Lindsay Orosz
Female Athletes Making Headlines:
The Impact of Title IX on Media Coverage
of Women's Athletic Events
The impact of Title IX on gender equality in athletics raises important questions about the relationship between public policy and cultural change, particularly as cultural change is manifested in sports media coverage. This paper examines the impact of Title IX on media coverage of women's athletics. I first offer an historical and conceptual background surrounding the development of Title IX and a review of the scholarly literature concerning its impact on gender and sports. Then, by drawing on a content analysis of print media within The New York Times coverage of significant events in the history of women's athletics, I suggest that there is a relationship between the enactment of Title IX and the portrayal of female athletes in the media. I suggest that Title IX has created opportunities within women's athletics; these opportunities are represented in this media coverage.
