Abstract
This study examined 152 articles devoted to female tennis players competing in the 2000 Wimbledon Championships in The Times, Daily Mail, and The Sun, covering a 17-day period that coincided with the Wimbledon Championships fortnight. Based upon the theoretical framework of gender power relations, a qualitative textual analysis methodology was used to reveal recurring themes within the dominant discourse about female tennis players. Results indicate the narratives used by the predominantly male journalists devalued, marginalised, and trivialised the athleticism of the female tennis players. The British newspapers seemed equally infatuated with Anna Kournikova, who was portrayed as a kind of sporting Lolita, and her hyper-feminine peers, the 'heterosexual honeys'. In contrast, Serena and Venus Williams - the 'Amazons' - were subjected to racial bigotry. The racial distinctions suggested that the hegemonic standard of the media was a favourable bias towards White female athletes. The sociological implications of such coverage of professional female tennis players are also discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 281-300 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 13 2007 |
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Keywords
- Discourse
- Gender
- Newspaper
- Textual analysis
- Wimbledon Championships
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Marketing
- Management Science and Operations Research
- Strategy and Management
- Business and International Management
Cite this
Analysing the print media coverage of professional tennis players : British newspaper narratives about female competitors in the Wimbledon Championships. / Vincent, John; Pedersen, Paul M.; Whisenant, Warren; Massey, Dwayne.
In: International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, Vol. 2, No. 3, 13.04.2007, p. 281-300.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysing the print media coverage of professional tennis players
T2 - British newspaper narratives about female competitors in the Wimbledon Championships
AU - Vincent, John
AU - Pedersen, Paul M.
AU - Whisenant, Warren
AU - Massey, Dwayne
PY - 2007/4/13
Y1 - 2007/4/13
N2 - This study examined 152 articles devoted to female tennis players competing in the 2000 Wimbledon Championships in The Times, Daily Mail, and The Sun, covering a 17-day period that coincided with the Wimbledon Championships fortnight. Based upon the theoretical framework of gender power relations, a qualitative textual analysis methodology was used to reveal recurring themes within the dominant discourse about female tennis players. Results indicate the narratives used by the predominantly male journalists devalued, marginalised, and trivialised the athleticism of the female tennis players. The British newspapers seemed equally infatuated with Anna Kournikova, who was portrayed as a kind of sporting Lolita, and her hyper-feminine peers, the 'heterosexual honeys'. In contrast, Serena and Venus Williams - the 'Amazons' - were subjected to racial bigotry. The racial distinctions suggested that the hegemonic standard of the media was a favourable bias towards White female athletes. The sociological implications of such coverage of professional female tennis players are also discussed.
AB - This study examined 152 articles devoted to female tennis players competing in the 2000 Wimbledon Championships in The Times, Daily Mail, and The Sun, covering a 17-day period that coincided with the Wimbledon Championships fortnight. Based upon the theoretical framework of gender power relations, a qualitative textual analysis methodology was used to reveal recurring themes within the dominant discourse about female tennis players. Results indicate the narratives used by the predominantly male journalists devalued, marginalised, and trivialised the athleticism of the female tennis players. The British newspapers seemed equally infatuated with Anna Kournikova, who was portrayed as a kind of sporting Lolita, and her hyper-feminine peers, the 'heterosexual honeys'. In contrast, Serena and Venus Williams - the 'Amazons' - were subjected to racial bigotry. The racial distinctions suggested that the hegemonic standard of the media was a favourable bias towards White female athletes. The sociological implications of such coverage of professional female tennis players are also discussed.
KW - Discourse
KW - Gender
KW - Newspaper
KW - Textual analysis
KW - Wimbledon Championships
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34047271643&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1504/IJSMM.2007.012406
DO - 10.1504/IJSMM.2007.012406
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34047271643
VL - 2
SP - 281
EP - 300
JO - International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing
JF - International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing
SN - 1475-8962
IS - 3
ER -