Just another story: Sports journalists’ memories of title IX and women’s sport

Since 1972, when the U.S. Congress passed Title IX, girls’ and women’s participation in sport exponentially increased. Yet, major gender inequities remain, including in media coverage. Feminist sports media scholars have pointed to journalists’ resistance toward Title IX as one explanation for these inequities. To further examine the relationship between Title IX and coverage of women’s sport, this study draws upon oral history interviews with 14 sports journalists who worked at newspapers in one major media market in the United States before and after the implementation of Title IX. In their memories, journalists incorporated two dominant cultural narratives: conflict narratives, which position gains in women’s sports against losses in men’s sports, and celebratory narratives, which uncritically embrace Title IX as a catalyst for girls and women in sport. Although all agreed that Title IX had a positive impact upon women’s sports, few believed Title IX actually changed coverage. This study points to the limitations of applying Title IX’s gender equity framework to sports journalism and calls for a reassessment in advocacy efforts toward gender justice.