Analysis of Sports Journalism and Gender in Nigerian Sports Media

This study analyses gender representation and journalistic practice in Nigerian sports media, examining the extent and quality of coverage given to female athletes and women's sports across print, broadcast, and digital sports journalism. Women's sports participation has expanded significantly in Nigeria across football, athletics, wrestling, and other disciplines, but media coverage has not kept pace with this growth, affecting the visibility, funding, and social status of female athletes. This study applies quantitative content analysis to sports coverage in three national newspapers (The Punch, Vanguard, and Thisday), two sports television programmes on SuperSport Nigeria and NTA, and three major online sports portals over a three-month period. Story volume, word count, photograph use, and narrative framing for male versus female sports coverage are coded. A supplementary survey of 150 sports journalists assesses their attitudes toward and experiences of women's sports coverage. Findings reveal that female athletes and women's sports account for only 14 percent of total sports coverage across all media types. When covered, female sports stories average 40 percent fewer words and significantly smaller photographs than male equivalents. The Super Falcons and female athletics track events receive the highest proportional coverage among women's sports. Sports journalists report editorial preference for male sports as the primary structural barrier to increased female coverage. The study concludes that gender disparity in Nigerian sports media coverage is severe and systemic. It recommends mandatory gender coverage quotas, women's sports specialist beats, and audience-building investments by media organisations.

Keywords: sports journalism, gender, women's sports, media coverage, Nigerian sports media.