Ethics and Media Representation of Women in Sports: An Analysis of the Media Texts and Attitudes of the Participants

Rad je pisan s ciljem utvrđivanja u kojoj mjeri i na koji način hrvatski tiskani mediji portretiraju sportašice te pokušava ustanoviti ima li stereotipnog izvještavanja o njima. Također se nastoji saznati jesu li žene u sportu u podređenom položaju u odnosu na muškarce i na koje se sve načine moguća podređenost očituje. Analizom sadržaja triju hrvatskih dnevnih novina (24 sata, Sportske novosti i Večernji list) i polustrukturiranim intervjuima s četiri akterice (dvije sportašice i dvije novinarke) došlo se do vrijednih saznanja o etičnosti medijskog prikazivanja žena u sportu. Analizirani mediji često o ženama u sportu izvještavaju s fokusom na njihov fizički izgled, za njih su rezervirani manji članci na slabije vidljivim mjestima u novinama, dok 24 sata i Večernji list učestalije koriste grafičku opremu od Sportskih novosti. Akterice su otkrile s kojim rodnim neravnopravnostima se susreću u vlastitim karijerama, ali i ponudile okvir u kojemu hrvatski tiskani mediji mogu pomoći u popularizaciji ženskog sporta i smanjenju njegove stigmatizacije. Ovaj rad, koji ispituje položaj žena u sportu kroz analizu sadržaja i polustrukturirane intervjue s aktericama, prvi je takve vrste u Hrvatskoj.The thesis was written to determine the quantity and the way the Croatian print media portray female athletes and tries to establish whether there is stereotypical reporting on them. The author seeks to find out whether women in sports are in a subordinate position to men, and in what ways possible subordination is manifested. The content analysis of three Croatian daily newspapers (24 sata, Sportske novosti, and Večernji list) and semi-structured interviews with four protagonists (two athletes and two journalists) provided valuable insights about the ethics of media coverage of women in sports. Analyzed media often report on women in sports with a focus on their physical appearance. Smaller articles are reserved for them in less visible places in newspapers, while 24 sata and Večernji list use graphic equipment more often than Sportske novosti. The protagonists revealed which gender inequalities they face in their careers, but also offered a framework which could be used in Croatian print media and can help popularize women's sport and reduce its stigmatization. This thesis, which examines the position of women in sports through content analysis and semi-structured interviews with female protagonists, is the first of its kind in Croatia