A new campaign called Cover the Athlete has highlighted the difference in how male and female athletes are treated.
Cover the Athlete look to stop the sexist and patronising coverage that often surrounds women’s sports, where media coverage often implies that female athlete’s bodies are more interesting to talk about than the actual competition being played.
The group’s mission statement reads: ‘Something’s wrong with media coverage of female athletes. Sexist commentary, inappropriate interview questions, and articles focused on physical appearance not only trivializes a woman’s accomplishments, but also sends a message that her value is based on her looks, not her ability. And it’s much too commonplace.’
They have released a video in which questions posed to professional female athletes are instead put to their male counterparts, and the results are eye-opening.
