Date of Publication

Fall 2011

Document Type

Undergraduate Project

Professor's Name

Emily Dane-Staples

Abstract

This study examined the balance of newspaper coverage in regards to male and female high school athletes by way of a content analysis. Using the Messenger Post, a small daily in upstate New York, this study explored whether or not gender biases exist within the publication. 328 photographs were gathered from the 2011 spring sport season (April 1 to June 13) and analyzed with a keen eye towards placement, color, and quantity. Results proved to contradict past research. The sample shows that males have a greater prominence in the newspaper – in each of the factors discussed above – but not by a significant margin. These findings are encouraging for female athletes, as the established notion and practice of male dominance in newspapers has been prominent for many years. This is an essential field of research, because it addresses a specific group of individuals who are underreported and neglected by the media.

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