Reaction to Vincent Paper

*Note: For those of you checking this blog for it's Brewers coverage, this post is in accordance with my sports journalism course through the University of Iowa.

1. Vincent uses the following factors to gauge whether media coverage of the genders is equitable: -Quantity of Coverage (number of articles, words, paragraphs, headlines, photographs, size of articles, headlines and photographs).
-Quality of Coverage - Position in the Newspaper (front page, front page of sports section, sports section, other sections).
-Position of the Page (top, middle, bottom).
-Content and Quality of the Photograph (type vs. color or black and white).
-Balanced coverage of female-appropriate and female-inappropriate sports.
-Avoid mixing stories of female athletes with male athletes.
-Avoid trivialized and sexist portrayals of female athletes.
-Define elite female athletes through their sport, not their gender role.

2. The article somewhat began by asking the question of whether or not media coverage of female and male athletes is equitable or not. Internationally, it appeared that it was in fact becoming more and more equal, however coverage of female athletes seems to also coincide with their sex appeal (the example referenced was Anna Kournikova). The article also touched on the idea behind what stereotypes consider appropriate female sports (tennis gymnastics etc. ) and inappropriate female sports (rugby, field hockey etc. ) and their coverage in the media (appropriate female sports find more coverage). Vincent's conclusions had less to do with the media and more with parenting. Our media coverage of both male and female athletes helps define the beliefs of parents and sport and in term helps them define the value to be placed in the athleticism and athletic ventures of their children. In terms of female athletes, it is important that children seeking to lead healthy lives have female athletes as role models who are valued by society and these values will be best understood through equitable media coverage.

3. Are Vincent's recommendations realistic. My answer is, I'm sure we would love to believe so. But in reality, media coverage is driven by money, and female athletics don't make much at all when compared to the male sports market. It sounds horrible to say, especially after discussing the implications it can have for the female youth of America and their self esteem issues and needs to healthy living. However, when money runs the news and that in turn means coverage and space allotted to female athletics, Vincent's recs are not realistic because of the current economy and the already failing nature and trend of newspapers. If ever female athletucs were able to pull the type of sponsoship deals and marketing campaigns as male athletics then perhaps, but I believe we are more than a few years from those days.