Gender Differences Through The Lens Of Rio: Australian Olympic Primetime Coverage Of The 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games

This study explored gender differences within the Australian primetime broadcast of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games. Forty-five broadcast hours from the Seven Network were examined regarding clock-time, name mentions, and descriptions divided by biological sex, finding that the Seven Network devoted nearly equal clock-time to male and female athletes, yet 14 of the top 20 most mentioned athletes (70%) were men. In terms of word-by-word descriptors, gender differences were also uncovered on many levels relating to attributions of athletic success, failure, personality, and physicality. The findings of this study suggest that-at least within an Australian sports context-gender portrayals ranged from relative equality to significant differences depending on the metric employed. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.