Challenging the status quo of sports media
How Fans Use Independent Media to Cover Women’s Sports and Advocate for Change
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7763932 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kasey Symons (0000-0002-8053-9211), Sam Duncan (0000-0002-6462-8329), Ryan Storr (0000-0003-1853-1005) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Equal Opportunities International (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1758-7093 • E-ISSN: 2040-7149 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/edi-04-2024-0190 |
| OpenAlex | W4410435217 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 27 |
Purpose This study investigates how independent content creators have built platforms to cover women’s sports and advocate for women in sports using digital platforms. These creators challenge the status quo of sports media and build communities of like-minded fans. This enables collective action and resistance through deep engagement with the content produced. Design/methodology/approach Six semistructured interviews were conducted with women who have produced content for independent media platforms that cover women’s sports. Participants were specifically selected for their engagement with and production of media covering women’s sports. Researchers engaged with uses and gratifications theory (UGT) to interpret the experiences and motivations of this content production as well as the impact content production has on the fan community. Findings By highlighting the reflections of six women in this space, this study illuminates how fan-driven content and content creators are resisting mainstream media coverage. It expounds on how they have subsequently built their communities, fostering a sense of belonging while creating a more inclusive media landscape. However, women in this environment feel vulnerable as independent media, sometimes unsafe, are often unpaid, and experience significant burnout. Originality/value This article offers an exclusive focus on the lived experiences, reflections, and perceptions of independent sports media content creators who identify as women while covering women’s sports, for which there is limited academic focus. It amplifies the voice of the fans, the toil that drives change for women in sports, and the problematic environment they work in
Advertising · Business · Content analysis · Mainstream · Originality · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social media · Social science · Sociology · Status quo · Digital Games and Media · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society
Speaking Up and Speaking Out
One and Done
It’s Dude Time!”
If Those Stats Make You Mad, Then You’ve Come to the Right Place”
Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century
Gendered cyberhate as workplace harassment and economic vandalism
Understanding the appeal of user‐generated media
Back to the kitchen, cunt’
Radical Sports Journalism
New Rules for New Times
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The next media regime
Sense of community
(Not) working 9-5
Brief Research Report
Inclusive, inviting, inspiring
Women and the blogosphere
Sportswomen and Social Media
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |