41(7/8), 589-604. DOI: 10.1023/A:1018899522353. ISSN 03600025.
Lyras, A. Hums, M. (2009) Sport and Social Change, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 80:1, 7-21.
Mutz M., Burrmann U. (2015) Geschlechtertypische Rollenerwartungen und die Mitgliedschaft im Sportverein. In: Burrmann U., Mutz M., Zender U. (eds) Jugend, Migration und Sport. Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
Organista, N., Mazur, Z., & Lenartowicz, M. (2021). “I Can’t Stand Women’s Sports”: The Perception of Women’s Sports by Polish Sports Journalists. Communication & Sport, 9(3), 372-394.
Peitz, D. (2018). Männer, die auf Catsuits starren. In: Zeit-Online, Retrieved from: https://www.zeit.de/sport/2018-08/serena-williams-catsuit-tutu.
Pfister, G. (2010). Women in sport – gender relations and future perspectives, Sport in Society, 13(2), 234-248.
Sherry, E., Osborne, A., & Nicholson, M. (2016). Images of sports women: A review. Sex Roles, 74(7-8), 299-309.
Sportschau. (2019). Flintenweiber - Als Biathlon die Frauen entdeckte. In: Facebook, Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/sportschau/videos/flintenweiber-als-biathlon-die-frauen-entdeckte/581930599249342/.
Staurowsky, E. (2016). Women and Sport: Counting a journey of liberation and celebration. Drexel University.
Wilde, K. (2007). Women in sport: Gender stereotypes in the past and present. University of Athabasca Women’s and Gender Studies, 1-10.

Předběžná náplň práce

The theoretical part of the thesis will give a general overview of the development of equality in sport. “Sport is an expression of the sociocultural system in which it occurs; and sports mirror the rituals and values of the societies in which they are developed. Sport influences our language, clothing styles and concepts of heroes and heroines. Its athletes and teams become our symbolic warriors defending the honour of our schools, towns, or nation. Its games and contests become symbolic representations of personal and society struggles for such things as property, fairness, honour, and economic gain.” (Creedon, 1994, p. 4). Pamela Creedon provides this definition of sport in her book “Women, Media and Sport”. She distinguishes between the concepts of sex and gender. Sex is “a culturally constructed biological characteristic”, whereas gender, is “an ongoing cultural process that constructs differences between women and men” (Creedon, 1994, p. 3). From a sociological perspective, Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality from 1989 can be applied to gender equality in sport. The theory describes different forms of discrimination of groups based on different characteristics such as ethics, gender, social status, or religion. It examines how they are interrelated and how they interact (Staurowsky, 2016, p. 99). Mass media coverage contributes to the fact that gender equality does not yet exist in sport. “[…] photographs do not simply create images of women or girls, men or boys; they construct differences between females and males and address viewers as though the differences are natural and real.” (Sherry, Osborne, Nicholson, 2016, p. 301). Social media reinforce this effect and often portray women from a sexualised perspective. In the second part, the sport of biathlon will be examined as a practical example of the concrete implementation of gender equality. The development of the sport from a female perspective will be described. The sport of biathlon was a male domain for a long time. It was not until 30 years after the men that women were also allowed to compete at the Olympic Games. While female biathletes were laughed at in Germany in the 1980s as “shotgun women”, today they are a matter of course in the World Cup, receive equal prize money and run mixed relays with the men.
Successful female biathletes are well-known in their home countries and are often used as advertising faces by the industry. Sponsors often associate female athletes with feminine attributes. For example, Paulina Fialkova advertises cosmetics, Magdalena Neuner for knitting or Gabriela Koukalova for jewellery. Boyle and Haynes explain this phenomenon with the sporting triangle, in which there is a connection between athletes, media and sponsors. These third parties influence how athletes are portrayed to the public (Boyle & Haynes, 2000).
The IBU Gender Policy 2021 will be discussed regarding goals of the federation until 2026. The strategy publicises that the sport of biathlon is committed to equality at all levels of the sport and raises public awareness of the issue.
In the empirical part of the thesis, qualitative research methods will be used to evaluate the role played by the representation of gender equality in the media. The object of investigation are questions such as “What can we see in the media?”, “How do sports journalists see biathlon in relation to gender equality?”, “What is the IBU doing to raise media awareness of this issue?” or “How the athletes or officials of the federation interact with the press?”. The analysis of media production is the main part of the work and will provide the facts about the extent to which society, media and sport stand up for gender equality. The point is to explore whether the media represent gender-sensitive reporting. “Gender-sensitive reporting is the practice of producing media content in a way which is sensitive to gender inequalities and portrays women and men fairly.” (Free Press Unlimited). Is the coverage of female athletes linked to traditional female characteristics, such as weak physical and emotional make-up or reduction to appearance (Wilde, 2007, p. 2)?

Předběžná náplň práce v anglickém jazyce